Wartorn

About

Wartorn is a single player tactical action adventure game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Stray Kite Studios and was released on November 11, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

Harness the elements in fierce real-time battles while gathering and upgrading a crew of fantasy creatures in this rogue-lite adventure across a world torn apart by war.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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81%

Audience ScoreBased on 111 reviews

gameplay22 positive mentions

grinding7 negative mentions

The art style is visually appealing, especially with the option to turn off the painterly effect.
The core gameplay loop is engaging, combining RTS mechanics with roguelike elements that encourage strategic thinking.
The story and voice acting are compelling, adding depth to the gameplay experience.

The unit AI is poor, leading to frustrating combat situations where units do not behave as expected.
The random events can feel unbalanced, with RNG potentially ruining runs without player input.
The lack of tooltips and a minimap makes it difficult to track units and understand gameplay mechanics.

gameplay
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
56%
5%
The gameplay is a blend of RTS and roguelite mechanics, offering a fun core loop that rewards strategic thinking and skillful execution, particularly through its unique slow time mechanic and elemental synergies. However, players have noted issues such as a slow start, reliance on meta progression, and some combat mechanics that detract from the overall experience. While the game shows promise with its engaging mechanics and beautiful art, it requires refinement and additional content to fully realize its potential.
- “The core gameplay loop is fun; RTS action with permanent health damage really makes it so your actions and skill impact future choices.”
- “Fantastic RTS gameplay reminiscent of Starcraft with a journeying mechanic just like a tabletop RPG board game - 10/10.”
- “Very fun combination of RTS gameplay and roguelite structure/progression, which is not something I've seen before.”
- “It takes away from the gameplay a bit when you can simply sit in an area for cooldowns to reset before going to the next fight.”
- “Gameplay - you can play the entire game in slow motion... there's literally no challenge; you just pause (slow-mo), order commands, spam all abilities, then stand there watching cooldowns.”
- “Read a ton of tutorials on things when I didn't even know what the gameplay was like yet, and even started comparing stats and weapons before any actual fights... just a complete mess audio, visually, and gameplay-wise.”
story
47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
66%
6%
The story of the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it compelling and well-integrated into the gameplay, while others criticize it for being convoluted or poorly executed. Many appreciate the unique art style and character development, but some feel overwhelmed by excessive dialogue and lore that detracts from the experience. Overall, the narrative shows promise, but its execution varies significantly among players, leading to a divided reception.
- “If you are a fan of RTS, roguelike, and enjoy a compelling story, this is worth your time.”
- “The art style is fun and the story is well written.”
- “You can tell that the developers put a lot of thought into world-building and storytelling.”
- “The story and writing in general is just horrible, feels like a DM who's written 200 pages of lore on his world before you have even created your character, and all of it is just cringey and trying way too hard.”
- “At least I am grateful that it was put into the game right at the very beginning, so you can tell what is likely ahead of you if you continue playing: a maddening story that makes no sense with dialogue that you can't escape.”
- “Bad story.”
graphics
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
53%
11%
The game's graphics feature a unique and divisive painterly art style that some players find captivating and well-suited to the game's narrative, while others describe it as visually cluttered and off-putting, with issues like blurriness detracting from the experience. Despite mixed opinions, many appreciate the artistic approach and its contribution to the overall atmosphere, though some feel it requires refinement and better graphical clarity. Overall, the art style stands out as a significant aspect of the game, eliciting strong reactions from players.
- “The art style is also very unique and works well with this game, and with the story you get really attached to your character and the units you bring along with you.”
- “Excellent visuals and storyline from a talented dev studio!”
- “The art style is fun and the story is well written.”
- “The game's bold paintbrush-esque graphical style also divides opinion, and for me, it adds visual clutter that doesn't fit an RTS title.”
- “Spare me the lecture of 'art is subjective' -> this art style attempts to make the game look like an art piece/painting but it comes across as a blurry mess that looks as if you turned any of the dynamic resolutions like DLSS to performance mode.”
- “And talking about watching, the graphics... yeah, they're blurry, but whatever... but why does it immediately switch art styles and show all these swords and things in crisp detail?”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
88%
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is overly emphasized, detracting from the roguelike experience. Players feel that the focus on farming materials for meta progression leads to tedious gameplay, where choices become meaningless and runs feel more like a chore than an enjoyable challenge. The slow pace of certain mechanics further exacerbates the feeling of tedium, leaving some players frustrated with the design choices.
- “Each run gives you different choices, but because you end up farming materials for meta progression, those choices lose their purpose.”
- “You have to micromanage on top of your micromanaging; it's incredibly tedious.”
- “To each their own, but it felt like you are playing with farming those very powerful persistent resources in mind as opposed to actually enjoying the run for what it is.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed feedback; while some users report smooth performance on high-end machines, others experience significant performance issues even on medium settings. Although the game is mostly polished with few bugs, there are concerns about the visual fidelity, with some players finding the art style to be unappealing and blurry.
- “Smooth PC performance.”
- “Few bugs, but mostly polished and performance is overall good.”
- “The voice acting performance is really fun, and I can feel their personalities come through.”
- “The priority now is optimizing as the performance can get pretty bad even on my high-end machine AMD 7800X3D and NVIDIA 4080 Super on medium settings.”
- “My big con is that performance could be better.”
- “Spare me the lecture of 'art is subjective' -> this art style attempts to make the game look like an art piece/painting but it comes across as a blurry mess that looks as if you turned any of the dynamic resolutions like DLSS to performance mode.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game highly replayable, noting that mastering its mechanics enhances the strategic experience and keeps them engaged. Many describe it as addictive, with a fun mix of elements that encourage multiple playthroughs.
- “It took a few runs to really get the feel, but once you have a grasp on how the elements work, food/gold upkeep, 'slow time' mechanic, and unit training, it becomes a very fun mix of strategy with great replay value.”
- “There's tons of replayability.”
- “Extremely replayable (and a little bit addicting).”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the emotional depth of the game, noting that the characters possess distinct personalities that foster a strong emotional connection. The experience of witnessing their growth or decline enhances player investment and engagement.
- “These aren’t just faceless units—they have personality, and watching them grow (or fall) adds a layer of emotional investment that surprised me.”
- “The storylines are deeply moving, making me feel a connection to the characters that I didn't expect.”
- “Every decision I made had emotional weight, and the consequences left me reflecting on my choices long after I finished the game.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been reported to have significant stability issues, with noticeable bugs such as units glitching into terrain and causing squad members to freeze. Despite these problems, some players still find enjoyment in the game.
- “It's very noticeable when one unit glitches into the terrain texture, causing others in the same squad to freeze and be unable to move or flee.”
- “I'll preface this review by saying that while this game is buggy and is in need of some tough love, I really have been enjoying it.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by genuine sisterly interactions and witty dialogue, with amusing elements found in troop names and mission objectives that add to the overall comedic experience.
- “The sister relationship feels genuine, and the dialogue can be pretty hilarious.”
- “There are funny bits of humor in things like troop names and mission objectives.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Reviewers praise the character development for its striking and unique designs, likening the experience to a living oil painting. The characters and creatures are noted for their fresh, dark aesthetics and strong personalities, contributing to an immersive visual experience.
- “It’s like stepping into a living oil painting, with gorgeously stylized environments and creature and character designs that feel fresh, dark, and full of personality.”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game has been criticized for being repetitive and unpleasant, with comparisons made to the annoyance of listening to "Baby Shark" on a loop.
- “It's like having to listen to the song 'Baby Shark' on repeat over and over, only less pleasant.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers note that even minor details significantly enhance the game's atmosphere, contributing to an immersive experience.
- “It's a small touch that adds a ton of atmosphere.”