The Best Indie Strategy RPG Ever Made Is Getting a Surprise Sequel

Tactical RPGs are in the middle of a renaissance. The last few years have seen critically-acclaimed AAA and indie titles alike, including Triangle Strategy, Tactics Ogre Reborn, and Lost Eidolons. At the front end of that renaissance, an indie title called Wargroove put a brilliant fantasy spin on the Advance Wars formula, with a wealth of both single-player and multiplayer options. Now, Chucklefish and Robotality have announced Wargroove 2, a big sequel that looks like it's providing some meaningful new ways to play.

Wargroove wears its inspirations clearly on its sleeve, functioning as a sort of spiritual successor to Advance Wars. This means battles take place on dynamically designed maps where you capture buildings, produce units, and defeat an enemy army, all done in a turn-based tactical style. Wargroove knows what makes a tactical RPG tick, and its deceptively deep strategic options are introduced at a steady clip across the campaign. Where things really shined, however, was with the rapid-fire arcade maps and multiplayer battles, where your strategic chops really get put to the test.

There are dozens of hours of content in the original Wargroove, but it wasn’t without its flaws. The visual design can, sometimes, make it hard to distinguish unit types, the campaign has some big pacing problems in the second half, and the difficulty can suddenly spike. All of those things didn’t ruin the experience, but looking forward they’re also essential things the sequel can address.

Just based on the initial trailer and press release it looks like Wargroove 2 is putting a lot of effort into making each of its factions feel distinct, with new commanders and units to go along with that. Even better is the fact these factions look to be leaning into the fun weirdness of the aesthetic, with units like Krakens, soldiers riding ostriches, and a pirate captain with a flamethrower.

The campaign is also getting a big shake-up with three different arcs that are “interwoven into a fierce conclusion.” Those three arcs might drastically help the pacing issues the original game had, and if the differences between factions are more prominent the three different arcs could end up feeling like highly varied experiences.

There’s one other interesting change to note, as the maps in the Wargroove 2 trailer look like they’re absolutely massive and complex. A few quick shots show dozens of units populating lavishly detailed maps that are packed with details, like palm trees blowing in the breeze.

Interestingly, it seems like indie studio Robotality is handling the bulk of development on Wargroove 2, taking the reins over from Chucklefish.

“It’s been a pleasure taking Wargroove to the next level, in a way which feels fresh and exciting for strategy fans, whilst still being true to a community who are passionate about this world and its characters,” says art director Simon Bachmann “All of us at Robotality have had a great time developing the next chapter in the Wargroove universe, and we hope fans will have as much fun playing, as we have creating.”

Robotality has previously developed two games in partnership with Chucklefish, Halfway and Pathway, both of which are strategy titles. Bringing a fresh studio onto the project is likely just what Wargroove 2 needs, and if Robotality can learn from the mistakes of the first game we could truly end up seeing one of the best modern tactical RPGs.