Congo Merc

About

Congo Merc is a single player strategy game. It was developed by Dreamwalker Games and was released on December 12, 2016. It received negative reviews from players.

During the 1960s the newly independent Congo was the scene of constant warfare. Congo Merc puts you in the middle of that fighting with a task force of elite commandos. You conduct breakneck advances into the heart of enemy territory, seize critical objectives and, just as important, return to home base.

Genres & Tags

Strategy

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

30%

Audience ScoreBased on 40 reviews

gameplay4 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game is a faithful implementation of the original board game, providing a nostalgic experience for fans.
It offers a variety of tactical options with different unit types, including air power and special operations.
The low price point makes it accessible for casual gamers or those new to wargames.

The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including a broken tutorial and issues with unit transport mechanics.
Combat outcomes are heavily reliant on random number generation, leading to frustrating and unpredictable gameplay.
Lack of documentation and explanation of core mechanics makes it difficult for players to understand how to effectively play the game.

story
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
67%
25%
The game features a series of four missions, each lasting 5-10 minutes, with an optional campaign mode that allows players to tackle all missions consecutively. However, it lacks a cohesive story, focusing instead on simple objectives like "kill rebel leader" or "rescue hostages," which some players find limiting despite the interesting gameplay mechanics. Overall, while the game is designed for solo play and utilizes randomization through event and mission cards, the absence of a narrative depth is a notable drawback.
- “The Simbas took several hundred non-African settlers, businessmen, and missionaries hostage, eventually killing about 200 of them.”
- “A pretty interesting hex-turn based game, although it has no story and the combat is weird. The idea is great and the developer definitely deserves support.”
- “'Cause that's about how many units you can purchase in the game for the handful of missions with objectives like 'kill rebel leader' or 'rescue hostages.'”
- “Every game in this series was designed for solo play only, using event cards and mission cards to randomize your goals and your opponent's behavior.”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
Gameplay reviews highlight a mix of experiences, with some players finding it lacking in depth and fun due to missing core mechanics, resulting in a random feel. However, others appreciate the simple, point-based system for unit management and the engaging historical scenario, noting that it offers a few hours of enjoyable solo play for a low price.
- “Gameplay uses a fungible point system to recruit units, move them, engage in recon, etc.”
- “At the price of a few bucks, Congo Merc provides a few hours' worth of simple solo gameplay through an interesting historical scenario.”
- “This game tells you the controls, but the core mechanics of the board game are left out, leading to an extremely random-looking game.”
- “Just a boring game; no fun gameplay.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with frequent bugs that lead to crashes and freezes, particularly when attempting to use key features like air reinforcements. Players report that these problems often require a forced quit, resulting in lost progress and a frustrating experience.
- “However, Congo Merc has bugs which prevent me from using important features, like air reinforcement prior to battle, because it freezes the game requiring a forced quit without the chance to save your game.”
- “So this buggy mess of a game 'simulates' (no it doesn't) the mercenary-fueled Congo civil war from 1960 to 1964.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game has been criticized for being repetitive and unpleasant, with some players finding it so grating that it detracted from their overall experience, even preventing them from completing the tutorial.
- “Unable to finish the tutorial; the music is so bad and repetitive that I want new ears now.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization of Congo Merc is currently lacking, with users noting that it may require several updates to function smoothly and fully utilize its features and options.
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players highlight the game's strong replayability, noting that its variety of tactics contributes to an enjoyable experience that encourages multiple playthroughs.
- “Excellent fun due to replayability and variety of tactics.”
- “Excellent fun due to replayability and variety of tactics.”