Critical Moves Podcast - A Strategy Gaming Podcast

WE ARE CRITICAL MOVES

A Strategy Gaming Podcast

About Critical Moves

Critical Moves is a strategy games podcast that takes RTS, 4X, and tactics seriously. Most gaming podcasts treat strategy games as an afterthought. We don’t. Every week we cover real-time strategy, turn-based tactics, 4X empire builders, indie experiments, and overlooked classics with long-form analysis and no wasted time.

This isn’t quick reviews or recycled talking points. It’s sharp criticism and honest discussion about strategy game design. If a game is shallow or broken, we’ll say so. If it does something clever, we’ll explain why it works. We talk to developers without the marketing filter, getting into the mechanics and design choices that actually shape the games.

If you want a RTS podcast, a 4X podcast, or a place for smarter conversations about tactics and strategy gaming, this is it. Critical Moves is made for players who think about systems, mechanics, and design—not just surface impressions.

New episodes every Friday.

LATEST EPISODE

Defcon Zero Devs on $4.5M Funding, Tim Campbell, and Building RTS Without Publishers (Ep.66)

Critical Moves sits down with Almog and Amir from TriArts Games to discuss Defcon Zero: Frontlines of Tomorrow, an ambitious RTS project that’s captured the attention of Westwood legend Tim Campbell and secured $4.5 million in funding, recorded on the very day the money hit their account. https://criticalmovespodcast.com/listen This episode provides an unprecedented look inside an indie RTS development studio at a pivotal moment, as TriArts Games transitions from two years of unpaid work to proper production with offices and expanded teams. The conversation explores how a psytrance DJ and gaming influencer united to create a spiritual successor to classic Westwood titles, revealing innovative mechanics like intelligent weapon priority systems, the challenges of developing through rocket attacks, and why they believe the RTS genre is experiencing genuine renaissance. Al and Timothy guide the developers through discussions of asymmetric faction design,...

Terra Invicta: The Long War From The Shadows (Ep.65)

300 Hours to Game in 2026: Empire Total War, Cities Skylines, and Dwarf Fortress (Ep.64)

Strategy Games 2026 Preview: Dawn of War 4, Total War 40K, Space Sims, and Indies (Ep.63)

Strategy Gaming in 2026: What the Media Gets Wrong. Critical Moves Year in Review (Ep.62)

Our Best Strategy Games of 2025 Are a DLC, Another DLC, and a 21-Year-Old Remaster (Ep.61)

Our strategy gaming veterans review 2025’s releases and discover that DLCs and definitive editions outperformed new titles, with picks including a 21-year-old RTS remaster, expansions for niche 4X games, and grand strategy economic overhauls—revealing a year where passion projects trumped major studio releases. https://criticalmovespodcast.com/listen This episode provides an unfiltered assessment of strategy gaming’s 2025 output, where established titles and their expansions delivered better experiences than new releases. The hosts discuss Spell Force Conquest of Eo’s sustained development despite modest sales, Victoria 3’s economy-transforming Charter of Commerce DLC, and Dawn of...

Total War: Medieval 3 and Warhammer 40K – What Creative Assembly Got Right (and Wrong) (Ep.60)

Al and Tim examine Creative Assembly’s December announcements of Medieval 3 and Total War Warhammer 40K, exploring whether the new Warcore engine justifies 16 years of waiting, why the studio’s deafening silence on player-controlled space combat suggests auto-resolve fleet battles rather than Battlefleet Gothic-style naval warfare, and whether simultaneous PC and console release will compromise the complexity that defines Total War’s identity, while questioning if Creative Assembly can regain community trust after Warhammer 3’s disastrous AI updates and whether their established DLC monetization strategy will exploit Warhammer 40K’s vast factional...

City Builders from SimCity to Skylines, Anno to Frostpunk (Ep.59)

Al, Adam, and Tim examine the city builder genre’s evolution from SimCity’s 1989 origins through City Skylines’ dominance to the controversial developer change for City Skylines 2, exploring why Paradox removed Colossal Order from development after three years of attempted fixes, whether the game’s failure stemmed from rushed release pressure or fundamental design problems, and how different city builder subgenres—from Anno’s island logistics to Banished’s survival mechanics—serve distinct player preferences between aesthetic builders and optimization enthusiasts. https://criticalmovespodcast.com/listen This episode delivers comprehensive analysis of city builder gaming’s current state through examination...

Age of Empires 2: Chronicles Developer Interview – Ben Angell (Ep.58)

Tim and Jack sit down with Ben Angel, narrative lead for Age of Empires 2 Chronicles, to explore how his team approaches story-driven campaign design within RTS constraints, discussing the balance between historical authenticity and engaging gameplay while examining why single-player campaigns remain the silent majority of RTS players. Listen Link: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/listen This episode features an in-depth conversation with Ben Angel, narrative lead and designer on Age of Empires 2 Chronicles DLCs, covering the challenges of creating character-driven narratives within RTS limitations, the design philosophy behind varying difficulty levels that...

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