Punk Wars

About

Punk Wars is a single player tactical turn-based strategy game with mystery and warfare themes. It was developed by Strategy Forge S.A. and was released on November 11, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

In Punk Wars, players build and manage their own steampunk-inspired city, competing against rival factions for resources and territory. Using a variety of units and structures, they must balance production, research, and military strategy to achieve dominance. The game features a sprawling map, turn-based gameplay, and a range of customizable options to suit different playstyles.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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65%

Audience ScoreBased on 54 reviews

graphics8 positive mentions

atmosphere3 negative mentions

The game features a unique aesthetic and atmosphere, blending steampunk and dieselpunk elements that create an engaging world.
The tactical combat is enjoyable, requiring strategic decision-making and positioning, which adds depth to the gameplay.
Each faction has distinct mechanics and playstyles, providing variety and encouraging different strategies in gameplay.

The game suffers from pacing issues, with mid-to-late game stagnation and a lack of dynamic events or meaningful randomization, leading to repetitive gameplay.
The tutorial is insufficient, failing to adequately explain the game's mechanics, which can overwhelm new players.
Performance issues, including lag and a clunky user interface, detract from the overall experience and make gameplay feel tedious.

gameplay
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
78%
11%
The gameplay of Punk Wars draws comparisons to Sid Meier's Civilization, featuring a blend of 4X strategy, builder, and RTS elements, with distinct factions that offer varied mechanics. However, players note that the game struggles with balance and lacks depth, as many mechanics are poorly explained, leading to a steep learning curve and a somewhat underdeveloped campaign. While the unique aesthetic and ambitious concepts are praised, the overall execution leaves much to be desired, with calls for improved tutorials, additional maps, and more engaging missions.
- “Each faction embodies a distinct ideology and approach to rebuilding society, not just in visual design but also in gameplay structure.”
- “The steampunk faction relies on mechanical ingenuity and mobility, fielding airships and advanced engineering to outmaneuver opponents.”
- “Unpredictable gameplay makes this game interesting and every civilization is fun to play with various ways to play!”
- “At first glance, Punk Wars captures attention with its ambitious mix of mechanics and its unique aesthetic premise, but beneath that creativity lies a game that, while conceptually strong, struggles to balance its systems and sustain momentum over time.”
- “The game has interesting lore but extremely boring gameplay and an underdeveloped campaign.”
- “Going into your first match, you will notice endless mechanics and buildings which weren't explained at all.”
graphics
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
52%
13%
The graphics of Punk Wars are highly praised for their unique aesthetic and attention to detail, showcasing a diverse range of styles that effectively represent the game's various factions. Players appreciate the high-quality visuals, including 4K support and beautifully modeled characters, which enhance the overall experience. While some users suggest minor adjustments to settings for optimal viewing, the consensus is that the game's graphics are a standout feature, contributing significantly to its appeal.
- “The factions’ aesthetics are clearly differentiated: the steampunk’s brass machinery contrasts with the dieselpunk’s smoky factories, the atompunk’s neon glow, and the steelpunk’s harsh, iron fortresses.”
- “Amazing artwork, beautifully modeled characters with unique stylization - I really love it!”
- “The graphics were great and fitting for the setting and genre.”
- “Without knowing anything about the devs, I have the impression that they are a smaller team, and with a finite budget, decided to focus on the trailers, in-game cinematics, and visuals.”
- “I know I've passed up games with great gameplay due to poor graphics, so I am not critical of the decisions they made, and hope they can continue to build on the elements that I found lacking.”
- “Graphically, the game is at a high level - I recommend that you improve the contrast on the monitor a little, because the default settings can be a bit irritating.”
story
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
68%
16%
The game's story is generally perceived as shallow and uninteresting, with many reviewers noting a lack of depth and engaging missions. While the campaign offers a structured approach to gameplay, it is criticized for its limited narrative and absence of meaningful missions, leading to a feeling of mediocrity. Players seeking a rich story experience are advised to explore other titles, as the current storytelling fails to captivate.
- “The plot is really fun.”
- “The lore and storytelling, the world and the idea.”
- “The tutorial works like a mission.”
- “The storyline is very shallow.”
- “The story bits may keep your interest for a while, but the rest is very mediocre.”
- “The story itself, if you can call it a story, is not interesting.”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a bleak, industrial setting that effectively conveys a world on the brink of rebirth and ruin, establishing a unique identity within the 4x genre. While it doesn't redefine the genre, the atmosphere is enhanced by its graphical world, though some users suggest updating the sound and music to better align with the gameplay. For those seeking a strong atmosphere and narrative, titles like Frostpunk and Endzone are recommended as superior alternatives.
- “It doesn’t redefine the 4X genre, but it successfully establishes an atmosphere and identity all its own.”
- “This adds a lot to the atmosphere of the game.”
- “The bleak, industrial setting captures the atmosphere of a world teetering between rebirth and ruin.”
- “It doesn’t redefine the 4x genre, but it successfully establishes an atmosphere and identity all its own.”
- “Recommended to update the sounds and music to match the gameplay and atmosphere the game is projecting.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game is described as having a grim industrial tone that enhances the atmosphere of desolation, though some players feel it lacks the intensity expected for an apocalyptic setting. While opinions vary, with some appreciating the art style and music, others suggest that the soundtrack could be improved to better align with the gameplay experience. Overall, the music is considered average, with room for enhancement.
- “The soundtrack and ambient effects enhance the mood further, with a grim industrial tone that reinforces the sense of desolation.”
- “I love the music and graphics.”
- “It is my kind of art style; the music is nice.”
- “The music is average; there's no great music like heavy metal, which I always think about for apocalypse times.”
- “Recommended to update the sounds and music to match the gameplay and atmosphere the game is projecting.”
- “The music is okay, but the personalization of the individuals is average.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it runs smoothly on older PCs, many users report significant performance issues, particularly during larger conflicts, leading to long turn times and stutters. Additionally, there are concerns about the overall polish, with some feeling the game lacks substance and is not fully finished.
- “Technically nice, runs smoothly even on old PC.”
- “I don't know if the game needs more substance or more mid-late game optimizations.”
- “Unfortunately, the visual appeal is undermined somewhat by performance issues and repetitive map design.”
- “The game’s AI and performance occasionally struggle during larger conflicts, leading to long turn times and occasional stutters.”
- “It has many flaws like bad performance, doesn't feel finished, the tutorial isn't enough, the campaign could have more to it, and the Steam Cloud doesn't work.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate its retro charm and engaging gameplay, others criticize the lack of dynamic events and diverse victory paths, which can lead to repetitive experiences over time. Despite some clunky elements, many find it a fun and fresh 4X title with decent replay value.
- “The game is beautiful and has a very retro Fallout kind of flavor that adds to the experience. The entire idea of the game is very well implemented and has a good amount of replayability.”
- “Punk Wars has a few clunky downsides like the UI and the controls, but it definitely outshines those issues as a fun, fresh, and replayable 4X title.”
- “The absence of dynamic events or meaningful randomization means that every campaign follows a familiar trajectory, reducing replay value over time.”
- “Replayability is not convincing due to a lack of paths to victory.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly due to the campaign's chokepoint map layouts and uncounterable AI ranged attacks, leading to prolonged and frustrating battles. While some may appreciate the turn-based combat, the extensive time required to progress—often exceeding 50 hours—can be off-putting, especially with the upkeep demands for managing multiple units and buildings.
- “I loved turn-based combat, but I have been grinding on the campaign's first level for most of my play, and the map layouts create chokepoints while the AI has ranged weapons that are not counterable.”
- “I have been stuck in an unnecessary grindy choke point.”
- “The upkeep for each turn when you have more than 10 units/buildings feels very tedious.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The humor in the game is well-received, as it adds a comedic narrative element that enhances the overall experience and breaks up the pacing of what could otherwise be a lengthy gameplay.
- “The events are funny and add a narrative element to what could otherwise be a lengthy game.”
- “The humor is cleverly woven into the gameplay, making every moment enjoyable.”
- “I found myself laughing out loud at the witty dialogue and hilarious situations throughout the game.”