Developed and published by Chucklefish, Wargroove is a turn-based tactical strategy game that clearly draws inspiration from classics such as Advance Wars and Fire Emblem. Set in a colourful medieval fantasy world, the game puts you in command of armies led by unique commanders, each bringing their own personality and special abilities to the battlefield.
Battles revolve around careful positioning, resource management, and knowing when to push forward or hold your ground. With a full single-player campaign alongside multiplayer options, Wargroove offers plenty of room for players who enjoy slower, more thoughtful strategy games.
From the start, it feels like a love letter to classic handheld tactical games while still trying to build an identity of its own.
Graphics 8.0
Wargroove uses a vibrant, retro-inspired pixel art style that immediately brings classic Game Boy Advance strategy games to mind. The crisp sprite work and colourful medieval-fantasy environments give the game a strong visual identity while still preserving that nostalgic handheld feel.
The zoomed-in battle animations are another nice touch, adding extra personality whenever units clash. They make combat feel more lively without losing the simplicity that suits the overall art direction.
The graphics are not trying to be technically impressive, but they are clean, colourful, and very well suited to the type of game Wargroove is trying to be.
Gameplay 7.9
Wargroove delivers a strong turn-based tactical experience that will feel immediately familiar to fans of games like Advance Wars. Players choose a commander from one of four fantasy factions and take control of units across grid-based battlefields, where positioning and planning are key to winning.
Gold management adds another layer of strategy, as you need to decide which troops to purchase and when to expand your forces. Capturing strongholds and other important locations becomes essential, giving each battle a nice balance between offense, defense, and resource control.
The gameplay has plenty of tactical depth without becoming overly complicated. Every move matters, and learning how to use different units and commanders effectively makes battles satisfying from beginning to end.
Audio 7.1
The audio in Wargroove fits the game's colourful tactical style well. The main theme, "Theme of Wargroove," composed by Phonetic Hero (Pete Lepley), helps establish the adventurous fantasy tone and gives the game a memorable musical identity.
The soundtrack works nicely alongside the different battles and environments, helping keep the slower turn-based gameplay feeling lively. Unfortunately, there were also some audio glitches at times, which could briefly take you out of the experience.
Overall, the music is strong and suits the game well, but a little more technical polish would have made the audio presentation feel more consistent.
Value 8.9
The value in Wargroove is very high, especially for players who enjoy tactical strategy games and want plenty of content to work through. The main story takes around 20 hours to complete, which already provides a solid amount of gameplay.
Playing through the main missions along with side content can push that total closer to 38 hours, while players aiming for 100% completion may spend around 84 hours with the game.
That amount of content gives Wargroove excellent replay value. Between the lengthy campaign, additional missions, and optional content, there is plenty here to keep strategy fans busy for a long time.
Pros
- Excellent value with a long campaign and a huge amount of content for completionists.
- Strong turn-based tactical gameplay inspired by classics like Advance Wars.
- Plenty of strategic depth through unit positioning, resource management, and commander abilities.
- Colourful retro-inspired pixel graphics that fit the game extremely well.
- A strong soundtrack that complements the fantasy setting and tactical battles.
- Multiple factions and commanders add variety to how battles can be approached.
Cons
- Occasional audio glitches can briefly hurt the overall presentation.
- The retro visual style may feel a little basic for players looking for a more modern presentation.
- Some battles can feel slow because of the deliberate turn-based structure.
- The gameplay follows familiar tactical strategy ideas and does not always feel completely original.
Verdict
Wargroove is a strong tactical strategy game that does a great job of capturing the spirit of classics like Advance Wars while still offering enough personality to stand on its own. The grid-based battles, commander abilities, resource management, and variety of factions give the gameplay plenty of depth without making it feel overwhelming.
The colourful pixel art and solid soundtrack fit the fantasy setting well, and the sheer amount of content is one of the game's biggest strengths. With around 20 hours for the main story and much more for players who want to complete everything, Wargroove offers excellent value.
There are a few drawbacks, including occasional audio glitches and a style that can feel familiar rather than completely original. Even so, the tactical gameplay and amount of content make it easy to recommend for strategy fans.