Worms W.M.D.

Worms W.M.D. brings the series back to its roots of 2D turn-based action with a hand-drawn art style, after the 3D experiments in earlier entries that didn't win over part of the fanbase. Players once again manage a team of worms fighting each other on destructible terrain, aiming to eliminate the opponent's units using a bizarre arsenal of weapons, from the sheep bomb to holy hand grenades and other iconic, over-the-top absurd tricks the series was built on.

Newly, the game adds vehicles such as tanks and motorboats, plus building elements that let players construct improvised fortifications and structures out of crates of materials on the map, opening up new tactical options for defense and attack for the whole team. The turn-based system remains faithful to the classic formula — the player has a limited time to move and attack, while the terrain keeps changing due to weapon destruction and affects the rest of the match, so no two games look the same. The game supports local and online multiplayer for several players, which even years later makes it a popular choice for quick, chaotic matches among friends, and it runs undemandingly on a modern PC thanks to its simple but inventive 2D graphics.

Humor remains a key part of the atmosphere, from the worms' one-liners to the absurd weapons and their sound effects, which the series has been famous for since the nineties and which reappear in W.M.D. in refreshed form. Worms W.M.D. was received as a successful return to the series' traditional style after the mixed reception of its 3D attempts, appreciated by both longtime fans and newcomers looking for fun turn-based strategy. To this day it remains a solid representative of the genre for those who want lighthearted but strategically interesting fun for one sitting or many, ideally in the company of friends around one screen or over the internet, where matches often end in raucous laughter.

Why play it: For a group of friends looking for lighthearted but strategically inventive turn-based fun full of absurd weapons and the worms' legendary humor.