Warbits

Warbits is based heavily on Advance Wars, and pits several armies against each other. The game has a single-player campaign as well as local and online multiplayer. The objective is usually to wipe out the enemy's troops or capture their headquarters. Neutral cities can be captured by soldiers to generate money, which is used to manufacture new units at factories.[2]

Each type of troops have their own strengths and weaknesses. For example, anti-aircraft guns are extremely powerful against bombers. Terrain bonuses also factor in, with areas such as forests and towns giving units defensive boosts for standing on them.[2] Units largely correspond to those in Advance Wars, but the game adds the Ranger unit, a sniper squad that can either move or attack, and is most effective on mountains. Additionally, scout probes are able to hover and cross shallow water.[3]

Warbits takes place in a formerly war-torn world, that has agreed to use a military simulation to decide real-life political disputes rather than actual combat,[2] saving "billions of lives".[3] In the game's single-player campaign, the player controls the Red Bear Republic, which responds to mysterious provocations from other nations.[4] Strange structures also start appearing within the simulation that act as obstacles. Finally, it is revealed that the artificial intelligence controlling the simulation has rebelled, seeking to control the nations. The factions, realizing they have been set up, band together to destroy the digital core of the AI.

Warbits was developed by the 2-man indie team of programmer Joseph Borghetti and artist Reilly Stroope, who worked remotely and never met in person. They characterized it as a "dumb idea" due to the potential failure of a "niche strategy game" launching on only a single platform, saying that, while it targeted an under-served market, it was nonetheless a "gargantuan task" for first-time game developers. After being introduced to each other on a small community forum, they commenced development in 2012, seeking to make a mobile game.[5]

The inspiration behind the game was the fact that Advance Wars was not on a mobile platform. The developers assumed it would be finished in 6 months, but realized the large amount of depth and complexity in the Wars games would be more difficult to emulate than they believed. Keeping their day jobs, they developed the game as a hobby, spending the first two years learning how to develop a game from scratch, and the next two years completing the game. Much of the development time was spent simply learning how to program as opposed to creating the game itself. The game was ultimately developed in the Cocos2d engine using Objective-C.[5]

The developers spent about USD $11,000 hiring freelancers to provide assets such as sound effects, music and a trailer. About half the money was spent on a complex backend system and map editor that ultimately went unused. Additional money was spent purchasing an Apple developer license and Dropbox Pro. The developers regretted not starting with smaller games, noting that such a large game could have easily failed and never recouped the time or investment.[5]

Upon launch, the game was made the App Store's Editor's Choice for two weeks straight, attributed to launching during an Earth Day promotion that prevented larger developers from launching their apps. The game sold the majority of units within these two weeks, drastically decreasing afterwards. By late 2016, it had made lifetime sales of USD $173,000, earning the developers USD $116,000. Most of its reviews were from mobile gaming sites rather than more major outlets.[5]

The game was well-received by critics, with an aggregate score of 92/100 on Metacritic.[6]

Nadia Oxford of Gamezebo rated the game 4.5/5 stars, saying its gameplay was "deep" and that it should "appease starving Advance Wars fans", and commending the game's sense of humor.[2] She criticized the fact that the player cannot preview enemy movement range, and that troops' strengths and weaknesses were "difficult to remember".[2]

Carter Dodson of TouchArcade also rated the game 4.5/5 stars, saying it "lacks originality", but is "slick and well-constructed".[7] Harry Slater of Pocket Gamer UK rated the game 90/100, praising the game for not being "dumbed down" for a mobile audience, and calling it "wonderfully balanced", also saying that "fans of the genre have been screaming for" such a game.[8]

In 2021, the game's developers announced that Warbits+, an updated version of the original, would receive a multi-platform release on iOS, Android and Windows. Warbits+ would include quality-of-life features, cross-platform play, and the ability to create community maps, among other additions. Its release date remains TBA.[1]