Vactics

Vactics is an aesthetically pleasing and strategically challenging game. It’s visual beauty and immersive sound design draws players into a world that feels both elegant and engaging. The game’s strategic depth and roguelike design can offer countless hours of mental stimulation and satisfaction for those who can really get behind the gameplay. However, the chess inspirations and repetitive nature of the game may not appeal to players seeking more fast-paced or flashy experiences. Nevertheless, Vactics successfully carves its niche and provides a captivating journey for strategy aficionados willing to explore its unique blend of minimalism and strategic depth.

93%Game Brain Score

gameplay, graphics

story

98% User Score Based on 82 reviews

Critic Score 70%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

Buy NowGet on Steam Buy NowGet on itch.io Store

About

Vactics is a single player tactical turn-based strategy game. It was developed by The Lemur Conspiracy and was released on June 20, 2022. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"Vactics" is a demo game set in 2085 AD Solitude City, where a mech must be built to combat robotic Vactics and liberate the city. The demo includes mech-building using four tech types with mods, a "Save the City" campaign with select districts, and collectible color palettes. The codex allows for exploration, with stories tied to Vactics, tech, and districts.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

98%

Audience ScoreBased on 82 reviews

gameplay10 positive mentions

The game features simple yet appealing pixel graphics, with multiple unlockable color schemes that enhance replayability.
It offers addictive, puzzle-like mechanics that provide a satisfying challenge, rewarding strategic planning and clever positioning.
The progression system is well-designed, allowing players to unlock various mech skills and pilots, which encourages experimentation with different strategies.

Some game mechanics are poorly explained, leading to confusion about certain actions, such as how to hack buildings on later maps.
The health drain per turn mechanic can create frustrating situations, making it difficult to recover and leading to repetitive gameplay.
The user experience is hindered by a strange interface, such as the inability to change color palettes during gameplay.

gameplay
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
50%
12%
The gameplay is characterized by its addicting, puzzle-like mechanics that are easy to learn yet offer deep strategic complexity, making it engaging for casual players. However, some mechanics are poorly explained, leading to confusion, particularly regarding health management and certain actions like 'hacking' buildings. Overall, while the game provides a satisfying tactical experience, adjustments to the health drain mechanic and clearer explanations could enhance player enjoyment.
- “Addicting, smart, puzzle-like core game mechanics.”
- “Minimalist gameplay with lots of depth, interesting mechanics, and enough variety to keep engaged.”
- “As most people here have said, it's a game with simple mechanics and complex strategy, so if you're looking for a casual challenge, a way to get your brain running while you have a spare half an hour, it's a definite must-play.”
- “Some of the game mechanics are poorly explained, or not explained at all (e.g. how exactly can some of the buildings on the later maps be 'hacked').”
- “And some maps get you stuck in a lose-lose situation because of the health drain per turn mechanic.”
- “The game needs to reduce or outright remove the health drain per turn mechanic, offer more ways to heal, or more variety in the first few rounds to keep it more engaging.”
graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
43%
19%
The graphics are characterized by clean, crisp pixel art that combines a nostalgic charm with a modern aesthetic, featuring a delightful three-tone color scheme. Players appreciate the polished and minimalist design, which enhances the overall atmosphere of the game, even in its early access stage. The unique party mode adds variety by altering the graphics dynamically during gameplay.
- “The three-tone pixel art style is an absolute visual delight!”
- “It adds a nostalgic charm to the game while maintaining a modern and sleek aesthetic.”
- “Already a pretty polished mech turn-based tactical game with well-done minimalist graphics.”
- “The graphics are underwhelming and lack detail, making the game feel outdated.”
- “The character models are poorly designed and lack any real depth or personality.”
- “The environments are bland and repetitive, which detracts from the overall experience.”
story
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The story is generally considered lackluster, with sparse lore, but players appreciate the brief snippets of narrative that enhance the experience. The game is described as a compact rogue-lite with engaging, bite-sized missions that allow for easy pick-up-and-play enjoyment.
- “The story is a bit lackluster and lore is rather sparse.”
- “I did appreciate the little snippets of story you get from the game.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is well-received, effectively complementing its light-hearted, sci-fi theme. Overall, it enhances the gaming experience and aligns perfectly with the game's atmosphere.
- “The music is good, well suited to the light-hearted, sci-fi theme of the game.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its immersive atmosphere, complemented by impressive supporting art that enhances the overall experience.
- “It has atmosphere and great supporting art too!”