March marching for a new horizon

When millions of games exist on the market, one might ask themselves why March March! is worth the playthrough. Beautiful art? Casual Mechanics? Great Replayability? Not only does March March! have all of those, but it also carries an amazing learning curve that will challenge even the seasoned gaming veterans. On the surface, the game reflects a simple auto chess game with random elements reflected in the roster and in every playthrough. The game takes the players through the actions of creating a small *deck* which they will then take into battle, eventually taking on the great Necromancer. March March! is honestly a treat, with its heartwarming graphics and technical gameplay; let’s march right into a detailed look…

Classes!?

One quick note before continuing: this game is in development and has limited content.

Upon starting a new playthrough, two choices will be presented, first the mighty paladin Marthas or the wisest archmage Fulguris. These characters will define your troops (units added to your deck), abilities, and special moves. Troops are simple, but the abilities seem to be very important in covering your character’s weaknesses. For Fulguris, you get the ability to summon an earth elemental that will cover a lane or switch places with another unit. This is useful in manipulating the position of units (ones previously impossible to move) while giving more time for the right units to spawn. You also get a random spell with the mage where some buff units, while others damage enemy units. These add a level of randomness to the archmage class. making it feel like it is for more experienced players.

The Paladin gets the ability to make a unit invincible for one round and a passive that increases morale upon flawless victories. Already there is a fair amount of difference, as the paladin offers a more straight-up control approach – with minion buffs and tricks to move units for bigger tanks. The mage provides more utility play, as the spells you use can be buffed and used anytime (as long as you have the mana needed), but this requires a level thinker as you can run out of mana.

These are just two of the planned classes. There are 3 slots and likely more to be delivered down the road. I can’t wait to see the variety in gameplay they will bring!

March marching into combat

Combat is simple in the beginning, auto chess is not a blood-rushing game mode and many are familiar with its comfortable complexity. This game, however, adds additional layers (lots of room for strategy!) to this already developed format in more than one way. Since the board during combat is organized in a chess-like fashion the units placed by the players (and the starting ones) can only see what is direct to their right (left for the enemy) and what their personal unit’s vision is. There is also a defining line in the center of the board to distinguish your area of control and how you score points.

The main game is the Tetris-like gameplay, where every round a random assortment of cards from the player’s deck is assigned. This random assortment can be sorted in limited ways, such as shifting the units to the left or right. When there are no opposing units in a lane, they will attack the enemy ruler, which in turn can lower the enemy morale (or your own). When morale (essentially your health bar) reaches zero, the match is over.

*(an example of a map or stage as of the current playable build)*

Breaks!?

In between each level, there is a recovery tile, a space where there is no combat, and a chance to strengthen your deck/abilities. These small recovery tiles make each playthrough unique, and they can add plenty of new tools to make dominating in battle so much easier. I feel the need to address this part of the game because it can really make or break your run as every choice is crucial. I was definitely guilty of plenty of bad decisions in the beginning as I felt the need to address the wrong parts of my decks. Common choices include upgrading units already present in your deck or adding new powerful units. Some of the more exotic options present are new spells or borrowing the power of ancient golems; these generally are great, but I have found upgrading your present deck to be more useful.

Final Words

I honestly love this game and completely look forward to its release. I don’t think a “10/10” or any grading scale is fair for this game since it’s got a lot in development. Not being the best describer of the artistic world, I can only hope to get across how truly beautiful this game looks. Calling this game a moving painting feels fair, and for an indie title, that helps add an edge to this amazing demo. This game has my support, and I hope to encourage every gamer to check it out on Steam where you can wishlist and try the demo for yourself! If you want to get in touch or have other ways to support Lepka Games and March March! – hop in their discord and begin to help these guys March March! to a new level of excitement.