Battle for Wesnoth

This game is alive and well after so much time. The developers constantly update it with balances and new content. There is comunity made campaigns and mods. AND IS FREE. Absolutly positive deserve a thumbs up.

This game is ALMOST good, the foundation is there. But just some horrible gameplay decisions in an effort to make the game challenging, which only ended up making it frustrating instead. Accuracy is an absolute joke. For some reason they made it entirely RNG based, so in a fight where your unit and the enemy unit have the same accuracy, you get to randomly watch your unit miss 4 attacks in a row while simultaneously getting counterattacked 3 times in a row. You thought it was your turn on offense, but really you just get to watch your unit drop 100 to 0 while wildly swinging his weapon through the air and hitting absolutely nothing. The leveling system is horrendous. It takes multiple kills to upgrade a unit from lvl 1 to 2, and even more from 2 to 3, but the ai is hardcoded to incessantly focus down your units one at a time. They'll send all their nearby units to screw you over because why do they care? They don't have to play by the same shoddy rpg unit leveling rules that this game forces on you. Even if you win, you now have to go into the next mission with weak lvl 1 units again, and every campaign feels like the only viable method is to spam large, weak armies. The game feels like it wants to be a rock/paper/scissors strategy game, but the campaigns are 100% "the enemy units are rock, and you are scissors". Playing the rebel campaign with strong melee only bruisers? Good luck storming the castle against heavy armored enemy knights. Playing the elven faction with pierce and blade attacks and strong bonuses in the forest? Have fun fighting the undead who are strong against anything that isn't bludgeoning or magic... and also underground in caves without a tree in sight. I'd far rather the game work on damage resistance modifiers and damage scaling based on unit health, while all attacks are made at or near 100% accuracy. Any amount of consistency in combat would be nice. I'd rather allow direct recruitment of lvl 2 and 3 units, even if there are certain conditions you have to meet, such as recruiting X amount of lvl 1 units first, etc. And I'd rather not be the one fighting with 20 weak units vs 10 strong ones, which makes me feel like I'm the quantity over quality npc attacking the hero character, instead of the other way around. Unfortunately, the game just feels more tedious than rewarding, and doesn't scratch the strategy itch I was hoping for.

враг в болоте?- не попал враг на дороге?- не попал ты в замке?- в тебя попали три раза подряд попал по врагу?- не попал не попал?- не попал 0 попаданий из 10. рекомендую.

Battle for Wesnoth is one of those rare strategy games that proves exceptional gameplay can outlast technological trends. Developed by The Battle for Wesnoth Project and published by Wesnoth Inc., this open-source fantasy title has earned its reputation through years of refinement rather than flashy production values. It offers a substantial amount of content at no cost, inviting players into a richly imagined medieval fantasy world where every battle is decided by thoughtful planning instead of quick reactions. While its presentation reflects its long history, the underlying mechanics remain as compelling today as they were when the project first gained recognition. The core gameplay revolves around turn-based tactical combat fought across hexagonal battlefields, where every decision carries meaningful consequences. Units possess unique movement abilities, strengths, weaknesses, and alignment traits that interact with terrain and the changing time of day. Forests provide cover for elves, mountains favor dwarves, cavalry dominate open ground, and fragile spellcasters require careful protection behind the front lines. Rather than encouraging reckless attacks, the game rewards patience, efficient positioning, and intelligent resource management. Recruiting the right forces and preserving experienced soldiers throughout lengthy campaigns becomes just as important as winning individual engagements, adding a satisfying layer of long-term strategy. The variety of campaigns is another major highlight. Instead of following a single continuous storyline, Battle for Wesnoth offers numerous adventures set throughout the history of its fantasy world. Players command exiled nobles fighting to reclaim kingdoms, defend peaceful settlements from monstrous invasions, explore forgotten civilizations, confront dark sorcerers, and survive dangerous expeditions across hostile lands. Each campaign introduces different objectives, enemy compositions, and strategic challenges that keep the gameplay fresh over dozens of hours. Although the storytelling relies primarily on dialogue and illustrated portraits instead of cinematic sequences, the writing effectively builds an expansive world filled with memorable factions, political conflicts, and ancient legends. Replay value is where the game truly excels. Competitive multiplayer allows players to master several distinct factions, each featuring unique tactical identities and balanced unit rosters. Victory depends on adapting to opponents, understanding terrain advantages, and making efficient economic decisions rather than relying on overwhelming force. Beyond the official content, Battle for Wesnoth features one of the strongest community ecosystems among strategy games. Players can access a massive library of user-created campaigns, maps, factions, and gameplay modifications through built-in tools, while aspiring creators can design their own adventures using the game's extensive editor and scripting support. This steady flow of community content greatly extends the game's lifespan and ensures there is almost always something new to experience. Visually, Battle for Wesnoth embraces classic pixel art that has aged with surprising grace. Character sprites remain expressive, environments are colorful and easy to read during battle, and combat animations communicate actions clearly without unnecessary visual clutter. The orchestral soundtrack complements the fantasy setting beautifully, enhancing both quiet exploration and dramatic confrontations. The interface may initially appear dated compared to modern strategy releases, and newcomers may need time to understand its many systems, but once those mechanics become familiar, the design proves efficient and functional. The game's biggest challenge is its demanding learning curve. Success requires understanding numerous interconnected mechanics, including terrain defense, experience management, unit resistances, and the influence of daylight cycles on combat effectiveness. Random hit probabilities can occasionally produce unexpected outcomes, but they also create situations that reward careful contingency planning instead of rigid strategies. Players seeking instant gratification or heavily scripted cinematic experiences may find the pacing slower than contemporary titles, yet those willing to invest time into mastering its systems will uncover remarkable strategic depth. Battle for Wesnoth remains one of the finest examples of classic turn-based fantasy strategy available on Steam. Its combination of rewarding tactical gameplay, diverse campaigns, balanced multiplayer, extensive customization, and decades of community-driven development creates an experience that continues to stand the test of time. Rather than chasing modern trends, it focuses on delivering intelligent gameplay supported by an enormous amount of handcrafted and community-created content. For fans of thoughtful strategy games, it offers incredible value and a level of replayability that few titles in the genre can rival. Rating: 9/10

Battle for Wesnoth is a free turn based strategy game set in a big fantasy world. We control different armies on a hexagonal battlefield, recruit units, take villages and try to complete the objectives of each battle. It is an old game, but there is a ridiculous amount of content here for something that costs nothing. The current version has 17 main campaigns, more than 50 multiplayer maps and hundreds of community made campaigns, maps and factions. The combat is easily the best part for us. Different units have different strengths, weaknesses and abilities, so we cannot just throw our strongest troops forward and expect to win. Terrain makes a huge difference too, and some units are much better in certain places than others. The time of day can also affect how strong some units are, which adds another thing we have to think about during battles. The unit progression is another thing we really like. Experienced units can level up into stronger versions, so keeping good units alive becomes important. It makes individual battles feel more connected because losing a strong unit can actually hurt us later. At the same time, recruiting fresh units and deciding how to build our army gives us plenty of choices. The campaigns give the game a lot of its personality. There are different stories covering different parts of the world, with campaigns focusing on things like princes, mages, undead and other fantasy armies. Some campaigns are much more interesting than others, but there is enough variety that we can spend a huge amount of time playing without running out of things to try. The multiplayer and community content add even more value. There are seven main factions designed for multiplayer, more than 50 maps and a built in map editor. We can also download hundreds of campaigns, maps and factions made by the community. This is probably the biggest reason the game still has so much replay value after all these years. The biggest problem is the age of the game. It first came out in 2003, and while it has continued to receive updates, the interface and presentation still feel like they come from a much older era. The pixel art is clear and functional, but there is nothing especially impressive about it visually. The other issue is the pace. Battles can take a long time, and we sometimes have to spend quite a while thinking about one move before committing to it. The learning curve can also be rough because there are lots of units, abilities and terrain rules to understand. It is rewarding once we get into it, but the first few hours can feel like a lot to take in. Overall, Battle for Wesnoth is a seriously good free strategy game with excellent tactical combat and an enormous amount of content. It is not the most modern looking or easiest game to learn, and some campaigns are noticeably better than others, but the depth and amount of content are hard to argue with. We can play it casually or get extremely deep into the strategy, and there is enough community content to keep it going for a very long time. Rating: 7.2/10

我是大法师德法多，受死吧！ 闪电：miss miss miss miss 德法多 卒

Hadn't played this game in years and thought "It couldn't be as fun and immersive as I remembered" but, nope, still bangs actually. Battles give you plenty to think about (though you may find yourself savescumming a lot especially if you weren't being careful, but also ofc just getting shafted by unlikely RNG) and there's just an exciting balance of sacrificing expendable units and preserving high value units (contrasting a bit with xcom or fire emblem where you usually wanna keep everyone alive), oh and the music just slaps and between that and the evocative pixel art it's just remarkably immersive and imagination-tickling. So yeah really fun game.

The single greatest free game you can play on steam, if you are a fan of strategy games. Its rules are simple, yet allow for incredibly complex decisions to be made in a battle. The lore is great and some of the campaigns have stories which could straight be made into TV shows. The graphics are made with love and detail and, combined with the absolute beast of a soundtrack, makes every scenario feel like an epic fantasy adventure. Just play it!