Ground Pounders

About

"Ground Pounders" is a hex-based, turn-based strategy wargame inspired by classics like "Panzer General" and set in the "Sword of the Stars" universe. Command an army from one of two factions, composed of numerous unit types, across various worlds. Increase your units' experience and abilities through two campaigns, and unlock special action cards for unique effects. Cross-platform play between desktop and mobile devices is supported.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

47%

Audience ScoreBased on 38 reviews

gameplay6 positive mentions

graphics2 negative mentions

The game introduces innovative mechanics like deck building for card-available actions, enhancing tactical gameplay.
It offers a challenging experience that rewards careful planning and strategy, making it appealing for fans of hex-strategy games.
The campaign provides a variety of scenarios and situations, keeping the gameplay fresh and engaging.

The tutorial is inadequate, making it difficult for new players to grasp the game's mechanics and leading to a steep learning curve.
The user interface is poorly designed, causing confusion and frustration during gameplay.
The game suffers from bugs and crashes, which can significantly hinder the overall experience.

story
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
82%
9%
The game's story emphasizes resilience and the unpredictability of life, with missions designed to reward tactical gameplay rather than brute force. However, players express frustration with the campaign's tight time limits and frequent bugs, which detract from the overall experience and suggest a freemium model that prioritizes monetization over gameplay satisfaction. Despite the engaging narrative premise, technical issues and mission design have led to a less than fulfilling experience for many players.
- “Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
- “Every campaign mission gives you an extremely tight time limit, and throws everything it can at you.”
- “Most missions take 1-2 hours to complete.”
- “Honestly, the entire thing seems like it was made with freemium in mind, to sell you more reinforcement points or more time for your missions, or just more units in general.”
- “It's all the frustration of barely passable missions without paying, without the option of paying for the satisfaction of razing the map with nuclear orbital barrages in hatred for your enemy.”
- “My latest save just now in a mission crashes when I finish, so my victory can't be.”
gameplay
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
59%
14%
The gameplay of "Ground Pounders" introduces innovative mechanics to the hex-strategy genre, with a solid tutorial system that helps players navigate its complex mechanics, although some aspects of the manual and online resources are outdated. While the game offers a variety of unit types and a unique card mechanic that enhances strategic options, it suffers from poor terrain recognition due to its alien setting and lacks the depth of unit variations found in similar titles. Overall, it appeals to fans of hex-strategy games, but the initial learning curve and unclear UI may deter some players.
- “It actually introduces successfully, in my opinion, new mechanics and aspects to the Panzer General hex-strategy genre.”
- “Possibly many 'modern' hex-strategy games try to add new ideas in the gameplay, and Ground Pounders is one of them that does it in a very satisfactory way for my tastes.”
- “The tutorials are worth the time and explain a lot of the game's mechanics.”
- “On top of this, the tutorials are taking place on an alien planet, making terrain recognition really awkward at the first few hours of gameplay, actually destroying any promotion efforts of the title.”
- “All the necessary types are here, and gameplay is variant enough with all engineer, medic, scout, heli, etc. options, but compared to similar games that have tenths of different armor variations, the game looks a bit 'poor'.”
- “There is no tutorial whatsoever, so I was put off and had no nerve to even try and understand the tactical gameplay after 30 minutes into the first game of the campaign.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with players finding it relaxing and enjoyable, contributing positively to their overall experience.
- “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- “The music is good.”
graphics
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
The graphics are characterized by a cartoonish sci-fi style that may not impress when zooming in, as they lack breathtaking detail. Overall, the visuals are considered adequate but not exceptional.
- “The visuals, especially when zooming in, are breathtakingly spectacular.”
- “The visuals, especially when zooming in, are not breathtakingly spectacular.”
- “Don't be surprised by the 'cartoon' sci-fi graphics.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
100%
The game presents a unique space setting for its hex-strategy gameplay, diverging from traditional WWII themes. However, some users feel that the battlegrounds lack a compelling atmosphere, detracting from the overall experience.
- “The game offers a unique and immersive atmosphere with its not-so-usual 'space' setting, providing a refreshing departure from typical WWII units.”
- “The variety in the hex-strategy gameplay is complemented by a captivating atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.”
- “The atmospheric design of the battlegrounds truly sets this game apart, making it a standout in the genre.”
- “The game offers a variety of hex-strategy elements, but the battlegrounds lack any real atmosphere, making the experience feel flat.”
- “While the unique 'space' setting is a refreshing change, the absence of atmosphere in the battlegrounds detracts from the overall immersion.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and not intuitive, requiring multiple clicks to obtain information, which can detract from the overall experience.
- “The grinding feels tedious and not intuitive, making it a frustrating experience.”
- “The process of grinding is overly repetitive and lacks any engaging elements.”
- “Grinding in this game is a chore, requiring too much time for minimal rewards.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with multiple users reporting it as "buggy" and problematic.
- “The game is buggy as hell.”
- “The game is buggy as hell.”