A turn-based war game around Boston
American Patriots: Boston Tea Party is a turn-based war game set during the American Revolutionary War, fought on a historic illustrated battle map. You command forces against the redcoats with the goal of taking Boston and gaining independence from the British. Battles play out on a hex grid with a board game feel, and the whole thing is presented in 2D with hand-drawn art by Roland Seer and programming by Rain Pohlak. The developers describe it as a beer and pretzels game: combat is fast paced and instantly satisfying rather than a long simulation. They also note that engagements are not always historically accurate — the point is to have fun on an immersive battle map.
Playing together
The main way to play with friends is hot seat mode, where you take turns on the same machine and try to crush each other or work through a scenario together. The interface is touchscreen friendly, which the developers say makes hot seat extra fun on a Windows tablet. Steam also supports Remote Play Together, so others can join in remotely. Alongside the multiplayer options there are 4 single player battle scenarios in the vicinity of Boston, and players can compete on the leaderboards — the top 10 players receive a Golden General with more health points.
Reading the map before you commit
The ancient map carries real tactical information, so it pays to read it before moving. Churches heal your units, rivers lower defense, and towns are fortified. Terrain and positioning matter as much as raw numbers: flanking does 75% more damage, so breaking through enemy lines from the side is worth the setup. There are 4 difficulty settings to choose from — Easy, Normal, Hard and Nightmare — which lets a group pick a level that suits them before starting a hot seat session.