Total Battle taken apart

Total Battle splits itself in two, and that is what makes it worth a look. On the map it is a familiar empire game - a city, resources, neighbours, an alliance - and when a fight starts it drops into a tactical battle where unit types and positioning decide the outcome.

That second layer gives combat substance. Sending the wrong army into the wrong formation loses the fight, which is more than most games in this shape can claim.

The map half rewards alliance play and steady growth, and the pace is quick enough to keep an evening moving.

The part it gets right

• Empire building
• Army command
• Live map

Good match

You like empire games but want battles that are more than a comparison of two numbers.

Poor match if you would rather everything stayed on the strategic map.

The first week here

Learn the tactical layer on easy fights. Players who auto-resolve everything hit a wall the first time it counts.

Join an alliance with people awake in it. A dormant one gives you nothing you could not do alone.