Feud, a tile-based strategy game which feels like a recreation of an old classic, delivers a pure and strategic excellence through its simplicity.

Feud is a diminutive strategy game which is both extremely accessible and very intuitive. Bearwave’s debut revolves around capture-mechanics, as well as some light combat in 1vs1 duels.

Each player begins with eight tiles. These include a shield which can block projectiles and take a lot of hits, archers who can fire in any direction if not obscured, a medic who can heal an adjacent unit, and also king, wizard, and knight tiles who also have their own perks and uses. On their turn, players can make one ‘Switch’, in which they swap the location of one of their tiles with an adjacent one, and — should they wish — an attack/heal action. The switch stage is essential, as, if you can surround an enemy unit on all four sides, then it becomes deactivated.

Even though Feud is extremely simple to explain, there are a ton of tactical elements which become apparent the more you play. Using archers to snipe the enemy king, whose death heralds a regicide victory, is a viable tactic. However, you can also lure him forward and trap him by flipping him into your midst. In addition to this, when a unit dies, the hole they leave counts as a block against active units, meaning that you can kill an enemy unit leaving another unit stranded in nothingness.

While Feud is early in development, it already feels very robust. This is not only a result of the mechanics, but also the sleek, Reigns-adjacent artwork. Outside of the tutorial there is no reliance on reading – a true testament to a clear UI.

Feud is planned to be free when it launches from beta. If you’re interested in joining the beta then you can apply to via Bearwave’s newsletter. When it launches it will do so for PC, Mac, Linux, and mobile platforms

Dann Sullivan https://bigbossbattle.com After almost a decade of selling games, Dann decided to try his hand at writing about them instead. A few years in and he is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Big Boss Battle, where he and his team cover games of all shapes and sizes. When not in the role, he can often be found seeking out small, memorable game experiences. See author's posts