A small unknown indie studio named Battlecruiser Games have graced us with a small point and click adventure game named Guards. You take on several hoards of monsters with eight heroes, of which you have to choose four in each round. As you progress through the game you unlock new abilities, along with more heroes. Is it the fantasy equivalent of chess on your desktop?
Turn-based games have always been a turn off for me personally, mainly because of the rather tepid and boring gameplay experience. I’ve found myself trying to attack my foes, with the error prompt telling me to wait my turn, then me giving up with the game altogether. It must be the reason I haven’t finished games like Final Fantasy, not because the games are bad; mainly because of the fact that games like The Witcher have made me used to running in swords a-swinging.
However, with that said, Guards is quite a fun little small game you can squeeze in during tea break. It offers enough variation to make it worth the while, and the simple gameplay experience won’t make you break the tea cup on your co-workers head, like with Mighty No. 9.
Gameplay takes on a different play style in Guards, with you having to strategically move your units in specific ways to unlock abilities, protect them when they are weak etcetera. For instance, the Mage has some epic magic attacks, however, she is quite weak against the oncoming hoard, so it’s best to hold her in the back until you can switch her out with someone like the peasant. Each character has a special attack, and not all of them will be equally effective against your enemy.
The map is filled with challenges, all leading to the main objective, which will take you several hours or even days to complete depending on the time you put into the game. What I found most impressive with the game is that it doesn’t take up the majority of your display—unless you want that—and can be hidden behind those endless spreadsheets.
Game design is fun and quirky and doesn’t try to be excessively elaborate. Minimalism is key here, and it should be applauded for that design choice. Each character is designed with visible character traits, that will ensure you know exactly what they are and what they can achieve, making it as simple enough for the average gamer, not much different from a game of chess.
Guards, however, isn’t my cup of tea; but as a simple point-and-click game, I can recommend it for someone who needs a break from FarmVille. It’s a lot of fun and even someone who doesn’t like other games enjoy this one! If you’re looking for that experience, I can wholeheartedly recommend it.
Dreyer was a regular ICXM contributor between 2016–2017, publishing 139 articles across opinion pieces, game reviews, Windows and PC, and Xbox news. Their work focused on hands-on reviews, platform commentary, and breaking-news reporting during the Xbox One X launch year and Microsoft’s wider Play Anywhere / UWP gaming initiative. They post on X as @dreyer_smit.