Vanguards

Vanguards

BYU Animation - Class of 2016 · October 28, 2016 · Free to Play, Strategy, MOBA, Action, Multiplayer

Vanguards is free to play — no purchase needed. We track it so you know if that ever changes.

PC
Mostly Positive71% · 101
This game is free to play. Get it on Steam →

Screenshots

Vanguards price

Vanguards is free to play — there is no purchase price, on Steam or anywhere else we track. We keep watching it, so if it ever stops being free the price history on this page will show when that happened and what it changed to.

About Vanguards

In this fast-paced 3 vs. 3 MOBA-styled battle, hero knights use elemental powers to gain control over a ghost that can be placed on enemy bases to lower these bases' shields and drain them of their energy.

To win, the player must destroy both enemy bases before their own are destroyed.

MOBAs generally take around a half hour or more. Vanguards introduces a fun, 8-12 minute MOBA experience, great for a quick after-dinner game with family or friends before rushing on with life.

The novelty of this MOBA comes from the draining mechanic of the ghost, because it guarantees short gameplay. Once placed on a base, it is always draining the base it was most recently placed on, even when removed.

The game focuses on map objectives and team fights more than difficult to learn mechanics or complex item systems.

Created by college students as part of the BYU Animation program.

Play with friends or play against our Bots!

ADDITIONAL DETAILS
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- While on a base, the ghost drains energy out of the base and leaves it vulnerable to additional attack by the opposing team.
- If a base is under attack by the enemy, defending players must stand in the base area to remove the ghost. The shield goes back up immediately when the ghost is released and the base can no longer be directly attacked. The defending team, however, must place the ghost on an enemy base before the ghost will stop draining power from their own base.

Vanguards — game info

Platforms
Windows
Player modes
Single-player, Online PvP, Online co-op
PC Game Pass
Not included

What Steam players say

Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.

Recommended Jul 20, 2024
⠀
8 found this helpful
Recommended Feb 25, 2024
[b]Vanguards Review[/b] If I had to sum it up, Vanguards is a simple and straightforward three-player MOBA with no frills but enough charm to be enjoyable for short gaming sessions. It doesn’t try to compete with big names like League of Legends or Dota 2, but that’s not the point here. It’s a lightweight experience that focuses on small-scale, cooperative battles with tight gameplay mechanics. [b]Gameplay[/b] The premise is simple: you and two other players team up to control three distinct characters, each with their own abilities and roles. The core loop revolves around working as a team to defeat enemies, secure objectives, and ultimately dominate the match. The controls are easy to pick up, even if you’re not a MOBA veteran. The game strips away a lot of the complexity you’d find in larger MOBAs—no sprawling item trees, no hour-long matches. It’s more about quick, tactical teamwork and skill usage. If you mess up, you’re back in the action quickly, which keeps it fun and low-stress. [b]Characters[/b] The roster isn’t massive, but each character feels distinct, with enough variety in playstyles to keep things interesting. You’ve got your standard archetypes like tanks, da…
2 found this helpful
Recommended Jan 6, 2026
Free 3v3 moba game with offline mode.
Recommended Oct 28, 2025
"Vanguards" — стратегическая игра с глубокой тактикой и реалистичной физикой. Управление отрядами требует внимания к деталям: строительство баз, расстановка войск и использование окружения. Графика качественная, а сценарии динамичные, но сложность может отпугнуть новичков. Минус — медленная загрузка и редкие баги. Для любителей тактических решений — отличный выбор, но требует времени на освоение.
Recommended Jul 25, 2025
[h1] …
Recommended Aug 8, 2023
A very impressive student project which has managed to reduce the MOBA concept into this simple, straightforward form. Games are very quick - Heroes could use some balancing.

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