Hey Strategy fans!

The Chucklefish and Robotality teams have been pretty busy behind the scenes! We’ve been forging away, refining Wargroove 2 with bug resolutions and implementing some quality of life fixes. Not only is the development team hard at work, our partners have jumped aboard with a host of exciting updates! It’s time to hoist y’er anchors and set sail, the tide is high with Wargroove 2 news!

Wargroove 2 is now available in Japanese

Today’s a long awaited day for Japanese tactics enthusiasts, Wargroove 2 is now available in Japanese! 

We’d like to thank our friends at Kakehashi for their diligent work in bringing Wargroove 2 to life in Japanese and all their promotional efforts by bringing us to events Bitsummit and Tokyo Games Show in 2023 and sharing their love from Wargroove with the audience in Japan. You can play Wargroove 2’s latest patch now on Steam and Nintendo Switch, this patch also comes with a whole host of fixes which are available at the bottom of this update!

Wargroove 1 + 2 physical edition is coming to Japan!

We’ve partnered with our friends at Happinet for a physical edition of Wargroove 1 + 2 in Japan! Orders commence today and the physical will be released on the 30th May. 

Global fans, keep an eye out for other physical edition news coming soon! 👀

Mod Support now on the Preview branch

Mod Support is almost here! Since the early Wargroove days, we’ve had a brimming community of modders. We’re happy to confirm Mod support is almost done and is coming to Wargroove 2! We’re currently in the final feedback and fixing stages of before setting everything live on the main branch. If you’d like to join in and help us with the final development stages, you can access the preview branch from your Steam Library. Right click on Wargroove 2, select Properties and open the “Betas” option. On the dropdown menu, select “preview – Public preview version” and you’re in!

How do I make a mod?

We’ve updated the Wargroove wiki and expanded the original modding documentation to contain information about Wargroove 2! In addition, we’ve updated the example Tolstoy Mod from Wargroove which you can find by following the file path C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Wargroove 2\modpacker_bin

How do I share a mod?

Once you’ve created your mod, it should have put itself in your Wargroove appdata folder. You can probably find this at %appdata%/Chucklefish/Wargroove2/mods. Copy the folder with your mod name on it and send it to a friend! They just put the folder in the same spot in their appdata folder.

How do I use a mod?

Custom Maps

If you want to create a modded map, go into a custom map and open the main menu. Hit the branch new “Mods” button, and you should see a list of your installed mods.

Just flip the switch for the ones you want to use and change the ordering if you need to. Hit “Save and Reload Map”. This should reload your map with the mods on. The “Add to Mod” button is for packaging maps within a mod, and you can read about it in the document linked in the “How do I make a mod?” section.

Local Multiplayer

If you want to use a mod in a map that already exists, go to local multiplayer and select the map. In the “Match Settings” window, hit the “Mods” button, and you should see a list of your installed mods. Flip the switches for the mods you want to use and change the ordering if you need to.

Hit close when you’re done and you should be using your mods!

Online Multiplayer

Mods can also be enabled when hosting online matches. In Match Settings, go to “Mods” and toggle the mods you’d like to use.  All players must have the same version of the mod installed. Mods can also come with maps included. If they do, when you go to host a game you should see the modded map available. Anyone with the same version of the mod installed can join the game like normal.

Will console versions receive modding tools?

Unfortunately not – this is a platform restriction we don’t have control over, so modding tools are a PC only feature. Console players will not be able to access any custom content or join any online matches which use PC mods, and instead will see an error message.

I have more questions!

Feel free to get in touch with the Robotality team on the Wargroove discord to ask about modding! You can also use the Discord to report any issues you may come across!

New Merch from the Yetee!

We’re also going to be launching some new Merchandise with the Yetee! Keep your eyes peeled for new Wargroove 2 apparel on the way.

1.2.6 Patch Notes

– Japanese language added

– Fix occasional crash when loading into conquest maps, or launching maps from the editor

– Fix movement of Pegasus and Turtle units when ambushed in fog of war. These units are allowed to move into FoW if the target tile is not blocked. If it is, the unit is considered “ambushed” and placed on the last free tile in its path of movement.

– Fix all HQ structures, not just the one of the current player, regaining health on each turn

– Fix map design issues in Pearlescent Valley

– No more combat preview tooltips or target highlights for enemy units not in line of sight of Riflemen

– Objective texts are now updated properly when changing the language during a match

– Tooltips in the unit info UI now always use the correct commander icon

– Audio: changing tabs in codex does not play the sound FX twice

– Audio: stop active music track when loading map editor

– Audio: fix double sound FX with interaction menu in maps with free movement

– Fixed quick play rating sometimes not updated if first player abandons the match (note: this is a server-side change and has been patched for *all* versions already)

– Fixed bug which could cause performance problems and crashes when stacking buffs on units, for example with ranged units holding an attack boosting item and Emeric’s tier 2 groove

– Tenri’s groove can not target kraken, its tentacles, and tentacled units anymore

– Tornado and push/pull abilities can not target immovable units anymore, for example the crystal spawned by the Twins’ groove

– Fixed list of units (tentacles, crystals spawned by Twins) not convertible by Elodies groove

– Fixed Pistils tier 2 groove behaving weirdly when used by AI

– Neutral structures do not take damage anymore by slamming units into them

– Fixed graphics effect of tentacles wrapped around units not being removed sometimes

– Fixed bug in “The General” mission which could cause a story dialogue to be skipped

– Fixed scripting bug which could cause bridges fail to spawn in “A Great Fall”

– The correct weather setting is now shown in match info of a multiplayer lobby

– Updated incorrect description texts of Nuru and Twins on commander selection screen

– Fixed exit confirmation dialog opened twice when pressing ESC key in title screen

– Fixed crash rendering preview image for custom maps in map selection screen

– Fixed crash trying to run misconfigured unit actions on custom maps

– Conquest: Fixed various bugs with the kraken mini boss and its tentacles

– Conquest: Fixed smoke screen effect persisting until end of map

– Conquest: Fixed issues caused by units loaded into transport units. Units are now unloaded automatically when progressing to the next event.

– Conquest: Fixed units playing wrong animations sometimes after loading a new map

– Conquest: Prevent some situations where the player was able to walk backwards on the world map

– Conquest: Commander icon is now shown, instead of Knight, in the “vulnerable” section of unit info UI

– Editor: fix waterfall decoration changing position when switching to Dungeon biome

– Editor: in the unit palette tool, cycling through neutral faction does not reset the current selection to Soldier anymore

– Editor: fix ghost shadows when switching maps in the campaign map editor

– Editor: fixed cutscene dialogue box cutting through overlapping UI elements

– Editor: fixed unit facing option not working correctly if language isn’t set to English

– Editor: Fixed crash when trying to edit properties of treasure chest

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Hi everyone!

My name is Midio, Lead Artist on Wargroove 2! I had the pleasure of crafting the visual development and design of the Faahri Commanders and Units. Today, I’m going to dig into the process of creating the Faahri faction and characters you’ve all come to know and love since the release of Wargroove 2!

When I joined the team, Simon- our art director- already had in mind a “cave dwelling folk” faction, and flirted with the idea of them being dwarves and even monks at some point! As the conceptual exercise dove deeper, he suggested them being rodents and the team was completely in love with the idea of introducing a cute little mouse faction to the Wargroove universe. The essence of the Faahri Republic’s early lore from pre-production stayed almost intact throughout the development of Wargroove 2: a nation of mouse-folk from another land, who reside in sprawling underground networks.

I got to work developing the visual identity of the mice, blending Simon’s designs and Wargroove’s distinctive style. Wargroove’s armies often draw inspiration from a tapestry of global cultures, and the Faahri faction finds some of its inspiration in the Golden Age of Islam and the influence of the Abbasid Caliphate and the Arab world on the West. This period is well known for the discovery, assimilation and flourishing of complex math, science, cartography, new technologies, culture and education that would be carried onto western societies. One of the main themes around the Faahri are their geometric designs, a theme commonly seen in the islamic’s architecture and art, symbolizing the clarity and order these little mice pursue in their society.

Once the general aesthetic and colour scheme were defined, we moved along to developing the Commanders. The beginning of this process was also through geometry: Pistil was thought as a cylinder, Lytra as a small circle and Rhomb as a big square. Pistil was born almost as we see her in the final design. I thought she could embody some diversity with a prosthetic limb and a robotic eye (both super ornate, of course). Rhomb firstly wielded a huge axe, but ended up with two forms once we started exploring the depths of crystal technology and how the Faahri use it and its more sinister uses…

Lytra became the Commander who went through the most iterations. We loved each of her designs at every step, with some of her earliest designs making their way to other units and characters! Early on, Lytra wielded a fierce flamethrower, which eventually ended up being part of Nadia’s design! Our plan for Lytra had always been that she would be the misfit of the whole Faahri outfit. Our initial approach was to make her differences clear using her visuals by giving her a punk look with spiky, colourful hair – now used for the Faahri merfolk! Eventually, we decided that Lytra’s feelings of distance from her peers should be less outward to create nuance and make her character not so easy to define. We knew we wanted her to have a deeper connection with the magic of the world she inhabits and so we decided to give her oversized mage clothes and turned to music and experimented with instruments as a weapon.(Fun fact: Lytra once had a trombone!)

There it is, I hope you’ve enjoyed this journey down development-memory lane with me! I’ve really enjoyed seeing all the love you’ve had for the Faahri faction – I’m going to also leave you with a bit of an art-dump full of mine, Simon’s and Marion’s development sketches. We’ve loved bringing something completely new to Wargroove 2 and we’re happy to know you’ve all enjoyed getting to know Rhomb, Pisil, Lytra and their friends!

Until next time!

Midio

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Multiplayer Update – v1.2.5 Live Now

Hi everyone!

Wargroove 2’s v1.2.5 “Multiplayer Ranking Update” is now live on PC & Switch. If you’re in the Discord you’ll know this one has been a while in the making, and full of some highly requested updates.

Thank you for your patience while we fixed some particularly tricky multiplayer bugs. As Wargroove is a cross-platform game, all updates have to release simultaneously, so the approval process for consoles can make things take a little longer. So without further ado, here’s what v1.2.5 has in store:

Multiplayer Ranking + Changes to Quickplay experience

This update we wanted to focus on improving Wargroove 2’s multiplayer experience. Now when you enter the Multiplayer section of the game, a new ‘player rating’ is now visible. This rating is used in matchmaking. If you haven’t played a quickplay match before the rating will start at 1200. After finishing a quickplay match, a new screen has been introduced detailing how your rating has changed based on the previous match.

(Please note: If you’ve already started ranking up on the Preview branch, the v1.2.5 release version will reset all rankings to 1200 for fairness across platforms).

We can’t wait to see players battling and sharing their rankings!

An important note on potential transition conflicts once the patch goes live – once updated you won’t be able to join lobbies, or continue ongoing games which were opened with previous patches. To finish playing any matches started during an update prior to v1.2.5, please access our “legacy” branch which will be staying as version v1.2.3.

If you were playing a match while the update went live, this shouldn’t have affected play, but you will need to update to the latest version on Steam to continue further matches.

Quickplay Map Pool

For this update we lowered the amount of quickplay maps in rotation to give players a better chance of learning them, and removed some maps which weren’t a good design-fit for quickplay. We will be rotating the pool of maps for subsequent updates/seasons, so for now, please find below the selection of quickplay maps now in rotation for this season:

  • Wyvern Isles
  • Brimouth
  • Life in 19×19
  • Moonlight Meadows
  • Heartsong Gardens
  • Dusty Oasis
  • Ban Ban Beaches
  • Harmonious Hideout
  • Brimwin Valley
  • Snowdrift Harbour
  • Pearlescent Valley
  • Lost in Riparia

Other updates to Multiplayer include:

  • Quickplay will now play a different music when queuing for a match. Once a match has been found a notification sound will play.
  • When a player abandons a lobby during quickplay, a more descriptive message is now displayed to the other player.
  • Players now have 90s instead of 60s to ready when a quickplay lobby has been found

Balancing Changes

  • Kraken: Cost increased (750g->850g) and they receive more damage from water units.
  • Ragna: Tier 1 now charges at Medium speed down from Slow.
  • Nadia: Both tiers charge at Slow speed now.
  • Nuru: Nuru’s Tier 2 affects now all recruiting structures.
  • Valder: Tier 1 now charges at Medium speed, up from Fast.
  • Caesar: Tier 2 now charges at Very Slow speed, up from Slow.

The following multiplayer maps have seen tweaks in this update:

  • Pearlescent Valley
  • Lost in Riparia
  • Moonlight Meadows
  • Ban Ban Beaches Beyond
  • Brimouth Channel
  • Brightfall Plains
  • Frostbite Plains
  • Swamp of the Damned

Fixes

  • Vespers groove has received several fixes and should now work as intended
  • Fix bug that would sometimes prevent recruiting with the Enter key
  • Fixed Zawan’s supercharged vines showing missing description when right clicked.
  • Fix various navigation bugs when using arrow keys to navigate recruit/map lists
  • Fix optional Kraken crit objective being wrongly rewarded in “Return to Eight-Arm Bay”
  • Fix target portals not being available to use for team mates
  • Fix crash bug that could occur if player placed Lytra at a specific spot during the second prologue mission
  • Fix softlock that could occurred when player cancelled progress during tutorial campaign.
  • Optional objective in “The Fortress” is now properly fulfilled if enemy commander is defeated with the twin’s groove
  • UI: Fixed Tenri’s groove icon
  • Ultra widescreen monitors are now better supported
  • Controller: Improved usability in editor by showing button mapping for functions like undo/redo and toggling symmetry tools.
  • Improved visual readability of Vesper’s and Errol & Orla’s grooves
  • Fixed issue that caused Ryota’s groove often not being available in Fog of War maps
  • Neutral structures no longer take push/pull knock-on damage
  • Fixed a bug which could cause desync and “Invalid unit order” crashes in multiplayer
  • Fixed occasional crash after leaving multiplayer lobby screen
  • Updated translations for the Power Gauntlet item description to match its actual properties
  • Fixed a few spelling errors in all languages
  • We have made some updates to the server to help with issues people have been having in multiplayer.
  • Kraken units can no longer tentacle other tentacles
  • Editor: Fixed issue that caused placed units to be invisible on very large maps
  • Editor: Fixed crash issue with controllers that could occur when deleting triggers and conditions
  • Editor: Fixed missing strings in “Units: Verbs used” condition
  • Editor: Removed a few placeholder items in “Display tutorial box” action properties
  • Editor: Fixed several objects being misaligned with the mouse cursor when placing
  • Editor: Fixed “invalid config error” that could occur equipping certain items in the editor
  • Editor: Fix neutral units causing crash when using Unit Action event trigger action.
  • Editor: Fixed several inconsistencies with groove charge. The editor should now properly reflect the game’s use of groove in %.
  • Editor: Fixed Valder’s (No Glove) and Lytra’s (No Harp) voice over lines being wrong.
  • Editor: Several story props have been made available that were previously hidden
  • Editor: Removed “Delete All Progress” option from editor
  • Fixed issue that caused a certain fish not being unlockable when using Mercival’s groove
  • Fixed crash that could occur in conquest mode when transitioning levels
  • Fixed issue that caused items to be purchased immediately when selecting in merchant
  • Fixed issue that caused a crash when purchasing discounted merchant items
  • Fixed various typos in codex and game in general
  • Fixed a visual gap in the tile info screen that appeared for several water units
  • Fixed bug in “Firebird & The Oaracle” that would cause no music to be played during this level after skipping the intro
  • Fixed issue in last mission that marked unsafe tiles as safe.
  • Fixed buggy beach texture in “Ice Low Water” biome
  • Fix custom difficulty description not updating properly on change
  • Removed duplicate tracks from jukebox that had appeared under a different name
  • Fixed crash that could occur when quickly clicking buttons in conquest menus
  • Conquest: Fixed a merchant in Felheim conquest not being interactable
  • Conquest: Fixed several issues in Saffron Isles prisoner event
  • Conquest: Fixed issue in Training Camp events when player didn’t have troops available to train
  • Conquest: Fixed issue in unit transformation event that caused dialogues to go out of order
  • Conquest: Fixed issue that caused several events to not show their Fog of War status correctly
  • Conquest: Unlock icon no longer shows exclamation mark when there’s nothing left to unlock
  • Conquest: Fixed issue in item duplication event that could cause player to be offered the choice to duplicate more than once.
  • Conquest: Fixed issue that allowed player to give money to Fritz, even if they had none.
  • Conquest: During unit duplication event, player is now returned to the conquest map right away if they decline the offer
  • Conquest: Fix soft-lock when player was facing a witch as the only remaining enemy with no means to defeat it
  • Conquest: Fix issue that caused Emeric to have full groove charge on start of conquest
  • Conquest: Fix issue that caused units to not retain their item abilities when they get transformed/changed to new unit types
  • Conquest: Fix possible softlock after finishing the Donut + Fenris fight.
  • Conquest: Fix artwork of training camps being swapped.
  • Conquest: Fix occurence of unit stacking
  • Conquest: Fix several issues in the Prisoner event map during the Saffron Isles conquest.
  • Conquest: Fixed Amphibian Lucky Coin (“Alacrity”) to correctly show +1 movement instead of +2.
  • Conquest: Fixed crash that could occur during the Unit Transformation event
  • Conquest: Merchant dogs can no longer be moved by player

Phew! That was a big one. Thanks everyone and have fun!

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Wassup Groove Gang,

Exciting news!
During the September Nintendo Direct we announced that the much-awaited sequel to our beloved turn-based strategy game, Wargroove 2, is set to march on to PC and Nintendo Switch October 5th 2023. And even better, pre-orders have commenced with a 20% discount over on Steam and Nintendo Europe and America eShops!

Haven’t played Wargroove before? You can grab Wargroove and Wargroove 2 as a complete set for 10% off on Steam.

Check out our Yarghhhhsome new launch trailer here

Wargroove 2 takes all the elements players adored in the original game – the charming pixel art, the big-brain turn-based combat – and amps it up several notches. Say hello to 2 new playable factions, meet new Commanders, and brace yourself to embark on three new interlacing campaigns: Breaking Grounds, Rising Tides and Dark Skies.

We also revealed the latest faction coming to Wargroove 2: The Faahri Republic. A nation of curious mouse-folk who have landed in Aurania on a scholarly expedition. What the Faahri Republic lacks in military experience, they more than make up for with academic theory. Equipped with mysterious crystal technology, Commanders Lytra, Pistil, and Rhomb must work together in pursuit of information for their mysterious benefactors.

What’s more, Wargroove 2 introduces a Supercharged Groove system, giving you an upper hand in turning the tide of battle to your favour. But if you’re up for a true test of your tactical genius, the all-new roguelike game mode ‘Conquest’ awaits you.

About Wargroove 2Trouble stirs on the shores of Aurania. An ambitious new faction has unearthed forbidden relics capable of catastrophic consequences. But how far will they go to achieve glory? Take to the battlefield, sea, and sky with a cast of new Commanders, using your wits to wage turn-based war!

  • An all-new Wargroove adventure for new recruits and veteran wardogs alike!
  • Return to the frontline with new Commanders, as mysterious new factions join the fight
  • Supercharge your Commander’s Groove with a newly updated Groove system
  • Follow three new Campaign arcs, interwoven in a fierce conclusion
  • Battle with or against your friends in Co-Op & Multiplayer mode, locally or online for up to four players
  • Put your strategic abilities to the test with a new roguelike mode – Conquest!
  • Develop new tactics with five new unit types to master
  • Level-up ordinary units by picking up special items
  • Battle after dark with new night mode
  • Get more creative than ever with new & improved map, campaign & cutscene editors
  • Captivating soundtrack written by composer Dale North (River City Girls 1 & 2, RWBY Arrowfell, Alchemic Cutie)

Wargroove 2 is coming to PC and Nintendo Switch on 5 October 2023 priced at $19.99 / £16.75 / €19.49.

Strap on your strongest boots and prepare to march into the wonderful world of Wargroove 2 this October! Get your pre-orders in, and gear up for an unforgettable strategic journey that’s bigger, better, and groovier. 

Join our Discord community to catch up on the latest Wargroove 2 news and join the strategy fans replaying Wargroove ahead of the big day!

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Hey folks!

Hello I’m Simon from Robotality, one of the development leads on Wargroove 2. If you’ve been hanging out in The Wargroove discord, then you may well already know me 🙂 With Wargroove 2 coming to PC and Switch later this year, we thought we’d take the time to give you a sneak peek at some of the new and improved custom creation tools we’ve been working on.

Before we start – if you’re heading to Gamescom this week, come and play Wargroove 2 at the Nintendo area of the Indie Arena Booth! The demo is also fully localised into English, French, German, EU Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese.

Firstly, if you’ve used our map and campaign tools before, you’ll be happy to know that all the content (and much more!) will still be available for you to create your best battles. If you’re new to the world of custom creation, these tools have never been easier to jump right into. Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the new additions.

Symmetry Tool
It’s now easier than ever to balance your multiplayer maps with the help of the 5 symmetry tool options. These magical map mirrors will work on tiles, buildings and units. 

Y-Mirror Symmetry

X-Mirror Symmetry

XY-Mirror Symmetry

2x Point Symmetry

4x Point Symmetry

Storytelling & Map-based Cutscene
Being a highly-requested feature, we’ve now added scripting functionalities for units! You can now command your units to perform attacks and movement. Additionally, we’ve also introduced the capability to script special effects directly on to map objects, so you can sprinkle in a little zhuzh and pizzazz onto the battlefield. 

We’ve also made significant strides in dialogue options. Our multiple-choice dialogue system now enables branched scripts, helping you deliver a more personalized narrative journey. 

For those who enjoy story-driven experiences, you’ll be pleased to know that we’ve also added story-only maps. This means you can now enjoy non-combat stories, which you’ll see utilised in our own campaigns where you can interact with characters and objects.

Weather and daytime visuals can now be altered on the fly, primarily for storytelling purposes, be it a skirmish in the sun or a raid during a stormy night.

Lastly, we’ve introduced a screenshake feature for those scenes that call for a little wibble wobble.

Wang Tilesets
Why is it called that? It’s named after mathematician, Hao Wang, who coined the term to describe tile arrangements that had matching edges without breaks in their pattern. For Wargroove 2 we looked holistically at all of the creation tool feedback and felt Wang tilesets were the answer.

One of the largest bits of feedback that we got from our fine map-making community is that the original Wargroove tileset felt limited due to the kind of tiles that could be placed next to one another. To solve this issue we extended the complexity of the tileset and made it from a partial Wang tileset into a complete Wang tilest.

Sounds fancy you say, but what brings this to the table for us map makers? Well glad you asked: In short, way more flexibility. You can now place nearly any combination of tiles against each other without breaking the map: Want to have a stretch of islands connected via beaches that the player can walk over? Easy.

Have roads that are broader than 1 tile? No problem. 

Walls that can be combined into whole structures.? Now possible.

Deep Sea that touches the coast? Sure thing.

This feature is hard to describe as it is a very technical change but the result is super obvious once you have started making maps. You should now hit nearly no limits on how tiles can be placed. Previously maps looked a bit confusing 


Other Cool Additions
We want to make map-making as simple as possible. So whether you made a misclick with your placement or simply want to try a different option, the undo and redo feature comes to your rescue.

One of the most significant updates in Wargroove 2 is the addition of scripted bonus objectives for maps – which you’ll also get to sink your teeth into in the campaign too! This new map creation feature not only introduces an extra layer of challenge to your gameplay, but also offers opportunities for additional rewards for your players

If you’ve had the chance to play our Conquest Mode demo then you’ll know we’ve added some super cool items to bolster your units and give them that much-needed edge. In creator mode, units can now hold items, adding an element of strategy and offering diverse possibilities for gameplay. Similarly, maps can also have items, helping encourage player exploration and even tempting them to overextend themselves…

We’ve also introduced a new feature that allows you to spawn units inside travel boats or wagons via script. This gives you more control over units’ deployment and increases the strategic depth of your maps.

And finally, our new toolset also brings with it three new tilesets: cut forest, abyss, and abyss bridge, and we can’t wait to see what kind of creative things you do with them! 


Before we sign off, we want to give a shout out to all the closed beta testers who’ve been helping us refine the custom content tools for this game. Having seasoned community members, who love to create and share has empowered us to deliver the best version of these tools, and we couldn’t have done it without you.

Until next time!

Simon and the Robotality team 

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The Art of War(groove) (2)

Hi everyone!

Today we’re sharing a mini blog update to reveal our fantastic new key art for Wargroove 2! To celebrate, we’re also extending the Steam Next Fest demo for 48 hours. That means you have until 6pm BST on Wednesday 28th June to download the demo, and play the updated Conquest mode and Multiplayer maps. Enjoy folks!

Key Art

This time we’ve teamed up with Vancouver-based artist, Justin Chan, to bring the Saffron Isles to life. A BIG thank you to Justin for creating this beautiful artwork.

The key art sees the return of Starbound’s Nuru, everyone’s best boy Caesar, notorious fire-starter Nadia, as well as Wulfar in his all-new pirate get-up. Look at that hammer upgrade!

You might also spot some new unit types in the background too. More details on these later!

We hope you’ve been enjoying playing Wargroove 2 in Steam Next Fest. If you did get a chance to try the demo, do make sure to let us know your thoughts and feelings in the feedback thread!

Until next time!

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Hi everyone!

We’re excited to announce that Wargroove 2 will be taking part in this Steam Next Fest. That means you’ll be able to play the demo from June 19th – 26th, starting at 10am PDT / 1pm EDT / 6pm BST / 7pm CEST / 2am JST / 1am CST.

The demo will be playable in English, French, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, and Simplified Chinese (Japanese players, we’ll have news for you soon!).

In this demo we’re giving you a look at Conquest, a single-player roguelike mode completely new to Wargroove 2, as well as access to online and local co-op Multiplayer skirmishes! If you played the PAX Wargroove 2 demo, fear not, we’re made some changes based on initial player feedback, and have new commanders on the roster: Caesar, Mercia, Emeric and Dark Mercia.

Check out the Steam Next Fest demo teaser trailer here:

What’s Conquest mode?

Hands up if you crave permadeath! 🙌 In Conquest you’ll take on quick-paced, bite-sized battles, where every choice is permanent. Once you’ve selected your starting troop, plan your route to victory as you take on a series of challenges, leading up to the demo’s boss. 

The Steam Next Fest demo is of course an early snapshot of what you can expect from Conquest mode in the full game – with more trials to unlock with various Commanders, as you climb the ranks of this new challenging game mode!

What’s changed since the PAX East demo build?
We’ve made a few exciting changes to the build since our PAX demo, which we did a progress update on last month. Those changes are finally ready, with a changelist that includes:

  • Lucky Coins (previously Blessings) are permanent
  • Instead of one commander, you pick your commander at the beginning of the conquest. 5 commanders in total available. Selection is randomized.
  • New items
  • Rebalanced progression in conquest mode
  • Conquest is a bit longer overall (2 elite fights)
  • New events (there’s a couple of new mystery events, merchant events and heal events)
  • Dedicated recruit events (with randomized capacities)
  • Lots of UI Tweaks + new UI elements
  • Improved controller support
  • Free Move mode has been added: In non-combat maps you can move around freely without turns.
  • Improved/fixed AI in Fog of War (they don’t cheat quite as directly any more)

How do I start a Multiplayer game?

In this demo you can play both Online and Local Multiplayer modes with up to 4 players, with a limited number of Commanders old and new alike at your disposal (you might notice though that we’re keeping a few a secret for now!)

To kickstart a match, select ‘Multiplayer’ from the menu and select either Local or Online. For an Online match, you can join a friend’s match by selecting the button to the bottom right and join with a code, or host a New Match and have a friend (or stranger!) join your game.
Looking for people to play with? Join our Discord and find folks who want to play!

What else will be in the full game?

  • 6 Factions with 22 Commanders
  • 3 Campaigns, interwoven by an explosive conclusion
  • 5 new units, bringing the total unit types to 26
  • Conquest mode – the new roguelike game mode
  • Local and Online Multiplayer
  • Map & custom campaign creation tools
  • Original OST by Dale North
  • French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, and Simplified Chinese localisation

Where can I share feedback?Thank you for checking out our game! Please feel free to share any demo feedback you have in this Steam Forums thread. If you enjoyed the demo, and want to find out more about Wargroove 2, find us on Twitter or come and join the official Wargroove Discord. The development team often pops in to answer questions and share insights on the game’s development. Lastly, be sure to wishlist the game for a notification as soon as the full game is available later this year!

Enjoy the demo!

-Chucklefish & Robotality

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Commander Spotlight: Nadia the Pirate

Ahoy mateys!

I’m Hassan, the Narrative Designer on Wargroove 2! I’ve been responsible for expanding Aurania and the events happening within it since the first Wargroove. I’ve also led the charge in building the journeys of the new Commanders and factions we’ll meet in Wargroove 2!

When we revealed Wargroove 2 back in March, we also introduced the latest Commander to the Wargroove roster: Nadia, a notorious pirate known to her enemies as Captain Firebird.

Hailing from the Saffron Isles, Nadia leads a formidable crew of pirates who are feared for their ruthless raids and plundering of the islands surrounding Aurania. During Wargroove 2’s campaign you’ll get acquainted with Nadia’s crewmates, including the wanted men Janjak “The Ripper”, and the grinning devil Aki the “Akuma”.

Nadia and her crew often run afoul of the Heavensong Navy, who have several bounties out for Nadia and her rivals. But despite Heavensong’s bravado, they are still to this day terrified at the sight of the pirates’ skull and crossbones flag -iIt wasn’t long ago after all that Heavensong’s previous Emperor was killed by an army of undead skeletons.

While some commanders might prefer to stay back and let their armies do the dirty work, Nadia fearlessly charges into battle, wielding her signature flamethrower and striking fear into the hearts of her enemies, who believe she can command the sea itself.

Nadia’s Groove revolves around her flamethrower, which becomes increasingly powerful as it charges up. At tier 1, it can deal significant damage to a few enemies in close proximity. However, once fully charged, it becomes an unstoppable force, leaving a trail of scorch marks and burn damage in its wake.

Playing as Nadia requires a strategic approach, balancing the risks of putting her on the frontline with the rewards of her devastating attacks. But for those who are up for the challenge, she is an exciting and formidable addition to the Wargroove 2 roster.

Fun fact: Before Nadia had a flamethrower, she had a pet parrot! While we would have loved to keep this addition, once the flamethrower came into play we found Nadia had too many moving elements for the parrot to stay feasible. We miss you, dear parrot!

But while the parrot is no more, you might have already caught glimpses of Nadia’s pet battlepig named Nufnuf! 🐷 Pigs are basically the same as having a pet dog, right? Maybe we’ll share more on Nufnuf in a full Pirate Faction blog deepdive!

Thanks for reading, and we hope you’ll enjoy getting to know Nadia more when Wargroove 2 releases. In the meantime, we’ll have many more delightful development updates over on the Wargroove Twitter account, and our official Discord server.

Until next time!

– Robotality & Chucklefish

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The Conquest to make our own Roguelike!

Hi everyone! I’m Stefan, Lead Game Designer on Wargroove 2! I’m really happy to be the first on the Robotality team to bring our own voice to the Wargroove Dev Blog, and we’re excited to bring you all the juicy details and deep dives into what’s new in Wargroove 2.

It’s been a busy month for Chucklefish and the Robotality team. After announcing Wargroove 2 in March, we made our way to PAX East with our shiny new demo. It was great to meet members of the Wargroove community in person and we received a lot of valuable feedback for the in-development Conquest Mode. Players on Steam also had the opportunity to give the new game-mode a try and we’ve been left with a to-do list of exciting changes we’ve been digging into!

Today, I want to dive a little into what Conquest Mode is and what changes we’re hoping to make in the future! In the demo we played as Nadia, a fiery pirate wielding a ferocious flamethrower. We’ll be doing a deepdive into the latest sea-faring Commander to join the roster in the near-future!

Conquest Mode is our take on a turn-based strategy roguelike experience using the well established Wargroove formula (with a Robotality twist!). It’s a single player game mode that offers lots of replayability and a chance to truly master turn based mechanics by ramping up the ante and putting player’s strategic abilities to the test. Some goals for Conquest Mode include:

  • Battle through a randomly generated series of quick paced bite-sized skirmishes.
  • Your army is persistent: if you lose a unit, they will not respawn in the next map.
  • Encounter mystery events where you can gain recruits, unique items or gold.
  • Select between a pool of possible starting troops and build a strategy that assures your route to victory.
  • Take on increasingly challenging trials by unlocking new Commanders.

The PAX demo was our opportunity to put our ideas to the test. We had amazing feedback from members of the community who felt like the additional challenge, replayability and unique take on this old formula brings something new and exciting. So thank you to everyone who played, and especially to those who took the time to leave feedback, it means a lot to us! There’s a few things we hope to address in upcoming iterations of conquest mode. Most notably:

  • Giving the player more choices. Instead of a single blessing at the beginning, we want players to have multiple opportunities to refresh their army and gain new perks. We also hope to offer more variety in starting troops so players can test out a range of armies to progress through a conquest, offering even more replayability than before!
  • Make blessings permanent, so future recruits benefit from perks the player has gained earlier in a run.
  • Improve the UX on the Conquest Mode screen. The map screen didn’t work as we’d hoped in communicating where players could go next – we aim to give the Conquest map a bit of a face lift to make it easier to plan the next move. We’ll also be reworking the controller support on this screen again to improve its functionality.
  • Improve fog of war. No more cheating AI!

This is the first of many updates to come! Other than conquest mode, the team have been busy making each of Wargroove 2’s campaigns a pixel-perfect experience. If you want updates on future developments, be sure to follow us on the Wargroove Twitter or our Discord. Next time, we’ll be deep diving into our new Commander, Nadia – with some details about her story and what strategies she offers!

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Today we are extremely excited to announce that we’ve been working in collaboration with the team at Robotality (creators of Pathway and Halfway) to bring you the much-anticipated Wargroove 2!

Check out our swish new logo 👀

The extremely talented, strategy game veterans at Robotality have been not-so quietly working away to bring you an all-new kickass Wargroove experience. So get your sword and shield ready for the return of the series’ signature turn-based strategy gameplay, filled with new mechanics and modes to master, an exciting all-new campaign to discover, and a lovable cast of new Commanders to try out on the battlefield. Without further ado… check out the trailer:

About Wargroove 2

Trouble stirs on the shores of Aurania. An ambitious new faction has unearthed forbidden relics capable of catastrophic consequences. But how far will they go to achieve glory? Take to the field, sea, and sky with a cast of new Commanders, using your wits to wage turn-based war!

  • An all-new Wargroove adventure for new recruits and veteran wardogs alike!
  • Return to the frontline with new Commanders, as mysterious new factions join the fight
  • Commanders are more powerful than ever, with an all-new tiered Groove system
  • Follow 3 new Campaign arcs, interwoven in a fierce conclusion
  • Battle with or against your friends in Co-Op & Multiplayer mode, locally or online for up to 4 players
  • Put your strategic abilities to the test with a new roguelike mode – Conquest!
  • Develop new tactics with 5 new unit types to master
  • Level-up ordinary units by picking up special items
  • Get more creative than ever with new & improved map, campaign & cutscene editors
  • Captivating soundtrack written by composer Dale North (Nintendo eShop, Disney Wish, River City Girls 1 & 2, RWBY Arrowfell)

The extended Wargroove universe is E for everyone meaning that you don’t need to have completed Wargroove 1 in order to play Wargroove 2. Pick up and play on your own terms, in your own time, at your own pace. And if you fancy giving Wargroove 2 a go, click here!

In the meantime, if you’re ever stuck or want a buddy to play with, we have a thriving Discord community of old and new players looking to enjoy the game with you. Not on Discord? Follow us on Twitter where you can find the latest updates with bonus emojis.

We’ll be updating with blogs, tweets and behind-the-scenes content going forward, so keep your eyes peeled!

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