Guards II: Chaos in Hell

Simple mechanic, but surprisingly tactical and definitely not easy (on hard). Hero selection, hero upgrades, general upgrades and item selection all provide a lot of decision making room, and that's even before the battle. My only gripe is that the last level has a significant difficulty spike compared to the rest of the game on the same difficulty. Still, the last battle was pretty cool and the entire game satisfyingly. However, there is a sort of New game+ mode that introduces new enemies, so there is quite a bit of content even after the game ends.

Guards II: Chaos in Hell is a tactical strategy game that manages to create impressive depth from a very simple foundation. Developed by Battlecruiser Games and published by HeroCraft PC, the game sends players into the depths of Hell to battle demonic forces using a compact squad of heroes and a combat system built entirely around positioning and timing. At first glance, the mechanics appear almost too minimalistic, but after only a few battles it becomes clear that the simplicity is intentional. Every movement, attack, and formation change carries weight, turning each encounter into a strategic puzzle where smart planning matters far more than brute force. The story serves primarily as a setup for the tactical gameplay, but it fits the dark fantasy atmosphere well enough. A magician enters into a dangerous pact in order to stop the Devil from uniting Hell’s kingdoms and launching an invasion against humanity. Players lead a team of warriors, mages, and strange supernatural fighters through multiple infernal regions inspired by mythology and folklore. While the narrative itself is fairly straightforward, the setting gives the game enough personality to remain engaging throughout …

Very old-school feel. Simple to start and very addictive but get far more complex within a few hours and with that even more fun :)

I was very surprised by how unique and engaging the strategy was. There's a of ways to customize your gameplay.

I enjoyed this game for a few hours and would recommend it to someone who wants a casual, retro-inspired puzzle game. At the same time, the mechanic of rotating the heroes got stale after awhile, and it just didn't hold my attention for very long. If I reflect on why it got stale, it was generally because there was no way to "get ahead" with planning or tactics. This was really more of a puzzle game where you had to get the right combination of heroes to pass through the levels and challenges. Additionally, you often couldn't survive the levels unless you complete the challenges and unlock level ups. It became a combination of grind to get unlocks plus trial and error to find the hero combination that works. I don't like grindy games, and I don't like puzzle games, so it just didn't draw me in. Again, nothing wrong with the game. Design is good, art is good, music and F/X are good. I was just hoping for more tactics and less grind plus puzzle. If you enjoy those, then you will be happy with the game.

First boss is vastly too difficult. Game is worthless at this point to me, 35 minutes in and I am done. Very peeved about this purchase.