BioShock Designer’s New Fantasy Tactics Game Wartorn

BioShock Designer’s New Fantasy Tactics Game: Wartorn

Wartorn, a fantasy-themed real-time tactics roguelite, is the debut title from Stray Kite Studios, co-founded by BioShock lead designer Paul Hellquist and Age of Empires Online lead programmer Shovaen Patel. Launching into PC early access this spring, Wartorn offers a unique blend of strategy and narrative.

A Roguelite Journey

Players follow elven sisters Yara and Elani across the war-torn Isles of Talaur, recruiting a diverse squad of creatures including goblins, elves, demons, and treefolk. Strategic squad composition, battlefield positioning, and ability deployment are crucial for success. Losses impact morale, leading to a Game Over if all hope is lost.

Tactical Combat and Narrative Choices

Wartorn features emergent, elemental-themed combat (fire, water, lightning, etc.) and a physics-based environmental destruction system. A slow-down-time feature enhances tactical control. The game emphasizes narrative, presenting unpredictable events and moral dilemmas with each playthrough, forcing players to make tough choices about survival and sacrifice.

What to Expect

Paul Hellquist describes Wartorn as a game that “makes players think deeply about sacrifice, survival, and the bonds that unite us.” The early access release promises a polished experience with numerous units, upgrades, and quests, with more content planned for the full 1.0 release on Steam and the Epic Games Store.