A Strategy Gaming Podcast

About Critical Moves

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,...
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...
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...
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...
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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Critical Moves Podcast Trailer

AL

CRITICAL MOVES FOUNDER

NUNO

CRITICAL MOVES FOUNDER

JOSEPH

CRITICAL MOVES HOST

TIMOTHY

CRITICAL MOVES HOST

ADAM

CRITICAL MOVES HOST

JACK

CRITICAL MOVES HOST / ASSISTANT EDITOR