The Scouring

About

The Scouring is a single player and multiplayer role playing game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Orc Group and was released on August 12, 2025. It received very positive reviews from players.

The Scouring is a strategic RTS where you build bases, manage resources, and command armies while defending against nightly undead waves. It blends action RPG elements by allowing you to control a powerful hero with unique skills, explore dungeons, and customize your playstyle. Multiplayer modes support up to 8 players, with extensive user-generated content for endless variety.

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91%

Audience ScoreBased on 433 reviews

gameplay35 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

The Scouring captures the nostalgic feel of classic RTS games like Warcraft II and III while introducing innovative mechanics such as a food system and night-time undead attacks.
The game features a solid foundation with smooth gameplay, charming graphics, and a responsive control scheme, making it enjoyable for both casual and competitive players.
The active development team is committed to improving the game, with regular updates and plans for additional content, including new factions and a campaign mode.

Currently, the game feels bare-bones with only two factions and a limited number of units, which can lead to repetitive gameplay.
Some players have reported issues with AI pathfinding and unit behavior, which can detract from the overall experience.
The game lacks a comprehensive single-player campaign at this stage, which may disappoint those looking for a more traditional RTS experience.

gameplay
84 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
54%
4%
The gameplay has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with players praising its fluidity, innovative mechanics, and nostalgic ties to classic RTS games like Warcraft. The introduction of unique features such as the day/night cycle, food/population mechanics, and a minimalist interface enhances the overall experience, making it both engaging and competitive. While some users note the current lack of content and potential for improvement, the core gameplay loop is described as fun, solid, and promising for future development.
- “The gameplay is fully modern; the game can stand perfectly well on its own and deliver a delightful RTS experience.”
- “Every mechanic feels like it was designed with care, with so much thought put into making the experience intuitive yet deep.”
- “The scouring is a breath of fresh air for real-time strategy fans, striking an impressive balance between classic RTS mechanics and innovative new systems that push the genre forward.”
- “Basically, the game has a very low amount of content in its current state. After 8 hours of active gameplay, I feel like the game is completely figured out and it's uninteresting to continue playing for now.”
- “Now the game needs more units, game mechanics, scenarios, and incentives to keep on battling.”
- “This is then made even more frustrating by this weird mechanic that spawns in undead neutral enemies at night. Yes, you can turn this nighttime creature feature off, but I'm not going to praise the game for giving me an option to turn off a poorly designed game mechanic.”
graphics
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
48%
6%
The graphics of the game have been widely praised for their charming art style, reminiscent of classic titles like Warcraft, blending 3D elements with bitmap icons. While some users noted the simplicity and limited graphical settings, the overall visuals are described as appealing, clear, and well-suited to the gameplay, contributing to a pleasant gaming experience. Despite a few mentions of low-quality graphics, the consensus is that the visuals are enjoyable and enhance the game's nostalgic feel.
- “The graphical design is charming, a mix between 3D and Warcraft 1/2 era bitmap icons which is still very coherent and beautiful.”
- “Beautiful graphics run well, playing team modes (3vs3 / 4vs4) is pretty fun.”
- “Amazing tribute to classic Warcraft with enough unique ideas to set itself apart and the art style is very pleasant to look at.”
- “Washed out low-quality graphics.”
- “The graphics settings are very limited.”
- “- no advanced graphics settings.”
story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
49%
13%
Players express a strong desire for a compelling campaign with relatable characters and an engaging story, emphasizing the importance of narrative depth in enhancing the overall experience. While the gameplay and mechanics are praised, there is a notable anticipation for a rich lore and storyline akin to classic titles like Warcraft III. Many users are eager for updates that will expand the story and provide a more immersive quest line.
- “Honestly, I love it. I never write reviews on games because I am lazy and just do not care too, however, this RTS game is awesome. The AI is great, the gameplay is smooth, and I am sure that more content will come, like upgrading units. One thing I wish is that I could pick my team color prior to the start of a match. Overall, this game is fantastic, and I hope the campaign has some sick lore/story.”
- “Looking forward to the campaign story; I hope it will have the same quality as Warcraft 3, which I think has one of the most engaging stories ever in gaming.”
- “Looking forward to the next upcoming updates, and I am excited for the story quest line.”
- “Couldn't even give us the first three missions or something??”
replayability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
Overall, the game offers high replayability due to its diverse maps, mod support, and engaging multiplayer mechanics that enhance teamwork and strategy. However, some users feel that it suffers from a lack of content, which can diminish replay value for certain players.
- “There are many maps, and the mod support just adds to the replayability.”
- “This is a real-time strategy game, which means there will be plenty of replay value.”
- “The result is a game with massive replay value, and the best power scale progression a multiplayer game can offer, not to mention the teamwork mechanics where replay value increases even more.”
- “The game is severely lacking in content and replayability.”
- “This game mode manages to bridge the gap between the satisfying meta-progression of MOBAs with the visual spectacle of RTS games, where the unit and building variety create a sandbox of unpredictability where the replay value is very high in a single-player setting.”
- “There are many maps and the mod support just adds to the replayability.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with an enjoyable soundtrack and strong voice acting that enhances character personality. However, some users feel that the theme music is mismatched and express a desire for more diverse audio elements, including additional music and voice lines. Overall, the soundtrack contributes positively to the game's charm and appeal.
- “The soundtrack is enjoyable, and the voice acting adds a good amount of personality.”
- “After loving the demo and thoroughly enjoying the addictive gameplay, simple but charming art style, and great soundtrack, I didn't hesitate to buy and support this new indie RTS gem on early access, as I can't wait to see what this game has in store moving forward!”
- “The theme music seems totally out of place.”
- “The only thing it needs as fast as possible is more music, sounds, voice lines, and the like.”
- “Sounds and music are lacking.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report that the game exhibits impressive stability, running smoothly and bug-free, especially for a new release. The enjoyable physics and clean combat further enhance the experience, with many players expressing excitement for future content. Additionally, it performs well on Linux, adding to its appeal.
- “Surprisingly stable and bug-free for being a brand new game.”
- “Loving the game so much because it is so stable, bug-free, and perfectly captures the soul of what makes RTS games fun!”
- “However, it runs great; the physics are fun and enjoyable, and the combat is clean.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The game's optimization is generally praised, with users noting that the custom game engine runs smoothly, offering good pathing and decent AI. The performance is solid, with fluid controls and satisfactory graphics that enhance the overall gameplay experience.
- “The custom game engine runs smoothly, pathing is good, and the AI seems decent.”
- “Great RTS, looks very good, runs smoothly, and plays very well.”
- “The engine runs smoothly, the controls feel fluid, and the graphics are nothing groundbreaking - but they get the job done.”
- “The game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate, even on high-end hardware, which is incredibly frustrating.”
- “I had to lower all the graphics settings to get a decent performance, which completely ruins the visual experience.”
- “There are frequent stutters and long loading times that make the game feel unpolished and poorly optimized.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is consistently praised, with users finding it very funny and enjoyable.
- “Very funny!”
- “The humor in this game is top-notch and keeps me laughing throughout.”
- “I love the witty dialogue and hilarious situations that make every playthrough enjoyable.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the grinding aspect for its automation features, such as AI farming and automatic potion consumption, which reduce tediousness. This allows for a more streamlined experience while still enabling players to earn gold and purchase items at their base. Overall, the grinding feels less burdensome due to these conveniences.
- “The grinding feels overly tedious, especially with the automated systems in place, like the revival mechanic and the automatic consumption of potions.”
- “I find myself just buying items at my base with the gold I make, while the AI does most of the farming for me, which makes the grinding feel less engaging.”
- “The reliance on automation in grinding takes away from the challenge and satisfaction of earning resources manually.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game to evoke a strong sense of nostalgia and warmth, likening its welcoming atmosphere to that of classic titles like Warcraft 3. The emotional connection is immediate, creating a wholesome experience that resonates deeply with users.
- “From the very start, the game feels wholesome and inviting.”
- “The scouring is an RTS that instantly made me feel at home, like stepping back into Warcraft 3.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is viewed positively, with users expressing hope for effective promotions and advertising to attract a larger player base, indicating a belief that the game has strong potential if marketed well.