What Wargroove is
Wargroove is a turn-based tactics game set in pixel-art kingdoms at war. You pick a Commander and move an army across a battlefield, spending each turn positioning units, capturing ground and striking when the odds favor you. Four factions are in the fight: the Cherrystone Kingdom, the Heavensong Empire, the Felheim Legion and the Floran Tribes, with a cast of more than 12 Commanders, each with their own personality and motivations.
Every Commander has a Groove meter. Fill it to 100% and you can unleash a special move, and each Groove works differently, so the same map plays out differently depending on who you bring. The single-player Campaign follows young Queen Mercia of Cherrystone, who flees her home when war breaks out and travels to new lands in search of allies. Battles are told through animated pixel-art cut-scenes.
Playing together
Wargroove supports up to 4 players, both locally and online. Skirmish battles can be run competitively or in co-op, with full rule customization, so your group can tune the match to how you like to play. Public and private multiplayer lobbies are available, and there is competitive online Quick Play.
The free Double Trouble expansion is built around co-op: a new story campaign with Outlaw Commanders Wulfar, the twins Errol and Orla, and Vesper, playable couch co-op, online co-op or solo. It also adds Thieves and Riflemen, new Arcade missions, and makes custom maps playable online.
Modes beyond the campaign
Arcade mode puts you through five opponents in a row to learn more about each character. Puzzle mode asks you to win a set challenge in exactly one turn, which is a sharp test of how well you know your units. Stars earned across play unlock special content, and some hidden features are tucked away old-school style.
Making your own content
The in-game editors let you build custom maps, cutscenes and campaigns without mods or external tools. You can write story-driven missions with sub-quests, plot twists, ambushes and hidden secrets, change the game's rules directly, then share your work online or download what other players have made. Double Trouble also adds a volcano map theme and updates to the editor tools.
Before you start
Wargroove is a strategy game at heart, so expect to think a few turns ahead rather than react fast. It works with a controller and is tagged family friendly. Note that Wargroove 2 is a separate, newer game with its own Commanders, factions, campaign arcs and a roguelike Conquest mode; buying Wargroove gets you the original and its Double Trouble expansion.