Tactical Breach Wizards

A linear story driven turn based puzzle tactics featuring spec ops team with magic and somewhat non lethal weapons.

Game progression wise, this is similar to Showgunners, you play one mission at a time while slowly uncovering the story and unlocking new characters but there is zero exploration here, almost all narrative being presented via character dialogues between levels. The story in this game is much more complex than Showgunners though, but also being written in that contemporary Marvel tone, don't worry though, it's not that juvenile or on the nose nor it pushing liberal talking points like other contemporary games.

The gameplay itself is more of a puzzle tactics game than traditional turn based games because there are levels where you can only pass by doing specific kind of moves, also the game feature rewind system per turn where you can rewind every move you made in a turn, hence why the levels are set up more like puzzle games.

There is one aspect of the gameplay that occurs between after several levels during big story event progression that annoys me, it's that you're given a board with characters and talking points and then you have to connect the points in conspiracy theory meme style, at first it was intriguing but by mid game I wish I could skip that.

Visually the game is using low poly art style that is everywhere these days, I have no complains though as this kind of style can feel cozy and the best of it is that it mean performance is not an issue, although yea that still depends on the game.

On the audio side it's also somewhat cozy, complementing the game nicely, although it would've been nicer if the dialogues are voiced, yep there's zero voice acting in this game.

21:o aspect ratio is supported, nice, these days it has become more common for indie games to support ultrawide but still not guaranteed.

Overall, this game is in similar category with Showgunners, a nice indie turn based tactics game that doesn't overstay their welcome, this one is better priced and has better contents than Showgunners though, that's all I can say.

Takes the loose cannon detective character archetype from Gunpoint and throws it into an international military campaign with gameplay similar to XCOM. The worldbuilding heavily includes a unique magic system that is a joy to learn about as you progress, and from a gameplay perspective it allows for a lot of very unique mechanics that you wouldn't see in a typical tactical strategy game. It leans into this very heavily. Of all the actions you can take in the game, there are only maybe two (or three with upgrades) that are pretty much just "apply damage directly." Most abilities instead use repositioning and knockback, and you have a LOT of very clever magical methods to apply them. This system is carefully designed so that your moves can combo into each other and play off of each other, giving you a lot of flexibility with your strategy without letting you spam your way through everything. It makes planning a strategy very approachable with its generous rewind system, which would also make the game very approachable for those who haven't played something in this genre before.

I had about 13 hours of gameplay for the main campaign and a bit of extra levels, but there are a lot of extra levels that I haven't played yet, many of which only unlocked after I completed the main game. I suspect they will take a similar amount of time as the main campaign. There are also optional objectives on every single level, which add a good level of replayability. On top of that there is apparently a level designer with workshop support. I think even without all of this I would still heartily recommend this game since the main campaign is very strong on its own, but I'm definitely not complaining about all the extras for people who want more.

Overall this game was a lot of fun and I felt I would miss the characters and the world and the gameplay itself when I got to the credits. Would recommend.

Tactical puzzle game. Not especially difficult, although there were a few headscratchers when trying to do all the optional objectives together on the first try. Writing is good -- they go for a snarky tone and it lands where so many games it would just grate.

very refreshing to play a game that is actually genuinely funny and not just by video game standards. entertaining and endearing from front to back - all killer, no filler. it rules.

What a perfect puzzle/tactics game. Great humor. Fun story and characters. Great game play. Loved it.

Tactical Breach Wizards. Really odd title, and yet the best that you could give this game.

Apart from excellent gameplay this game shines with one of the best writing that I have seen in the past few years. It does not try to be serious, and it works really well. The story is told mostly through dialogues, they are executed flawlessly. I even found myself laughing aloud at several times. As direct consequence of great writing was that I actually cared about the characters so the choice of their future was fairly impactful... just lovely <3

Mechanics, are at first glance similar to XCOM, and yet they are alien. Most of your attacks do NOT deal damage, but instead knock enemies back. I found this pretty absurd, but through ~20h campaign this damage dealing I understood that this change makes this game a true masterpiece.

There isn't too much more to say about this game, just BREACH!

bought this, played it for the first time, and only stopped when the automatic lights in my house went off at 1am an i realised i had a tension headache from focusing on the screen intently for a solid six hours.

addictive gameplay, excellent characterisation, genuinely laugh-out-loud funny. definitely one of the best buys i've made this year.

Okay so,
even for the games I love, i don't publish comments. But I really think this one deserve it. I dunno if the devs did get back the money and time invested but again, they deserve it.

First, the story and the dialogs are REALLY insane. This might be best the aspect of the game for me. I laugh at every discussion the characters have, each one of them has a unique personnality and it's really fun to be part of their team. The story is a classical action movie plot but the mix with wizardly universe is really cool !

The gameplay is kind of classical, but the powers of the characters justify some nice mechanics and the level design serve the point. All levels are little puzzles and all the characters capacities needs to be used and give you several possibilites, but I think this is designed to have one are few perfect orders to give to your units. By the way, there is a bonus objectives system that permit you to get new outfits for your tac ops.

The artistic direction of the game is, as you can easily see, something that have been seen before but works perfectly. The cell shading and bright colors are really appreciable. But the best part is for the character design. All the operatives have nice, unique and pertinent design, correspondigng to their powers and the mix between military corp (wich isn't my jam at all) with the witchy/wizardly style (wich is totally my jam) is REALLY a good job. GG to the artists team !

Get this game and enjoy it !

LOVED this game. Great story, very satisfying conclusion, epic gameplay.

A refreshing experience with solid core gameplay, engaging story and charming characters. Great fun! hoping for more in the future :)

Very fun tactical game. Every room is a nice little puzzle and the dialogue is funny :)

I picked this game up because the concept looked really appealing to me personally - and what I got was still better than I expected. Every level felt a bit like solving a fun puzzle but I also just fell completely in love with the characters.

perhaps one of the best games in years. a perfectly condensed package of story, strategy, and aesthetic. filled that XCOM itch with a puzzle game sensibility I didn't know i wanted. perhaps got me into a new genre? still coming to terms with how good this was.

One of the best turn-based games I've played in a long time. Each character has a unique set of skills and perks, but you need to make them work together to gain their full potential. The result is lots of action, intense moments and turn-based puzzles. All of this is combined with excellend hand-crafted levels, a great story and a subtile flavor of humor on top of it. Definitely my game of the year so far!

Best game I've played of the past few years. Maybe of the last 6.8 years.

Gameplay is solid, interesting, has room for experimentation while still letting you make some mistakes if that's all you care to do. The red-string conspiracy board sections are really great at helping you follow the espionage/thriller plot in detail. The writing of the characters in the dialogue scenes is phenomenal, snappy, distinctive, and makes me want to know these characters more. It finishes before outstaying its welcome though, leaving you having explored the characters and the systems just enough that you want a taste more.

I want a tabletop RPG set in this world, too. It doesn't have to be focused on tactical things (this game does that already) but the setting is really compelling and I want to explore it more.

Smart, clever, witty.
Mechanics are interesting, reminding far more of Mechanicus than tired XCOM formulae. Level design is so tight it starts more a puzzle than a tactics game, each level presenting a question; but there are so much tools in the box, that those questions soon become more open-ended than an immersive sim’s.
Writing is phenomenal. It oscillates between light-hearted and somber three times within a line, and easily exceeds Wolfenstein: New Colossus in mood swings. An ascended parody (more of pop-psychology then military action games), Tactical Breach Wizards combines hilarious with profound in its every aspect, from characters to story to presentation to small things like tooltips. And it does more interesting character work in a short dialog than Baldur’s Gate 3 in hours upon hours of CGI and acting.
All in all, this it what games are meant to be, and I’m happy to have encountered this in my lifetime.

Almost discarded this as another artsy indie title with solid gameplay that wouldn't hold my attention for long. Despite the glowing reviews, I skipped it multiple times—until now. Oh boy, was I wrong. This game takes the fast, 'foresight' turn-based gameplay of Into the Breach and wraps it into an insane setting that shouldn't really appeal to me. The writing is key here. Although none of the dialogue is voiced, it is witty, funny, and keeps me engaged in the plot.

I have never been more thankful for any developers in this industry more, than "Suspicious Developments", so fucking great this game is. The most enjoyable all achivement run in years. Thank you so much.

Yep. I love puzzle tactics games so this was a win for me, but I'm not sure if I like it enough to replay at higher difficulties.

Brilliant gameplay, equally brilliant writing. Truly unique mechanics and outstanding level design. A must play!

Tactical Breach Wizards is a strong contender for my favorite game of 2024, and I really want more games like this. The developers knocked it out of the park on many fronts, and I can't recommend this game enough. While it doesn't bring anything revolutionary to the table, the character of Tactical Breach Wizards shines through its well-executed gameplay and writing to make it consistently entertaining throughout a solid campaign.

I played through the game twice - once on normal difficulty and once on hard. I enjoyed enough to go back and 100% the game as well. A normal playthrough would probably take 12-20 hours depending on how fast you go, and 100%ing the game takes around 25-30 hours. It's a very meaty game for the price, well worth the money in my opinion.

From a gameplay front, the tactical third of Tactical Breach Wizards is very well handled. On the standard difficulty, the game is challenging enough to avoid being a total walk in the park while also giving enough breathing room for players to have fun finding creative ways to approach each room. The challenges associated with each level are also a great way to add extra challenge in ways that feel interesting instead of grindy - each one forces you to think outside the box in different ways and take risks you otherwise wouldn't in order to find lines that can clear specific objectives. Each playable character feels distinct yet useful as well, striking a good balance where I don't feel forced to just abuse one or two strong abilities to get through each level. Between the introduction of new characters, skills, and the perk system, there's always something new to play around with on each level, keeping everything feeling nice and fresh even as the levels start to ramp up in length.

I also played through the entire campaign on Hard, which I found to be a little less enjoyable and a little more tedious. I understand why the changes are the way they are, but it ends up creating a less enjoyable gameplay loop, at least for me. The removal of most forms of mana generation heavily discourages using special abilities that actually consume mana when abilities like False Prophet and Swapping with allies give just as much utility while also being sustainable over larger battles. This isn't a knock against the game though - the balance is ultimately entirely customisable, so you can find settings that make the game fun for you. It was still an enjoyable playthrough, but I found the game to be more satisfying when using special abilities has less opportunity cost.

Graphically, TBW isn't going to set any records, but the stylized art looks very nice throughout and the game runs well while having nice looking stages that don't distract from the gameplay. The characters and enemies are all interestingly designed, and you can tell that the art team had fun running with the fantasy X tacticool themes.

The game's writing is consistently solid throughout - it lands both its comedic and emotional moments well throughout the course of the game. I wish more games were as good at interspersing dialogue and gameplay as Tactical Breach Wizards - breaking up each room with a little banter greatly aids in the characterization throughout the game and prevents longer levels from getting too tedious, and the longer "cutscene" dialogue is also consistently entertaining. It's very similar to Kid Icarus: Uprising in that regard, blending character moments into the gameplay in a way that feels organic.

The dialogue is also how the game's tongue-in-cheek character mostly comes through, but it can also be found in everything from just the scene introductions to the game's overall story. Tactical Breach Wizards strikes a good balance between the very heavy nature of some of its subject material and the inherent levity that comes with magical strike forces lightning-bolting people into extradimensional space. You can tell that the developer team loves their game and their characters, which is refreshing in this age as more and more games begin to feel increasingly soulless.

I want to praise the developers as much as I want to praise the actual game as well. From what I can see, they have been great communicators with the community, taking in feedback and using it to bring the most out of their game. Tactical Breach Wizards is a great example of how a player-forward game can still succeed in 2024 - the advertising accurately communicates the appeal of the game and trusts the game's quality to sell players on it instead of needing to obscure it, the game comes at a great value point without needing to lean on predatory business practices to turn a profit, and the team has been adding features that do a great job of helping the player get the most of the game. Especially adding in the ability to make custom levels - I hope more games follow TBW's example in opening up the Steam Workshop to the people.

Buy this game, play it, and support the team. I want more games like these to succeed, and Tactical Breach Wizards is a great example of how the spirit of gaming is still alive even as the market grows more commercialized.

There are two great things about this game. First, it's a delightful tactical puzzle box where it genuinely feels like there are multiple solutions to the short levels. I like those better than Into the Breach. Second, it has genuinely good writing. Not just "good for video games", actually good.

This game had so much character and humor, one of my favorite and first experiences in the genre!

Story: Excellent
Characters: Hilarious and well fleshed out
Ability synergies: Amazing
Combat: Challenging, but if you stay calm, you'll pull through.
Accessibility: Amazing, you have the option to skip levels, and a bunch of optional content. YOu dont miss out on XP or perk unlocks by skipping, you just miss out on the gameplay and the story/character interaction. The game also give syou the option to restart the level at anytime, and an unlimited rewind feature, though only for the current turn. In the end, you should never have to skip, Theres always a solution.

The last fight is a puzzle in and of itself, seriously. The rewind button was used and abused on that one.

Overall, my only complaint is there was more of it.

This game is... wow...
Played the demo. Stopped it mid way as i knew i want to play the whole thing with little interruption.

- Very good writing, which is rare these days. Laughed many many times!
- Exceptional world building.
- A lot of tactical challenges all quite doable given some thinking.
- Makes you feel smart=)
- A lot of love from developers.. (all the tiny little details.. )

Recommend to everyone really. Even if tactical combat is not your gig, the game is worth your time.
And if you like puzzles/challenges/tactical combat - well, its a must!

I went in more or less blind, and I didn't expect to:

A) Play through a really well-designed turn-based tactical puzzle game (thanks to the optional objectives - they can be ignored but completing them is where Tactical Breach Wizards truly shines imo)

B) Enjoy the characters and story that much. I mean, the idea of spec-ops wizards in tactical gear is fun by itself but the dialogues, situations and custscenes never miss (on top of being oddly endearing)

C) Experience such a long and varied campaign. Combat scenarios offer a lot of clever gameplay twists and turns, and unlocking new skills, characters and enemies means there's always something new on the menu

Making save-scum an integral part of the gameplay and story is also a fantastic idea (one that works really well with the characters' carefree banter).

The game is often compared to Into the Breach and I agree in the sense that, just like Subset Games with their mech tactical, Suspicious Developments went out of their way to explore and take advantage of every aspect of Tactical Breach Wizards gameplay.

Easily in my top 3 this year.

Honestly almost worth it for the writing alone - let alone the play style!

An absolute amazingly themed, turn-based 'puzzle' game. Wholeheartedly recommend it.

One of the best games I've played in recent years at least, and definitely one of the best-written one I've ever played. I didn't expect such depth of characters and narrative when purchasing a game about wizards doing tactical assaults. I came to really, really love these characters.

Gameplay-wise TBW manages to simultaneously be engaging and forgiving, making it easy to recommend for anyone even slightly interested in turn-based tactics games but who might find XCOM too hard. I'm one of those people. if you are hardcore XCOM nerd then you might find TBW easy, but you might still enjoy it for the story.

Maybe the only thing I have to nitpick about are the map arranging minigames after some missions. The concept is fun and it adds to the plot, but sometimes I was just really into the rhytm of blasting people through windows and making connections on the map broke that flow. A small raisin in otherwise fantastic bread.

Thank you, Suspicious Development!

The writing alone is a fantastic reason to get this game.

Also, blasting people out of windows is a fantastic reason to get this game.

and so many other things, and a cat.

Counting only the writing, it's a great game. Counting only the mechanics, it's a great game. Counting only the world building, it's a great game. All together it's something special

I am both an expert hater and a wannabe writer. Every last line of dialogue blew pretty much every game in my immediate memory out of the water, and that's not even getting started on the gameplay! Pick this game up. Holy shit.

Tightly written, completely engrossing storh and gameplay. Just pure satisfaction to play. A must-play if you consider yourself a connoiseur.

When the people of Bohemia invented defenestration in the year 1419 by throwing some officials out of the Prague town hall windows, no one questioned their panache, but many scrutinized their moral reasoning. Defenestrating some more officials in 1618 paved the way to The Thirty Years War and to 4 to 8 million lost lives. At that point, the general consensus claimed Czechs should stop with their funny window business. However, strategic defenestration is one of the main gameplay pillars of Tactical Breach Wizards, and if crafty Czech folks hadn't come up with the idea, we would've never gotten the game.

We arrive at the following moral quandary: could a video game be worth the terrible loss of life in The Thirty Years War? I mean, it's an exceptional tactics puzzler with incredibly sharp and amusing campaign writing. So, uh, I believe the answer is tentatively yes, worth the death toll.

This game is both a disappointment, and one of the best games I've played all year.

I haven't played much (if at all) gunpoint, but I did enjoy Suspicious' last game, Heat Signature, a lot. I hope I can make it justice someday with a proper review, but in short, all three games share quite a bit of trademarks, which include pseudo-stealthy tactical elements and providing the player with dummy OP weapons and abilities and setting them loose in multi-solution situations where they can have fun putting them to use. Tactical Breach Wizards applies these principles to an isometric, turn based squad strategy game very reminiscent of Invisible Inc. And it does this really, really, really, really well.

In TBW you will advance through a linear story, sub-divided in preset levels following the adventures of Navy Seer Zan and Anxiety Survivor Jen as they try to avoid World War-- uh... (checks notes) 5! Cutting through levels meticulously designed to make the most of a plethora of skills and abilities that will be unlocked as you advance through the game. (Most) skills are really nice, and can be upgraded on top of that, giving you a lot of flexibility on how you build your team as you advance through the game, and it's pretty crazy how everything is so balanced that you can complete most of the game, including the bonus secondary objectives, with a massive amount of builds and strategies. There are no to-hit percentages, or locational damage, and you will be able to rewind any action during a turn, so while some missions can be tough sometimes, it's just a matter of finding the right combination of things to do in sequence.

But gameplay aside, this game shines in the story department. Besides the fact that it is set in a world where magic users are commonplace, most levels will include a bit of banter between the characters before they start, and every single one of those is gold. They're dry, amazingly paced exchanges that will rarely not be at least snort-worthy. And this is consistent throughout the entire game. Just these conversations are well worth the price of admission and never fail to deliver.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3341624766

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3341625169

With that linear story, however, also come the negatives, and this is not as big of a problem in and of itself, but it more relates to the developer's previous game, Heat Signature. Contrary to TBW, HS was very very light on the story, but it offered a massive sandboxy universe where you could play however you wanted, with whichever loadout you wanted, and with total freedom when approaching each situation. You picked a random schmuck, each with their strengths and weaknesses, and played them until they died or retired, which provided incredible amounts of replayability and unexpected situations that were incredibly satisfying to get out of.

TBW is almost the opposite: While there are many ways to resolve a situation, you will always be sure that each room has been painstakingly designed to be beaten with the team you ware with, using the abilities at your disposal. As a result, it feels much more like a puzzle game: Even though its puzzles can have several possible solutions, player expression is reduced to "do you want to play the next story mission or the next *side* mission?", changing your squad's clothes, and choosing which abilities to upgrade or respec. Which is a bit disappointing compared to the follow-up game I was picturing in my mind when I read the devs were working on a new one.

The game does make a noble effort to provide a healthy amount of content, with not only the main story mode, but also opening "vr training"-like side missions and a level editor as well. Having played it for 9 hours I have finished act 2 and a few of the dream scenarios so there is plenty to do in the game, but how much of it you will want to enjoy is highly dependant on being loaded into a challenge map with a gajillion of enemies and being excited about the prospect of finding where to move and what to do for each character for the next 30 minutes to play it.I really like this game and its story, but that feeling of "this is just a linear sequence of pre-designed puzzles" kept nagging me.

Anyway, even though TBW does not reach the lofty expectations that its predecessor set, it does not detract from this very fun, very well put together game. If you are looking for a story driven, tactical, turn based, defenestration-heavy game, it can't get much better.

8/10.

Tactical Breach Wizards is really good, satisfying puzzle gameplay a la Into The Breach, and with very funny writing, but mostly shout out to having the most pleasingly animated cat I've seen in a game.

TBW has two core pillars, mechanics and storytelling, and it exceeds expectations in both. Mechanically, TBW has more DNA from Into the Breach than the XCOM series. Each character's abilities are creatively designed and work well with each other, creating webs of interacting mechanics that constantly surprise. The game is paced very well, with new mechanics, characters, and maps drip-fed to the player at a rate that kept me engaged throughout it's 15-20 hour campaign. The devs went above and beyond with the difficulty system, teasing optional challenges for each level that had me constantly rewinding decisions to hyper-optimize each scenario, even after I'd gathered all of the unlockable costumes. Each mission can be skipped as well.

As for the story, TBW could have just been a puzzle-box game about creatively dispatching enemies on a grid and it would have been pretty solid, but the developers went above and beyond with an excellently written plot, fun (and occasionally hilarious) dialog between characters, and high quality presentation throughout. TBW is a bit reminiscent of Hades in that way -- come for the puzzles, stay for the conversations. Each character is given individual missions and the cast is mixed and matched throughout levels to both build familiarity with unique ability pairs and to let the lovable "found family" crew chat among themselves.

Combine the above with a package of an optional user-designed level system, great sound design and animations, numerous optional levels and training grounds, and challenging achievements, and Tactical Breach Wizards is an easy recommendation for anyone who enjoys moderate puzzles and the idea of throwing Steve Clark, Traffic Warlock, through a window.

not really a turn based strategy game but a puzzle game in disguise since if your not only doing defenestration then the game hates you, could be neat but not my thing.

Mechanically , this game is very fun, a sort of blend of puzzle and tactics game, most similar to Into the Breach (which is high praise already), but it's elevated by some of the most funny and witty writing I've personally experienced in gaming. The characters are very different from eachother both visually and gameplay wise, but all of them are great and easy to love.

The game is as challenging as you want it to be, since there are multiple customizable difficulty options, and challenging optional objectives on each level that reward you with outfits for your crew. If those are too hard for you or detract from your enjoyment, you can just ignore them or come back to do them later when you have more perks unlocked.

Overall the game just oozes love and care. You can tell the developers poured their hearts and souls into this game, and it shows. Please give it a try.

Tactical Breach Wizards is a fantastic gem of a game.

An unique experience filled with magical characters each with their own diverse set of abilities, funny (and optional for if you want to know more about this world and characters) dialog, and interesting challenges which the game lets you experiential with to your hearts content until you find your perfect way to complete the turn.

Easily one of my favourite indie games!
Highly recommended!

Clever, funny, challenging, and incredibly sincere. This game feels tonally like Invisible Inc meets Wandersong, and given that one of those is an all time favorite puzzle game and the other pulls off an incredible level of emotionally affecting sincerity, I'm not sure if I could find higher praise for it than that.

The characters are all incredibly likable people who feel charmingly snarky in a way we all wish we could be without it ever getting in the way of their realness or the personal or plot stakes. The worldbuilding is honestly wonderful in its willingness to just drop things on you and let you do the imagining within the space its built. The gameplay shares a kind of puzzle feel with Invisible Inc and XCOM 2 that makes my brain tick. Also the game LOOKS great and is super well designed--consequences and environmental features are well telegraphed, there aren't really any bad choices when leveling up characters, and they all have unique skill sets that play off each other in sometimes surprisingly clever ways.

Basically perfect execution of everything it sets out to do. 10/10 strongly recommend.

The Good.

The Bad.

My Final Thoughts.

Currently my indie GOTY for 2023. Incredibly strong title. Great gameplay, aesthetics and writing. Feels very Pratchett. I should try more of Suspicious Developments' titles.

Sometimes you play a game and you can just tell that it was made by people who love what they do and also happen to be great at it. This is one of those games, the powers and levels are balanced in a way that let's you play how you want without being overwhelming, likewise the story balances some genuinely touching moments with a great sense of humour and I quickly grew very attached to all the characters (Tactical Beach Wizard needs to be a thing!).
If you like strategy or puzzle games (think X-com meets through the breach) do yourself a favor and check this banger of a game out. As for me I'm off buying the special editions and getting all the achievments!

TLDR: This game is great. Between story, gameplay, and art, It has something for everyone. It's the best tactics game I've played, but I would recommend it even if you don't normally enjoy tactics games.

Suspicious Developments have only improved with every game they've released (and if you've played Gunpoint, you know they started out pretty great already). The turn-based deterministic combat of TBW feels like an evolution of games like Into the Breach, generating interesting puzzles to solve nearly every turn. Each character has a set of 3-5 abilities which are simple on the surface but almost always have synergies or nuances to discover. Acquiring new abilities and characters deepens your pool of available decisions without ever feeling confusing. I spent my entire playtime, from the first level to the post-game content, thinking "ooooh I can do this! I never thought of that before". The controls and interface (as well as the excellent art direction) are polished to a mirror sheen, and I never had any problems to speak of. Overall, the game strikes a fantastic balance between complexity and intuitiveness that means you're unlikely to be overwhelmed while also constantly being engaged.

Speaking of balance, the custom difficulty settings are extremely welcome. While it's unlikely that you'll ever find a level either impossible or trivial, everyone will have a different preference for how much thought they want to put into solving each turn. For me, I found the game the game most fun when I couldn't just fall back on familiar strategies, but rather had to find innovative answers to each problem, and it was simple enough to use these settings to keep it challenging. But I expect for players who aren't as interested in the strategy gameplay, they'll be able to use the same settings to keep it manageable so they can enjoy the great story.

Tom Francis is an excellent writer. This is hardly a controversial opinion, but TBW shows it off even better than his previous works. The writing is consistently witty (I don't think I've fully laughed out loud at a game this much), but at its heart are a cast of compelling and likeable characters who you'll genuinely care for. It's impressive how much personality is packed into relatively few lines of dialogue; even the latecomers to the cast manage to feel fleshed out and interesting. As well as your party, the world feels surprisingly real despite its absurd magical elements. In the few short hours you spend in each location, I found myself feeling I understood what it was about, and genuinely caring for the people and places on display. The unfolding mystery as you chase the game's excellent villain and uncover her true agenda is consistently well-paced and satisfying, with twists and turns that surprise you in the most delightful ways. And, as is typical for a SusDev game, there's the occasional moment where the wit and charm gives way to unique, poignant, thought-provoking ideas. In the end, it was the writing, even more than the gameplay, that made me so eager to keep experiencing this game.

I do have a few criticisms. The final arc feels a little rushed - it doesn't really give enough time to get to know the new supporting characters, or to feel the stakes of the climactic events unfolding around you. More dialogue in general would have been welcome; despite how rich and concise it is, I found myself desperate for more interactions. The downtime conversations between the party members are where some of the best writing is found, and I wish they happened more often. Finally, although the combat balance is mostly excellent, there are a few perks that feel a little too strong. On my first playthrough, I defeated the final boss in a single turn, thanks to Zan's ability to go nearly infinite with the right perks.

Despite my criticisms, this is probably my GOTY. If you like puzzle games, tactics games, or just creative and compelling stories, I can't recommend TBW highly enough. It's an achievement in art, writing, game design, and more. 5/5

Another wonderful game from Suspicious Developments, my favorite from them yet. I really enjoyed the characters, story, level design, informative UI, general theming, and patch frequency at launch. Like most TBS games, this one is an excellent choice for someone taking care of a baby. There are SO MANY levels. Thank you Suspicious Developments for being inclusive and for your thoughtful, pointed viewpoint expressed seamlessly through your story - I was really impressed with how you pulled no punches. 9/10, I wish the music was better. Fantastic game.

A fun turn based tactics game. Plays a bit like Into The Breach in that you are privy to how your decisions will play out ahead of time. It means each situation plays out like a puzzle where the player can try fitting different pieces together to find a solution.
Each character is fun and unique in how they add to the game play. New mechanics are added constantly such that no two situations play out alike. The game provides optional objectives in each mission that the player can choose to engage with if they want to challenge themselves. These challenges are worth attempting if you want to dive deeper into the puzzle solving aspect of the game.
The characters are where this game shines. Their interactions both mechanically and in the game's dialogue is very satisfying.
It's an easy recommendation.

The amount of love that went into this game is very evident. World and character design is top-tier. Writing is witty and genuinely hilarious. 10/10.

Highly recommend for any enjoyers of turn based tactics, its one of the best released this year.

Most levels aren't very challenging however finding precise and efficient solutions is very satisfying. I found myself rewinding a lot to see if i couldn't do the level better.

The story is simple and easy to follow making it quite enjoyable and the writing and humor is great.

Replay-ability is quite lacking but hopefully once there are more workshop levels there will be endless amounts of fun (and defenestrations) to be had.

Easily worth the $20

A fun, small tactical breaching game. Or so I thought, turns out to be one of the most fun, brain-twisting and addictive games, with absolutely awesome writing and great character development. The characters work beautifully (dialogue and combat) and I simply cannot recommend it enough.
Wish there was more. (And I wish I could defenestre people on a daily basis).

Defenestrate, verb: 1. Throw out of a window

This is a tight, beautifully funny, tactically deep, all round incredible game. Worth every penny.