Warhounds Playtest Review: A Brutal, Honest Tactics Game That Finally Respects Your Brain

There’s a special kind of pain only tactics fans understand — the kind where you line up a perfect point‑blank shot, the UI swears you have a 98% chance to hit, and then your soldier fires directly into the moon. Warhounds looked at that experience, shrugged, and said, “Yeah, we’re not doing that.” And honestly, after playing the Warhounds playtest, I’m convinced this team of 20 developers might be the first group in years to actually understand what makes turn‑based tactics satisfying.

Warhounds is a grounded, lethal, mercenary‑driven tactics game that strips away the genre’s usual nonsense and replaces it with something refreshingly brutal: real ballistics, zero RNG, and consequences that hit harder than a sniper round to the ribs. It’s the kind of game that doesn’t apologize for being demanding — and that’s exactly why it works.

A Tactical Game That Doesn’t Lie to You

The first thing you notice in Warhounds is the honesty. Every bullet is simulated individually. No dice rolls. No hidden percentages. No “oops, you missed because the spreadsheet said so.” If your merc has a clean line of fire, the shot lands. If they don’t, that’s on you — not the game.

It’s shocking how liberating that feels. Suddenly, positioning matters again. Cover matters. Angles matter. You stop playing against the UI and start playing against the enemy. Warhounds doesn’t babysit you, but it also doesn’t gaslight you with fake odds. It’s a fair fight — and a lethal one.

Cone‑based overwatch is another standout. Instead of covering abstract tiles, you control real zones. It feels intuitive, tactical, and — dare I say — actually fun. It’s the first time in years I’ve used overwatch without bracing for disappointment.

Warhounds Nails the Mercenary Fantasy

Warhounds leans hard into the PMC fantasy, and it works. You command an elite squad operating in an alternative‑future Africa, and the game captures that gritty, boots‑on‑the‑ground energy perfectly. Missions feel like self‑contained tactical thrillers — tight, focused, and high‑stakes.

Your squad isn’t just a collection of stat blocks. They’re fully voiced mercs with personality, attitude, and bios that make them feel like actual people instead of walking spreadsheets. You’ll recruit veterans, customize operators, and slowly build a team that feels like your own.

Classes include:

• Assault
• Specialist
• Sniper
• Machine Gunner
• Grenadier

Each one plays differently, and the game encourages synergy instead of stat‑grinding. Warhounds wants you to think, not min‑max.

A Campaign That Moves With Purpose

Between missions, you return to your mobile base — a ship‑based headquarters that acts as your lifeline. You’ll manage diplomacy, budgets, upgrades, medical care, logistics, and downtime. It’s strategy without the busywork, and it keeps the pacing tight.

Your decisions matter. Faction relationships shift. Mission availability changes. Gear access evolves. Warhounds doesn’t just give you choices — it makes you live with them.

And yes, the old‑school action‑movie vibe is absolutely intentional. The game feels like a tactical love letter to the era of gritty mercenary films, but with modern clarity and design.

Tools, Toys, and Tactical Toys

Warhounds gives you plenty of toys to play with:

• Drones
• Combat scanners
• Smoke
• Optical camo
• Exoskeleton armor
• Gear upgrades
• Tactical gadgets

These aren’t gimmicks. They’re tools that genuinely change how you approach encounters. You can go loud, go stealthy, or go full “I’m not leaving until the entire map is ash.”

And if you only have 30 minutes? Perfect. Missions run 25–40 minutes, making Warhounds ideal for both quick sessions and long tactical marathons.

The Playtest Numbers Don’t Lie

The Warhounds playtest wasn’t just well‑received — it was a mic‑drop moment:

• 94% positive rating
• 8.6/10 average score
• 95% want to keep playing

Players called Warhounds “one of the most honest and challenging tactical experiences in years,” and after playing it myself, I get it. This is a tactics game built by people who actually love tactics games — not people trying to reinvent the wheel with gimmicks.

Warhounds Is the Tactics Game Fans Have Been Waiting For

Warhounds is coming in Spring 2026 to PC and consoles, and if the playtest is any indication, this is going to be one of the most important tactics releases in years. It’s grounded, lethal, readable, and refreshingly honest — a game that respects your time, your decisions, and your intelligence.

If you’re tired of tactics games that blame the dice instead of your strategy, Warhounds is absolutely worth watching.