Wargroove 2

Wargroove 2 is a turn-based strategy game from Chucklefish that follows up the beloved first entry inspired by classic turn-based strategy games from the nineties. The player commands an army made up of various unit types on grid-based maps, where terrain advantages, unit combinations, and correct attack timing all matter - each turn can decide the whole battle, and misplaced units can quickly turn the tide of a fight. The second game's new feature is the commander system, which allows mixing units from different factions into a single army, bringing greater variability to strategy building before each engagement and rewarding experimentation with unusual combinations.

The game launched on Xbox Series X|S simultaneously with the other platforms and was available in Game Pass from the start, which helped it quickly reach a wider audience beyond traditional genre fans. Visually it continues the pixel-art style of the previous entry, which looks clean and legible on modern TVs, and loading times and smoothness on Series X are problem-free even on larger maps with multiple factions at once.

Critical reception was largely positive - particularly praised were the depth of tactical options and the map editor, which lets players create and share their own scenarios and even entire campaigns with their own story. Wargroove 2 confirms that the turn-based strategy genre inspired by older titles still has its place on modern consoles, especially for players seeking a more deliberate pace of play than real-time strategy offers and who want to carefully think through every move. The campaign is also filled out with smaller narrative missions featuring various commanders who have their own personality and special abilities, adding needed variety to the story portion and a reason to work through the chapters one by one.

Why play it: For fans of deliberate turn-based strategy who will appreciate a map editor letting them share their own scenarios and campaigns, and who don't mind taking their time over every move.