Wargroove is a turn-based strategy game from Stardew Valley publisher Chucklefish. It sports a medieval fantasy setting not too dissimilar to Nintendo's series of Fire Emblem titles. Set in the land of Aurania, Wargroove has you in the role of Mercia, the princess of Cherrystone Kingdom. The assassination of her father, King Mercival, sets up the events of the game, with her realm under siege from the undead. It's not the most original of premises but is there more to Wargroove than meets the eye? We played the game on the Nintendo Switch to find out.
While it's easy to think that Wargroove is dark game, its stellar pixel art and liberal use of colour give its tale of conquest a lighter tone. Thanks to unique characters like Caesar, a dog that can lead entire armies, and Ragna, a tantrum-prone Frankenstien-esque commander pieced together from proficient military leaders, Wargroove's skirmishes have a charm of their own due to the dialogues and interactions of its diverse cast.
Wargroove's gameplay has you moving an assortment of military units across a map with the objective of capturing an enemy base or beating its commander. Bouts take place in a turn-based fashion and the units themselves dole out heavy damage based on how they're placed around foes. Attack dogs, for instance, can do more damage if they surround opposing forces while placing spear-wielding soldiers, or pikemen as the game calls them, adjacent to each other, allows them to hit harder. Understanding the nuances and placement of your units is the difference between a mission lasting an hour or 15 minutes, and adds a welcome layer of tactical depth to the proceedings.
In fact, unit placement is crucial because of how Wargroove's save system works. You can save your...