Parents' Guide to Warhammer 40,000: Tacticus

There's no shortage of video games based on Warhammer 40,000, but surprisingly few that feel like the original source game. Warhammer 40,000: Tacticus, on the other hand, pays homage to its roots by bringing the epic tactical warfare of 40K to mobile devices in bite-sized chunks. With its hex-based maps, environmental advantages, and uniquely skilled units, Tacticus genuinely feels like a scaled down, skirmish version of the tabletop experience. While it might be scaled down, that doesn't mean the game isn't full of its own complexities. Learning about each unit's special skills, attack capabilities, and the like, all while trying to figure out how best to position and utilize them against the enemy takes a lot of strategic thinking and analysis. And in between missions, managing various resources and deciding which characters to promote over others takes a good bit of forethought and planning.

While the Warhammer 40,000: Tacticus does a great job of replicating the tabletop feel, it doesn't come without its own complications. For starters, the user interface leaves a lot to be desired. In battles, it's easy to accidentally move or attack with the wrong character because you didn't realize which unit was selected. And working your way through the various screens in the main menu between matches feels like an overly busy mess, especially when coupled with the slew of ads that pop up. Finally, players start with only one campaign and the others locked until you recruit specific characters. This is done either through constant grinding in the hopes of eventually collecting enough shards or pulling a lucky draw and unlocking those key (and in most few cases, rare) characters, or you can bypass that by spending a chunk of real life money for an instant unlock. This ultimately makes Warhammer 40,000: Tacticus best suited for 40k fans willing to sacrifice either patience or cash to the Great Rift for a good, portable 40k experience.