Cataclysm Wars

DISCLAIMER: I am the soundtrack composer and worked on Cataclysm Wars. Though I am somewhat biased to review the product well- I joined late in development and knew next to nothing about the lore and backstory. Being a big RTS and strategy game nerd, this itches every part of the flash game feels of the 2000s. The mechanics are simple, it runs well (given a few bugs here and there), but truly does its job at conveying a story through the role of a commander. The missions are easy at first glance; you're given a set of units and a simple objective- but little guidance on how to defeat the enemy. The maps are large and offer interesting ways to use the terrain offering decent replayability. And if you want to go above and beyond, there's secondary objectives to get a decisive victory that unlock more narrative options. Where this game shines the most is its lore. Based on a homebrewed DnD campaign, the folks at Chicken Cabal have poured their heart and soul into writing the world Cataclysm Wars is set in. And it shows within the game either through dialogue, encyclopedia entrees, and even intermission letters. There's so much potential and not enough time to explore it all- but if you appreciate good world-building and thoughtful strategy games, this is the game for you.

I’ve only played the tutorial and a few missions of the Imperial campaign, but I can tell this is a labor of love. The game’s soundtrack and level graphics are fine. The missions are fairly sizable and have two different endings based on the completed objectives, influencing the subsequent mission. Where the game in my opinion shines are the unit design and the overall lore. The game’s unit design takes inspiration from games like Dominion but gives it its own twist. Especially the animalistic units of the Syrinx Kingdom are done very well. All units have their own respective upgrades (up to level 2 or 3), which you can apply in the mission selection menu, giving the campaigns a bit more strategic depth. One can see that a lot of thought and care went into the overall worldbuilding. The inclusion of dialogue, letters and an unit encyclopedia makes the world feel more alive. The setting itself, especially the Imperial campaign, deviates from the standard strategy format by placing you in the role of the defenders (a frontier militia). There are/were a few minor issues, but nothing game-breaking. These are related to in-game writing and some minor UI issues, but the developers are listening to player feedback and have already released a patch addressing some of these concerns. The asking price of €9.75 is more than fair for what is currently included in the game, and the different mission outcomes give the game a degree of replayability. I’m interested in seeing what the people of Chicken Cabal Games will think up next to flesh out their interesting world even more.

Only played through the first three missions of the Imperial Campaign + Tutorial, but so far game play seems really good, only come across one bug in my hour of playtime. Also I love the writing and the little lines your units spout out when you click on them, not to mention the unit graphics which I personally think are stunning.

Sweet but short ! I really like these kind of games, simple, easy to get into, beautifully desgined and with a nice story. This game is cheap, offers two campaigns representing two sides of the conflict with different types of units and different tactics that need to be employed. Sadly the game is too short. 9h-10h and you have played it all. Thats really the only negative point about it.

Extremely well written, interesting, little world. An overall compelling story with simple, but enjoyable strategic gameplay. Would highly, highly, highly recommend.

Great indie strategy game with a focus on story