This Auto Battler is the Best Game I’ve Seen at NextFest
It's the most fun I've had in a while.
NextFest this year has had some controversy around it, that’s for sure. Users have flocked to Reddit to express their dismay at all the AI slop crowding out the Fest. I’ve heard there are something like 8,000 demos, but if the majority are just slapped-together AI jank, I can see why people just aren’t bothering with NextFest this year.
I’ve played a few demos now, and while I don’t have time to try 8,000, I did find one game that I’ll be watching very closely going forward. Warpack, an autobattler debut game by N1ghtmare Studios.
I’ve enjoyed my fair share of autobattlers in the past, with Auto Chess probably being my favorite. I did try the Dota and League ones, but by comparison, they felt awful. It’s been a while since then, and the autobattler seems to have largely gone the way of the dodo, until now.
Warpack has quite an advanced system at play here. You have three different factions, each with a host of different commanders. Each one offers you a different bonus. Some will add attack speed to certain troops, others will give you bonus gold, etc.
Then there’s a stack of different units to choose from. And what’s really cool is how adaptable your army is. There are just so many combinations.
For example, if you’re building a team of berserkers but want a particular unit that doesn’t have the berserker tag, you can simply “feed” it another unit that does have the tag, and it’s transferred. It’s one of the more innovative ideas I’ve seen in the game.
But probably the best idea I’ve seen in the demo is that it’s not played live. You can take as much time as you want between rounds, carefully considering your options before committing to a build. There’s no time pressure, and that almost makes it a cozy game.
Finally, you need to win ten games before you lose six. This nets you a healthy amount of rating points, but you can also push on for a Legendary Finish, where you need to win two more games before your lives run out.
It’s great fun, I’ve been enjoying it, and I wish the developers the best of luck going into the November 10 release.
Go ahead and give it a play; see if it’s your kind of thing. And also let me know, have you found any gems in the sea of slop?
