Summary
Tactics games are typically dense in mechanics and systems, providing players with diverse and expressive combat encounters that are often supported by RPG elements. Though the typically turn-based nature of these games lends them a certain accessibility, their mechanical depth can result in a slow onboarding process.
There are, however, a variety of tactical games that provide faster fun through a combination of excellent presentation, immersive atmospheres, and intuitive interfaces. By being fun to simply interact with or look at, and by offering a design that unpacks itself naturally, rather than front-loading the game with ideas, these titles areable to offer immediate engagement.
Mutant Year Zero: Road To Edenis a strategy RPG that combines tactical turn-based combat with real-time exploration. Thisallows players to sneak aroundand set up ambushes before engaging enemies in combat, making for a unique gameplay loop that can be tremendously rewarding.
This real-time exploration also elevates the pace of the game dramatically, allowing players to freely venture through its post-apocalyptic environments. This presents players with an immediately fun loop, taking typical menu navigation out of the equation and replacing it with playful exploration and an immersive atmosphere.
Tinyfolksis an immediately accessible tactical RPG that plays similarly to games such asDarkest Dungeonbut witha minimalist approachthat’s friendly to newcomers without compromising its strategic integrity. This is facilitated by a clear user interface, simplified dungeon-crawling, and a combat system that emphasizes resource/risk management.
Tinyfolksis also a much more forgiving experience on the surface, as it’s free of the brutal frustrations present in games such as the aforementionedDarkest Dungeon. This accessibility and the forgiving nature of the game allows it to provide an upbeat and immediately fun experience. This is further supported by a fast pace, with the game taking only a few hours at most per playthrough.
Shogun Showdownis a tactical turn-based roguelike that plays like a fast-paced action game. This is thanks to an intuitive combat system that tasks players with using a variety of movement abilities and attacks to outmaneuver enemies on a single axis.
As a result of this action-packed gameplay and the small scale of its wave-based encounters,Shogun Showdownis able to offer a remarkably fast-paced experience that’s immediately fun. And, as an added boost, the game is tremendously easy to learn, featuring minimal controls that emphasize positioning and strategic thinking over skillful control and extensive knowledge.
Into The Breachis a grid-based tactics game with small-scale combat encounters that encourage creative thinking, patience, and critical analysis. The game’s abundance of open information and clear telegraphing of enemy attacks presents fair and frustration-free scenarios in which failure is almost always down to a strategic mistake, only furthered by the addition of an undo button.
As a result of the game’s clear user-interface and the small scale of its encounters,Into The Breachis able to get players into the nitty-gritty of its mechanics in a fast and efficient manner. This offers immediate fun, as it doesn’t take long before players are experiencing the core mechanics of the game, rather than being caught up in learning controls or being confused by the behavior of enemies.
Cobalt Coreis a cozy sci-fi deck-builder with a colorful pixel-art style and charming atmosphere facilitated by a soothing, warbling soundtrack and a cast of quirky characters. In addition, the game’s lighthearted tone, colorful visuals, and clear user-interface make it an experience that’s incredibly welcoming.
This allowsCobalt Coreto be immediately fun, offering players tactical spaceship battles with strategic card play that’s easy to learn but takes time to master. With sucha friendly appearanceand stylish presentation, it’s hard not to be instantly won over byCobalt Core’sunique charm.
Battle Brothersisan open-world sandboxRPG with brutally unforgiving combat encounters that offer immediate fun. This is thanks to a fast-paced introduction and an intuitive set of gameplay mechanics that are easy to learn but hard to master.
The game gains additional depth via itsRPG character progression, which offers players an abundance of perks that grant meaningful abilities and upgrades. With a steadily increasing difficulty curve and a generous leveling system that gives players almost immediate access to their first perks,Battle Brothersis able to offer challenge and fun right out of the gate.
Wildfrostisa roguelike deck-builderthat breaks the norm with an emphasis on tactical positioning. Connecting the game’s tactical combat encounters is a generous helping of rewards that gives players a surge of new items, upgrades, and companions. This allows players to quickly craft and adapt their build as the run progresses, making for a tremendously fast-paced loop.
As a result ofWildfrost’sgenerosity, players are able to get instant access to new cards and companions by being immediately rewarded for defeating enemies. Along with the game’s charming cartoon art style and tactile user-interface, this allowsWildfrostto offer instant fun.
Tactical Breach Wizardsis a stylish tactical experience that offers immediate fun via its cinematic introduction and slick presentation. The overall experience is supported by a cast of quirky characters brought to life through witty writing, easing players into the experience and driving them home with truly satisfying turn-based gameplay.
Focusing on neatly packed level designs that emphasize close-quarters encounters and clever positioning,Tactical Breach Wizardsis able to offer a strategic puzzle in which there’s almost always more than one solution. However, it’s the sheer power of each character’s abilities that givesTactical Breach Wizardssuch an immediate sense of fun, allowing players to let loose on enemies in encounters that slowly ramp in difficulty.
