Video Game Review: Wintermoor Tactics Club

Wintermoor Tactics Club

Versus Evil

Genre: Strategy

Nintendo Switch

The Switch is a great home for strategy video games. The hybrid qualities of the console is a natural fit for the genre, allowing players to pick up and play stages as needed. Wintermoore Tactics Club is another strategy game that emphasizes tactics and stands out due to how accessible it is.

Wintermoor Tactics Club takes place in an academy and features a cute little Tactics Club. Alicia is a member of the club and must lead her club to victory in a schoolwide snowball fight tournament. The characters are full of imagination, and the seemingly inconsequential snowball fights are transformed into epic fantasy battles.

Those who have played tactics games will be familiar with the gameplay loop. The characters start on a grid full of spaces. Players can only bring a trio of party members to each battle, making each battle feel like it’s full of big decisions. Every character fills a different role and they each tick boxes for various archetypes. Players can move their characters around and command them to attack enemies and use various skills. Most stages have simple objectives, the most prominent one is to wipe out the opposing team.

The combat is simple but satisfying. The various classes and skills are fun to experiment with. Wintermoor Tactics Club does a fine job at easing players into its systems. Those who have no experience with strategy games should be fine starting with Wintermoor Tactics Club. Veterans of the genre will still have a good time, as the battles do get rather challenging in the ladder half of the game. The game has a great difficulty curve, and there aren’t really any sudden spikes or dips in the difficulty.

When players aren’t battling, they can explore the academy, chat with other students, and complete side quests. These quests and extra objectives allow players to learn about their circumstances. They are also a great way to grow their character’s skills. It’s pretty easy to make powerful characters. Some players will want to adjust the difficulty, which Wintermoor Tactics Club allows players to do. There also tons of extra objectives and challenges for players to do, adding to the game’s value.

Wintermoor Tactics Club is easy to look at, with charming art and colorful environments. The battles look great, with nice fantasy-inspired visuals. The menus are simple and not obtrusive. The character designs are great, mixing school and fantasy aesthetics. The music is also nice, with catchy tunes to battle to.

The game performs well on the Switch, though it does stutter at times during the exploration phases of the game. The issues don’t ruin the experience, but they certainly cause some inconveniences. Wintermoor Tactics Club also suffers from long loading times, making it a chore to push through at times. Still, if players are able to work through these issues, they will find a charming game to enjoy.