Warbits
Developer(s)	Risky Lab
Publisher(s)	Risky Lab
Programmer(s)	Joseph Borghetti
Artist(s)	Reilly Stroope
Engine	Cocos2d
Platform(s)	iOS
Release	April 13, 2016
Genre(s)	Turn-based tactics
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Warbits is a 2016 turn-based tactics video game developed and published by Risky Lab. It was released on April 13, 2016, for iOS. A remaster, Warbits+, was announced in 2021 for iOS, Windows and Android, with its release TBA.^[1] The game revolves around a virtual war between rival nations. While such wars have become commonplace to settle political disputes without actual violence, a glitch in the simulation soon becomes threatening to all factions.

The game received positive reception from critics for its gameplay, graphics and humor. Critics were divided on the merits of it being so similar to Advance Wars, alternatively citing it as a positive or detrimental aspect of the game, but agreed that it was executed well and would appeal to fans of the latter series.

Gameplay

Warbits has tanks and other units from the red and blue armies battling along a road bordered by mountains and a river.

Warbits pits two or more armies against each other in a stylized simulation of futuristic warfare. It is based heavily on the Advance Wars series, which have similar gameplay in a more modern military setting. The game has a single-player campaign as well as local and online multiplayer. Each player controls a large army of soldiers and vehicles, with the objective usually being to wipe out the enemy's units or capture their headquarters. Neutral cities can be captured by soldiers to generate money, which can be spent on manufacturing new units at factories.^[2]

Each type of units have their own strengths and weaknesses. For example, anti-aircraft guns are powerful against bombers. Units are affected by standing on certain terrain tiles, with areas such as forest and towns providing defensive bonuses and concealing units in the fog of war.^[2] Units largely correspond to those in Advance Wars, with infantry the most basic unit type. It comes in two versions, Light and Heavy Infantry, the former of which is inexpensive and excels at capturing buildings, while the latter is slower and more expensive and is effective against ground vehicles. The Ranger unit, a sniper squad that can either move or attack, is most effective on mountains. Scout probes, the most inexpensive form of vehicle, are able to hover and cross shallow water, as well as illuminate large areas of the map. There are two types of tank-like "Mech" armored vehicles, the Light and Heavy Mech, the latter of which is more expensive, but difficult to destroy. In addition to the APC, Artillery and Gunner flak cannon, the game contains various forms of aircraft, such as the Gunship, Fighter and Bomber.^[3]

Plot

Warbits takes place in a previously war-torn world that agreed to replace deadly combat with a simulation game, allowing political disputes to be settled 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. Before the final mission, 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.

Development

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]

Reception

Warbits was well-received by critics, gaining "universal acclaim" on Metacritic.^[6]

Nadia Oxford of Gamezebo said that the lack of recent Advance Wars games was a "mind-blowing realization", and wished there was an alternative to Fire Emblem. Saying that Warbits was essentially that game, she praised its "dry" sense of humor and low price. Noting that the game contained an "impressive array of weaponry", she called it "one heck of a strategy game" with a "deep" and "challenging" campaign, as well as multiplayer options. While criticizing the lack of a preview for enemy movement ranges, and the fact that it was difficult to remember the strengths and weaknesses of units, she nevertheless gave Warbits a nearly perfect score.^[2]

Carter Dodson of TouchArcade also rated the game highly. While arguing that the game "tries to be Advance Wars", and therefore lacked originality, he stated that there were "no objections" to this fact from players. He ultimately praised the fact that the game "has enough depth to keep you satisfied", pointing to the amount of units and "emergent complexity". Also describing its multiplayer features as "top-notch", calling its hashtag match system "clever". However, he criticized Game Center as being "decrepit" and hindering the multiplayer mode, through no fault of the game's developers. Summing up the game's campaign as a "fun diversion" with "pretty funny" writing, he still said that the game had potential to be more than an "Advance Wars clone" and was "aiming a bit low", saying that he wanted it to take more risks, but that it would appeal to players who simply wanted a similar game.^[8] Harry Slater of Pocket Gamer rated the game 90/100, praising the game for not being "dumbed down" for a mobile audience, and calling it "wonderfully balanced". He said that genre fans were "screaming for" a "a fully fledged premium strategy game" on mobile, calling its humor "slightly bonkers" and praising the addition of multiplayer.^[7]

Tomasso Pugilese of Multiplayer.it said that Warbits said that while the game was very similar to Advance Wars and therefore ultimately unoriginal, the game was "solid", with its campaign being "compelling" and multiplayer being well-executed.^[9] Campbell Bird of 148Apps praised the fact that it did not attempt to be a "carbon copy" of its inspiration, saying that instead of making "slight cosmetic changes" and then "calling it a day", the developers made the game "creative and downright charming". Noting that some of the game's systems operated differently, he said that it distinguished itself from Advance Wars enough to not feel like a "pure rip-off".^[10]

Legacy

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] The developers held an open beta for the game in September 2023.^[11]

References