WE ARE CRITICAL MOVES

A Strategy Gaming Podcast

Menace Early Access: We Played the Demo But Know Nothing About the Game (Ep.67)

Al, Jack, and Adam tackle Menace – Hooded Horse’s most anticipated turn-based tactics game from the Battle Brothers team – recorded just 10 days before early access launch, revealing frustrations with overwhelming complexity, questionable demo design, and an unprecedented information blackout that raises uncomfortable questions about whether beloved indie publishers deserve the same scrutiny as AAA studios. https://criticalmovespodcast.com/listen This episode provides an honest assessment of Menace’s strengths and significant concerns, with hosts who genuinely enjoyed the tactical combat nevertheless questioning...
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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...
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Terra Invicta: The Long War From The Shadows (Ep.65)

Our strategy gaming veterans tackle Terra Invicta’s freshly released 1.0 version, with host Al acting as audience proxy while Joseph and Timothy explain whether this notoriously complex grand strategy game lives up to its ambitious premise of managing Earth’s response to alien invasion across geopolitical manipulation, orbital construction, and solar system exploration. https://criticalmovespodcast.com/listen This episode provides an honest assessment of Terra Invicta’s steep learning curve, examining whether the game’s complexity delivers worthwhile strategic depth or merely creates barriers to entry....
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300 Hours to Game in 2026: Empire Total War, Cities Skylines, and Dwarf Fortress (Ep.64)

Strategy gamers aged 30-60 with full-time jobs and families average five hours weekly for gaming—roughly 300 hours annually. The Critical Moves team examines which strategy titles respect that constraint while delivering substantive experiences, covering everything from Total War’s naval combat to Dwarf Fortress’s emergent narratives. https://criticalmovespodcast.com/listen This episode confronts the practical reality facing most strategy gamers: severely limited time. Research shows players in their 30s through 60s with jobs and families manage approximately five hours weekly for gaming, totalling just...
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