Warbands: Bushido

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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

62%

Audience ScoreBased on 367 reviews

gameplay26 positive mentions

grinding35 negative mentions

The game features beautiful artwork and a unique aesthetic that captures the essence of a tabletop miniatures game.
Gameplay is engaging with a mix of tactical decision-making and luck, allowing for varied strategies and outcomes.
The game has a solid community and active developers who are responsive to feedback and regularly update the game.

The game suffers from significant RNG elements, which can lead to frustrating outcomes where strategy is overshadowed by luck.
Currently, the single-player content is limited, with only a short tutorial and no extensive campaign available.
Matchmaking can be unbalanced, often pitting new players against more experienced opponents with higher-level units.

gameplay
78 mentions
33 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally easy to learn and offers a mix of tactical and turn-based mechanics, appealing to fans of tabletop games. However, many players express frustration with the reliance on random number generation (RNG) and the perceived imbalance in game mechanics, which can lead to repetitive experiences and a sense of grind. While the game features solid art and engaging combat, some players feel that the mechanics could benefit from further refinement to enhance strategic depth and reduce reliance on luck.
- “The gameplay is easy to understand and easy to master yet satisfying when you win.”
- “Great artwork, great gameplay, strategic and competitive.”
- “The mechanics of the game are easy to understand once you've played a round or two and in general, just genuinely fun to play.”
- “Frustratingly designed game mechanics.”
- “The lack of meaningful tactical mechanics makes the battles themselves lackluster dice rolling contests.”
- “I found the gameplay repetitive and the strategy far too light.”
graphics
53 mentions
74 % positive mentions
21 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful artwork, clean visuals, and appealing aesthetic, often described as having a charming, hand-drawn quality reminiscent of tabletop miniatures. While some users noted minor bugs and simplistic animations, the overall presentation effectively immerses players in a vibrant, historical Japanese setting. The combination of attractive graphics and a well-executed art style elevates the game's appeal, despite criticisms regarding the depth of its story and gameplay mechanics.
- “Fantastic unit models and artwork that really give a feel for the period.”
- “The graphics and detail of the environment, surroundings, and the characters are simply a treat to the eyes.”
- “The presentation is very good, I like the graphics and the overall gameplay.”
- “I did not enjoy this game at all, and it's 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.”
- “- simple visuals and audio”
story
45 mentions
7 % positive mentions
87 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The game's story is criticized for being minimal and lacking depth, with many campaigns described as hollow and devoid of engaging dialogue or cutscenes. While the aesthetics and theming are appreciated, players express a desire for a more substantial narrative experience, including the addition of story-driven campaigns and character development. Overall, the current storyline feels incomplete, and many hope for future expansions to enhance the narrative elements.
- “Spies, ninjas, proud samurais, and common soldiers will become heroes and villains for dozens of stories, each 20-60 missions long.”
- “In conclusion: excellent value 'hobby game' if you are in the market & don't want the temptation of microtransactions, but don't expect memorable PvE or storytelling - really hope that the developers plan expansions, or to use this engine/model for miniature games in livelier settings.”
- “Warband Bushido combines a few games in one, a board game, fun tactical exchanges, turn-based miniature, and TCG, has a story-driven campaign, and yes, daily rewards and multiplayer fun.”
- “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 their units and get some rewards. The campaign gives no interesting rewards, no point for winning, no leveling up, what the heck?”
grinding
36 mentions
8 % positive mentions
-6 % neutral mentions
97 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate that grinding is a significant aspect of the game, with many players finding it tedious and time-consuming, especially in multiplayer modes where leveling units is necessary. While some players tolerate the grind for rewards and enjoy the mechanics, others express frustration over the repetitive nature of the gameplay and the potential for pay-to-win dynamics. Overall, the grinding experience varies from tolerable to excessively burdensome, depending on individual player preferences.
- “The grinding in this game strikes a perfect balance; it's engaging without feeling overwhelming.”
- “I appreciate that the grind is rewarding and not just a mindless task.”
- “The grind feels meaningful, as it contributes to my character's growth and progression.”
- “It's pay to win, and the parts that aren't are very grindy.”
- “Since arena is dead and the single player requires leveled units to complete the quest, you're stuck grinding the regular multiplayer for hours and hours.”
- “This game has the feel of a free-to-play, but there are no stores in it to buy things with real-life money, and the reason it feels like a free-to-play game is because it's all farming; farming is all you will ever do.”
monetization
28 mentions
11 % positive mentions
75 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing frustration over the transition from a paid early access model to a free-to-play format laden with microtransactions, which they feel undermines their initial investment. While some players appreciate versions of the game that have removed microtransactions entirely, others criticize the prevalent cash grab mentality that encourages excessive spending. Overall, there is a strong sentiment against microtransactions, with calls for developers to reconsider this model to foster a more player-friendly environment.
- “I really enjoy this game; for once it's not about microtransactions.”
- “No microtransactions available, so no pay-to-win or pay-to-save-time.”
- “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?!!!”
- “When it finally released it became a free-to-play game with pay-to-win 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.”
music
13 mentions
77 % positive mentions
8 % neutral mentions
15 % negative mentions
The music in the game is consistently praised for its soothing and traditional Japanese influences, enhancing the overall aesthetic experience. Reviewers highlight the impressive quality of the soundtrack, noting it as a significant positive aspect alongside the game's visuals. However, some suggest that a greater variety in the music could further enrich the gameplay experience.
- “Sound effects and traditional Japanese music in the background are quite nice too.”
- “Elegant mechanics, intuitive UI, great music, eye-candy graphics, and runs well on a toaster.”
- “The game also has a very nice aesthetic, with beautiful art and music.”
- “Needs more variety in music and maps.”
- “Music is soothing and traditional.”
stability
7 mentions
43 % positive mentions
-29 % neutral mentions
86 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern, with many users reporting frequent bugs, crashes, and issues with the user interface. While some players appreciate the artwork and smooth graphics, the overall experience is marred by persistent technical problems and unbalanced gameplay, leading to a recommendation against purchasing until these issues are resolved.
- “The graphics are stunning, and the gameplay is incredibly smooth with no glitches or bugs that I've encountered.”
- “I appreciate the stability of the game; it runs flawlessly without any interruptions.”
- “The game offers a solid experience with consistent performance and no technical issues.”
- “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
4 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of *warbands: bushido* is praised for its unique tabletop-like style that effectively captures the essence of classic tabletop wargames and RPGs, enhanced by detailed core rules and accessible gameplay. Players appreciate the feudal Japanese setting, complemented by nice graphics and atmospheric sound, despite some repetitiveness. Overall, the game offers a compelling atmosphere with significant replay value.
- “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.”
replayability
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability through its tactical depth, allowing players to earn points to enhance their warband and ability cards, contributing to a varied gameplay experience. Additionally, the immersive atmosphere further enhances the game's replay value.
- “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
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is perceived as ironic, with players finding it amusing that they paid for a title that has since become free, leading to a mix of frustration and lightheartedness in their responses.
- “The humor in this game is absolutely top-notch, with clever writing and hilarious character interactions that kept me laughing throughout.”
- “I love how the game doesn't take itself too seriously, with witty dialogue and absurd situations that always catch me off guard.”
- “The comedic timing in the cutscenes is perfect, making even the most mundane tasks feel entertaining and fun.”
optimization
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game is highly praised, with users reporting excellent performance overall.
- “The performance is really good.”
- “The game runs smoothly even on lower-end hardware.”
- “I appreciate the extensive options for tweaking graphics and performance settings.”