‘Battle for Wesnoth’ Brings Old-School Turn-Based Tactics to Steam

Adam Rorke
Games PC Gaming
Games PC Gaming

If there were ever a genre of gaming that has stood the test of time, turn-based-strategy would definitely be a great contender. And at the risk of reading too much into it, it could be its resemblance to one of the most popular and long running games of all time: Chess.

Like Chess, Battle for Wesnoth has been around for quite some time. Initially developed in 2003, this open-source title has recently made its debut on Steam. It remains completely free with no microtransactions in sight.

map hexagon unit placement terrain
Unit placement is key

Over the years, Wesnoth’s dedicated community has been supporting new, free content for everyone. With its recent release on the Steam platform, accessing this content has never been easier. Remaining accessible and relevant through its steady influx of new units, multiplayer maps, and single player campaigns, Battle for Wesnoth looks set to continue its success well beyond its current 15 years.

Easy Does It…

Wesnoth kicks things off with a fairly straightforward tutorial. All its systems were explored and explained, and no rock felt left unturned. At the same time, we still managed to initially fail this by ignoring the game’s advice and going it alone. Hey, we’re not proud of it.

From here you’re introduced to its single player campaigns which will gradually increase in difficulty. The campaigns themselves are more than your typical ‘go kill the enemy’s base’ missions. For example in one such level, you’re required to intercept a group of Goblins in an attempt to stop them from reaching your allies village.

Campaign faction heroes leaders
There are many campaigns to choose from

Regardless of how many you kill, if even one makes it past your line of defence, it’s an instant failure! This forced us to strategically place our units to block their path whilst flanking them with our main army to take them all out.

Due to a well crafted learning curve, the campaigns will gradually introduce you to these tactics step by step instead of simply throwing you into the deep end.

Standing the Test of Time

It’s common for gamers to reflect nostalgically on games we loved in our youth, and without playing them, assume that they still hold up in today’s world. That is until you dust off your old console, plug that game back in and realise just how much games have evolved since that time (we’re looking directly at you, Goldeneye64!).

This clearly isn’t the case for every game. Now and then you’ll find a game that refutes this trend and plays just as good in today’s world as it did many years ago. Wesnoth feels like one of these gems.

Games are turn-based and fought on a tiled map. During each turn a player can recruit new units, move, capture bases, or attack the enemy. The unit structure is fairly simplistic, but not in a way that harms the games strategic integrity. There’s no best unit to choose and Wesnoth has an upkeep at the start of every turn depending on how many units you have. Too many and you’ll find yourself in negative gold very quickly!

Marshlands terrain battle water grass
Terrain can drastically change the outcome of a fight

When attacking and dealing damage, as well as receiving, this becomes a game of statistics and no attack is guaranteed to land. This is where terrain can be come a key factor in victory to boost your chances of landing hits or increasing he damage output itself.

Even with its random combat, everything feels like it happens on purpose and it still gave us an intrinsically rewarding experience. Losses didn’t feel cheap and victories didn’t come easy.

It’s for these reasons that Battle for Wesnoth has clearly stood the test of time, even though it graphically looks like it could run on an Intel 486.

An Experience for Everyone

Even though Battle for Wesnoth looks dated, it’s remained relevant for over 15 years. Just being a free-to-play game actually has little to do with it. Games for the longest time now have been competing not only for your wallet, but your time. It shouldn’t come as a shock that things like loot boxes and microtransactions have become popular amongst many game development companies.

The real key to Wesnoth’s success is its open source model that remains freely and widely available to a supportive community. Whether it’s a new campaign with additional units and challenging missions, or new multiplayer maps that challenge your go-to strategies, there is an ever growing list of new content made available in the add-ons section of the game.

add-on menu
There are many add-ons to download and enjoy

It doesn’t matter if you’re the kind of gamer who loves a quiet, offline experience that’s no hustle or bustle, or one who prefers to put their tactical ingenuity to good work on the multiplayer scene. Both are readily available here. Wesnoth is a game that reminds us that even if a game starts to look its age, its gameplay can remain timeless!

Adam Rorke
Freelance Writer, lover of all things esports and proud member of the Australian FGC. Games critic of the days when you could remember every sound your modem made when it made its connection to the internet.