Wargroove

Lore & Background

Wargroove is set on the island continent of Aurania, which was once ruled by two great nations: Silmor in the east and Cacophony in the west. Their apocalyptic war, the Great Dissonance, ended in mutual destruction and the sealing of a terrible weapon called Requiem. Thousands of years later, four new countries have arisen: the peaceful Cherrystone Kingdom in the western grasslands; Felheim, a harsh land where undead and living coexist; the Floran Lands, dominated by the aggressive, plant-like Floran; and the Heavensong Empire, a technologically advanced nation with a powerful navy.

The plot follows Queen Mercia of Cherrystone after her father, King Mercival II, is assassinated by the High Vampire Sigrid of Felheim. Mercia faces an invasion by the undead Felheim Legion and is forced to retreat. With advice from her mentor Emeric, she seeks aid from Empress Tenri of Heavensong. After clashes with the Floran and Heavensong, Mercia secures ships and launches a counter-invasion. She confronts Felheim's Lord Valder, but Sigrid reveals she orchestrated the war to obtain the Cherryblade, the key to unsealing Requiem. Mercia pursues Sigrid to the Dragon's Cradle volcano, defeats her, and then battles the spirit of Elodie and a dark doppelganger of herself to destroy Requiem, restoring peace to Aurania.

Reader's Guide

Wargroove occupies a notable place in the turn-based strategy landscape of the 2010s as a deliberate homage to the Advance Wars series, a genre that had seen few new entries on contemporary platforms. Its development by Chucklefish was driven by the perception that no current-generation titles represented accessible tactical gameplay of that kind. The game's high-resolution pixel art and robust campaign editing tools, including an overworld editor for linking missions with branching paths and unlock conditions, distinguished it from many peers. The inclusion of fifteen commanders, each with their own campaign and personality, alongside local and online multiplayer for both competitive and cooperative play, broadened its appeal. Commercially, the game recouped its development costs within three days of launch, indicating strong market demand. Critical reception was generally favorable, and the game's engine, Halley, was released under an open-source license. A sequel, Wargroove 2, followed in 2023.

Did You Know?

• Wargroove was developed and published by Chucklefish.
• The game features fifteen commanders, each with their own campaign.
• The plot involves a weapon called Requiem, sealed after the Great Dissonance war.
• The game's development cost was recouped three days after launch.