Horse & Musket Demo

Wargames may not be part of a very popular genre, but they do require a lot of dedication, both from the developers and the players themselves. Generally, they employ turn-based mechanics and a top-down view of the battlefield, which is why they might not appear too attractive to newcomers, coupled with the fact that they are not too easy to play either.

Horse & Musket is a turn-based strategy game in which you get to be a part of some of the most famous battles from the 18th century, as well as control large armies and change the outcome of the confrontations in your favor. As the name implies, most of the action revolves around the good use of cavalry and short-range muskets, which is much more difficult than it may sound.

As far as the actual scenarios are concerned, they cover battles from all over the world, including Europe and North America. Naturally, the conditions are always different and no two confrontations are ever the same, especially since there are a lot of options you can take advantage of over the course of the battle in order to apply certain tactics.

One thing that might also turn away newcomers is the fact that the battles themselves move very slowly, even for a turn-based game. The units must be activated before they can take action, while the commanders need to give the appropriate orders every turn. Obviously, these can be changed over the course of the scenario, but the army does not always respond accordingly and some things may be lost in the process.

However, the tactical options are definitely extensive and you can make the most of your units in every situation, regardless of how bad it looks. Special abilities can be used to increase morale, which can make a huge difference when used at the right time. However, that does not mean the game is easy, since it requires a lot of practice in order to get the hang of it.

Horse & Musket can definitely put your mind to work, despite the rather clunky user interface and the lack of a proper tutorial to explain how everything works. On the other hand, the satisfaction is far greater this way, when you finally manage to win a battle.