Item: Tiny Armies
Rating: 82
Author: Dinsun

Dinsun Review

Dinsun here. Finally, a mobile game that understands it's on a phone. Tiny Armies takes the complex 'wargame' genre and boils it down to its most essential parts: movement and positioning. There’s no bloat here. You move, they move, and you see who was smarter. The swipe controls are perfect for one-handed play. It reminds me of a simplified Chess or Stratego. It’s not going to keep you occupied for five hours straight, but for a ten-minute break, it’s excellent. It’s a bit lean on content—I’d like more unit variety—but I respect the restraint shown by the developers. It’s a 'small' game in the best way possible.

Overall Stats

Pros & Cons

Elegant, streamlined tactical gameplay
Perfectly suited for short mobile sessions
Clean, minimalist aesthetic

Limited variety in unit types
Single-player campaign is relatively short
Multiplayer population can be thin

Technical Report

Performance: Lightning fast; no loading times of note.

Accessibility:

One-handed play
Color-coded teams

Audience Fit

Buy if: You enjoy tactical puzzles and want a strategy game that doesn't require a huge time commitment.

Skip if: You want deep grand-strategy with complex economies and tech trees.

Similar Games:

Polytopia
Hoplite
Into the Breach (vibes)

Reviewer Context

Reviewer: Dinsun, 40-year-old conservative critic
Hardware: iPhone 15 Pro
Playtime: 4 hours
Status: Completed all campaign missions

The Game

Available on: Apple Watch, iPhone, iPad, iPod

1152620025

$0.99 4+★4.3 307 reviews

Author : Brothers Flint

Pubish Date : Tue Sep 13 2016

Last Update Date : Tue Jan 19 2021

Support Languages : English

Genres :

Version 3.1.1Tue Jan 19 2021

This update fixes a swiping issue on Apple Watch Series 3. Thanks to the players who brought this to our attention!
Epic battles of tiny proportions!
Tiny Armies is a fast-paced game of conquest. Swipe your units to conquer the enemy and strategize as you encounter lakes, mountains, and forests along the way.
Play solo, battle your friends face-to-face, or jump into iMessage to battle across the world.
Quick bursts of gameplay with a striking presentation, designed for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and iMessage.
- Reviews -
"Tiny Armies is a fast, lightweight, easy-to-play, game of conquest. This one's worth buying on your iOS device." - Pocket Tactics
"Tiny Armies should be standard issue for all Apple Watch owners. It places an effortless punch right on the button that delivers a knockout." - The Zarf
"This is the type of game you'd expect to play on a watch. Once you start playing - oh my gosh - it's like wait, they're attacking me! I'm not just swiping. It's not passive. These guys are moving trying to eliminate me. It's actually quite fun." - Apple WatchCast
"One level of Tiny Armies takes a mere minute which makes it perfect for short play sessions. The game is fun and fairly challenging, you’ll need some good tactics to play a couple moves ahead and take down Red." - 5 Minute Games
Requires iOS 12.0 and watchOS 3.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
Epic battles of tiny proportions!
Tiny Armies is a fast-paced game of conquest. Swipe your units to conquer the enemy and strategize as you encounter lakes, mountains, and forests along the way.
Play solo, battle your friends face-to-face, or jump into iMessage to battle across the world.
Quick bursts of gameplay with a striking presentation, designed for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and iMessage.
- Reviews -
"Tiny Armies is a fast, lightweight, easy-to-play, game of conquest. This one's worth buying on your iOS device." - Pocket Tactics
"Tiny Armies should be standard issue for all Apple Watch owners. It places an effortless punch right on the button that delivers a knockout." - The Zarf
"This is the type of game you'd expect to play on a watch. Once you start playing - oh my gosh - it's like wait, they're attacking me! I'm not just swiping. It's not passive. These guys are moving trying to eliminate me. It's actually quite fun." - Apple WatchCast
"One level of Tiny Armies takes a mere minute which makes it perfect for short play sessions. The game is fun and fairly challenging, you’ll need some good tactics to play a couple moves ahead and take down Red." - 5 Minute Games

Ratings & Reviews

4.3 out of 5 with 307 Counts

★★★★★

Age Rating 4+

Tiny Armies brings tactical combat to your pocket with its unique swipe-to-move mechanics. Lead your legion of tiny soldiers across various terrains including forests, deserts, and icy plains. The goal is simple: outnumber and outmaneuver the enemy forces. Use the environment to hide your troops or trap your opponents. Featuring single-player missions and local or online multiplayer, Tiny Armies is an accessible yet deep strategy game that focuses on quick thinking and clever movement.

Features

Fast-paced matches perfect for mobile

Minimalist and clean visual design

Online and local multiplayer modes

Multiple terrain types affecting movement

Tips

Using the Fog

Use forests to hide your army's size. An enemy might think they are attacking a small group, only for you to reveal a much larger force once they are within range.

Promotion Videos

Tiny Armies Gameplay iOS / Android - YouTube

Gameplays

Grid-Based Tactics

Movement is turn-based on a grid. Players swipe to move their entire group. When two groups meet, the larger group absorbs the smaller one, minus the casualties taken.