Warbands: Bushido

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Warbands: Bushido is a single player and multiplayer tactical strategy game with a historical theme. It was developed by Red Unit Studios and was released on September 15, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Warbands: Bushido is a tactical miniatures-based wargame set in feudal Japan. Choose a warlord and lead your clan to victory in battles with AI or human opponents. Unique mechanics include terrain affecting movement and an honor system that influences your warriors' actions and abilities.

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61%

Audience ScoreBased on 519 reviews

gameplay38 positive mentions

grinding42 negative mentions

Warbands: Bushido offers a deep tactical strategy experience with a unique Japanese theme.
The graphics are stylish, and the combat is dynamic and engaging.
The game is free-to-play with no microtransactions, allowing players to earn everything through gameplay.

The storyline is minimal, and the repetitiveness of missions reduces long-term appeal.
The game suffers from RNG issues, where luck can heavily influence the outcome of battles.
The matchmaking can be unbalanced, often pitting new players against more experienced opponents.

gameplay
109 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
59%
6%
The gameplay is generally praised for its accessibility and engaging mechanics, making it easy to learn yet satisfying to master, particularly for fans of tactical RPGs. However, some players express frustration with the reliance on RNG and certain design choices that can lead to repetitive experiences and unbalanced matchups. Overall, while the core mechanics and strategic elements are well-received, there are calls for improvements in balance and depth to enhance long-term enjoyment.
- “The gameplay is easy to understand and easy to master yet satisfying when you win.”
- “The mechanics are well designed overall, and I'm quite fond of the art direction, especially the miniatures.”
- “Great tactics and gameplay, just don't get discouraged by the campaign.”
- “Frustratingly designed game mechanics.”
- “The mechanics are shitty, the graphics and concept are great.”
- “The lack of meaningful tactical mechanics makes the battles themselves lackluster dice rolling contests.”
graphics
69 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
25%
4%
The graphics of the game receive generally positive feedback, with many reviewers praising the beautiful artwork, smooth animations, and appealing aesthetic that effectively captures a feudal Japanese theme. However, some users note issues with optimization and bugs that detract from the overall experience. While the visuals are often described as lovely and immersive, there are mixed feelings about the depth of gameplay and story, suggesting that the graphics may not fully compensate for other shortcomings.
- “The graphics and detail of the environment, surroundings, and the characters are simply a treat to the eyes.”
- “Lovely hand-drawn quality to visuals evocative of tabletop miniatures and dioramas.”
- “An attractive game with sound and crisp graphics that keep you immersed in a historic Japanese setting pretty effectively.”
- “The game visuals and the game itself are incredibly shallow... think of them as the too-bright, colorful, thin plastic cabinet dress theme on a poker machine at the casino.”
- “I did not enjoy this game at all and too bad because I fancied the graphics and I love turn-based games.”
- “But if I were you, I wouldn't let the artwork deceive you.”
story
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
87%
6%
The game's story aspect has received mixed reviews, with many players finding the narrative to be minimal and lacking depth, often describing it as hollow or incomplete. While some appreciate the potential for engaging campaigns and character-driven storylines, they express disappointment over the absence of cutscenes and meaningful rewards for completing missions. Overall, players hope for future expansions that could enhance the storytelling experience and provide a more immersive narrative.
- “Spies, ninjas, proud samurais, and common soldiers will become heroes and villains for dozens of stories, each 20-60 missions long.”
- “Warband Bushido combines a few games in one: a board game, fun tactical exchanges, turn-based miniature, and TCG, and has a story-driven campaign.”
- “Campaigns have their own characters and follow a direct storyline.”
- “At present, the storyline isn't complete.”
- “Basically a PvP game since the decks and the storyline do not relate.”
- “We should be able to use our units, not just random units; I get there is a story behind that, but the campaign is a perfect moment for new players to level up a bit their units and get some rewards (the campaign gives no interesting rewards, no point for winning, no leveling up, what the heck?).”
grinding
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
95%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback from players. While some find it tolerable and a necessary part of progression, others criticize it as excessively tedious and time-consuming, particularly in multiplayer modes where leveling units is essential. Many players express frustration with the slow pace of progress and the reliance on grinding for rewards, suggesting that it detracts from overall enjoyment and could lead to a pay-to-win scenario.
- “Not too grindy.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It's pay to win, and the parts that aren't are very grindy.”
- “Progress is extremely slow and grindy; leveling up your units takes ages but is required to have a shot in the solo campaigns, and the game, if pleasant, is neither fun enough nor rewarding enough to justify a much higher buy-in.”
- “That encourages either a minimalist approach to miniature or card acquisition or hours upon hours of grinding since the players out there are decent and you need 3 victories just to get 10 coins.”
monetization
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
79%
12%
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing frustration over its transition from a paid model to a free-to-play format laden with microtransactions. While some appreciate the absence of in-game purchases in certain versions, others feel betrayed by the shift, viewing it as a cash grab that undermines the initial investment made during early access. Overall, the sentiment leans towards a negative perception of microtransactions, with calls for developers to reconsider this prevalent business model.
- “I really enjoy this game; for once it's not about microtransactions.”
- “Plus, no microtransactions; you have to earn currency through in-game activities!”
- “There are no microtransactions, and I hope it stays that way.”
- “I paid good money for this game when it was in early access and now it's 'free to play' with microtransactions?!!!”
- “The bottom line is the business model is a cash grab that can lead one to spend hundreds of dollars, far more than the game's worth, over a period of time.”
- “Oh, they changed it to free after we paid to beta the game for them and now they want you to buy microtransactions?”
music
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
76%
12%
12%
The music in the game is widely praised for its soothing and traditional Japanese influences, enhancing the overall aesthetic and feel. Reviewers appreciate the beautiful soundtrack and sound effects, noting that they complement the game's visuals and contribute to an enjoyable experience. However, some players desire more variety in the music to further enrich the gameplay.
- “The aesthetic and music go well with the feel of the game; it is running smooth with few lag issues or load times.”
- “The artwork and soundtrack are beautiful as well.”
- “Elegant mechanics, intuitive UI, great music, eye-candy graphics, and runs well on a toaster.”
- “Needs more variety in the music and maps.”
- “The music is soothing and traditional, but it lacks diversity.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
90%
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous users reporting persistent glitches, interface issues, and crashes that hinder gameplay. While some players appreciate the graphics and smooth play when functioning correctly, many express frustration over the game's overall bugginess and lack of optimization, leading to a recommendation against purchasing until these issues are resolved.
- “The graphics are stunning, the gameplay is smooth, and I haven't encountered any glitches or bugs so far.”
- “The game runs flawlessly, providing a stable experience without any interruptions.”
- “I've been playing for hours without any crashes or issues, which really enhances the overall experience.”
- “Still an extremely buggy game.”
- “Really wanted to enjoy this game but unfortunately it's just so buggy and even when you finish the tutorial campaign I can't even grab the rewards; it still says incomplete when I have clearly done it. Often at the start it'll crash or during a scenario it'll just have the loading logo and won't load. Can't recommend this at all; it just feels very rushed. Plus, there are so many bots and hackers out there I don't think many people will be enjoying this game unless they fix it ASAP. Thumbs down on this one!”
- “A nice game but don't pay money to buy now when it is still buggy and unbalanced.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
The atmosphere of *Warbands: Bushido* is praised for its unique tabletop-like style that effectively captures the essence of classic tabletop wargames and RPGs, offering a blend of complexity and accessible gameplay. Users appreciate the feudal Japanese setting, enhanced by nice graphics and atmospheric sound, despite some repetitiveness. Overall, the game delivers a compelling atmosphere with significant replay value.
- “The unique tabletop-like style of Warbands: Bushido not only recreates the classic look and atmosphere of the best games in tabletop wargame and RPG genres, but also combines legendary complexity and detail of core rules with fluent and accessible gameplay.”
- “Great atmosphere and lots of replay value.”
- “Really enjoying the feudal Japanese atmosphere.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
Overall, the game's performance is generally smooth, but players report significant optimization issues, particularly at higher ranks where matchmaking can lead to unbalanced encounters. While the graphics are praised, many users have noted glitches in the interface that detract from the overall experience.
- “Runs smoothly.”
- “The performance is really good.”
- “Once you reach rank 20, you face either AIs that are trivially easy or players with fully optimized legendary warbands that can easily steamroll your makeshift warband (assuming you haven't spent any money on the game at this point).”
- “Nice game with nice graphics, but it is totally not optimized and has many glitches in the interface.”
- “The game has potential, but the optimization is lacking, leading to frequent crashes and performance issues.”
- “While the visuals are impressive, the poor optimization results in long loading times and frame rate drops.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players highlight the game's significant replayability, noting the tactical depth provided by earning points to enhance warbands and ability cards, as well as the immersive atmosphere that encourages multiple playthroughs.
- “Tons of tactical depth and replayability in the form of earning points to improve your warband and ability cards.”
- “Great atmosphere and lots of replay value.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the reviews reflects a sense of irony and frustration, particularly regarding the game's transition from paid to free, which some players find amusing yet disappointing. This blend of humor and dissatisfaction suggests that while the game may have its comedic moments, it also leaves players feeling slightly cheated.

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40h Median play time

46h Average play time

40-100h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Warbands: Bushido is a tactical strategy game with historical theme.

Warbands: Bushido is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and Linux.

On average players spend around 46 hours playing Warbands: Bushido.

Warbands: Bushido was released on September 15, 2017.

Warbands: Bushido was developed by Red Unit Studios.

Warbands: Bushido has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its grinding.

Warbands: Bushido is a single player game with multiplayer support.

Similar games include Shardbound: Forge Your Path, Master Your Strategy, Infinity Wars: Animated Trading Card Game, Warhammer Underworlds, Faeria, Armello and others.

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