Worms Armageddon

Lore & Background

Worms Armageddon was originally developed as an expansion pack to Worms 2 (1997) and initially titled Wormageddon before being released as a standalone game. The name was changed due to similarities to the game Carmageddon. It was intended to be the last game of the Worms franchise, but creator Andy Davidson felt it needed more content, leading to the development of Worms World Party. The game features a destructible two-dimensional board where players control teams of up to eight earthworms, using a wide array of weapons including fanciful items like the sheep and the Holy Hand Grenade, a homage to Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Gameplay is turn-based, with objectives typically involving defeating opposing teams, though campaign missions may have other goals. The game includes a high level of customizability, allowing players to create custom teams, game modes, and terrains using a random terrain generator or image import system.

Reader's Guide

Worms Armageddon was acclaimed by critics for its refined gameplay and stylized graphics. It succeeded Worms 2 and was followed by Worms World Party in 2001, which added further content without drastic change and was the last 2D-based Worms game before the series moved to 3D. The PC version continues to receive periodic updates, most recently in 2020, from programmers Deadcode and CyberShadow recruited by Team17. These updates address bugs, compatibility issues, and add new features such as support for more worms and arbitrarily-sized color levels. In August 2024, a port titled Worms Armageddon: Anniversary Edition was announced for release on 26 September, including a digital museum and emulated versions of Worms Armageddon for Game Boy Color, the original Worms for Super NES and Mega Drive, and Worms World Party for Game Boy Advance as bonus features. The game's online multiplayer service, WormNet, allows hosting and joining games, and the game supports hotseat and combined online-hotseat play.

Did You Know?

• Worms Armageddon was originally intended to be an expansion pack for Worms 2 and was initially titled Wormageddon.
• The game includes a weapon called the Holy Hand Grenade, with a sound-effect reminiscent of the Hallelujah chorus from Handel's Messiah.
• The Nintendo 64 version is one of the first Nintendo 64 games to feature a terrain editor and generator.
• The game still receives periodic updates, with the latest being on 16 July 2020.

From Expansion Pack to Standalone Classic

Worms Armageddon began life not as its own title but as an expansion for Worms 2 (1997). Its working name was "Wormageddon" before it was rebranded and released as a full standalone game in 1999 by Team17. This origin story explains why the gameplay feels so closely related to its predecessor—core mechanics carry over—yet the final product distinguishes itself with a brand-new single-player campaign, additional content, and a dramatically wider platform footprint. Originally a Windows title, it was subsequently ported to PlayStation, Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, and Game Boy Color, giving it a reach that a mere add-on could never have achieved. The transition from expansion to standalone also meant the game could be marketed and received as a complete, polished experience rather than a supplement, which likely contributed to its critical reception and lasting popularity.

A Weapon Arsenal That Defies Logic

The armory in Worms Armageddon spans the full spectrum from grounded to absurd. Players can deploy recognizable real-world arms like shotguns, bazookas, and hand grenades alongside creatures that serve as weapons—a sheep that rolls as a mobile explosive, a skunk that releases toxic gas. In standard matches, all teams draw from the same weapon pool, though certain items only unlock after a set number of turns, and airdropped or teleported crates can introduce additional arsenal options. Each team also selects a special weapon during setup; these super weapons are significantly more powerful and often carry cartoonish flair, such as the French Sheep Strike. One weapon pays direct homage to Monty Python and the Holy Grail: the Holy Hand Grenade, which detonates to the sound of Handel's Hallelujah chorus. This blend of the mundane and the ridiculous defines the game's unique tonal identity.

Depth Through Customization and Community Play

Beyond the core turn-based loop, Worms Armageddon offers an unusually deep layer of player control over how matches unfold. In local or online settings, participants can dictate starting health, turn duration, sudden-death rules, which weapons appear in crates, and even the power of individual arms. Teams themselves are fully customizable: eight individually named worms, a chosen special weapon, a unique grave marker, flag, victory fanfare, and voice set—all importable from outside the game. The terrain system adds another dimension, with a random generator, a brush-based editor for sculpting landscapes, and a more advanced terrain-import pipeline. Multiplayer extends from hotseat on a single machine to online play via WormNet, where a host configures the landscape and scheme while others join. Alliances are possible by sharing a team color, letting multiple worm squads pool weapons and score while still rotating independently.

A Quarter-Century of Relevance

Released in 1999, Worms Armageddon has maintained an unusual longevity for a turn-based strategy title. Critics at the time praised its refined gameplay and stylized cartoon presentation, and the game has since appeared on numerous "greatest games of all time" lists. On PC, the title continued to receive periodic updates well into the modern era, with the most recent patch landing in 2020. Its direct successor, Worms World Party (2001), added further content without overhauling the formula and stands as the final 2D entry before the franchise pivoted to three dimensions. In August 2024, Team17 announced Worms Armageddon: Anniversary Edition for current and last-generation consoles, set for a 26 September release. This port bundles a digital museum alongside emulated versions of the Game Boy Color release, the original Worms for Super NES and Mega Drive, and Worms World Party for Game Boy Advance—packaging more than two decades of the series into a single package.