Ironclad Tactics

Initially, it does not feel like a Zachtronic games, except a lot of quality gameplay: cards get upgrades when they are used in particular ways, lots of challenge rewards, outstanding art, animations sounds, and a compelling story.

There are interesting mechanics and real tactical decisions, but a significant part of the difficulty comes from the clock.

It’s easy to tell every unit apart and their abilities match the visuals.

What you might not suspect, however, is just how beautifully polished this game is, offering singleplayer as well as both co-op and competitive multiplayer in a neatly-presented package.

Particularly enjoyable are the "upgradeable" cards, where doing certain things with a card gave you a new related card (i.e. the cavalry sword is a melee weapon, and using it enough gives you the officers sword, which does higher damage but has restricted use. Enough uses of an ally-buffing trumpet will give you a flamethrower "trumpet" weapon).

With artwork, sound, and interface design, Zachtronics has clearly lavished their game with a great deal of time and attention.