Forget everything you know about traditional kingdom builders where chopping down trees is step one. In the upcoming strategy title Oaks vs Orcs, the forest isn’t a resource to harvest—it’s your army.
Indie developer Chaos Theory Games has officially revealed Oaks vs Orcs, a rogue-lite strategy auto-battler coming soon to PC via Steam. Blending tactical tile placement with automated, wave-based combat, the game challenges players to build, mutate, and adapt a living forest ecosystem to crush invading orc hordes.
Interested commanders can jump into the battle early, as Steam playtest sign-ups and wishlist pages are live right now.
Bending Rivers and Awakening Groves
In Oaks vs Orcs, your core objective is simple: defend the Great Tree at all costs. However, how you achieve that goal is where the game’s strategic depth shines through.
Players expand their territory across a tactical grid, positioning defensive structures, deploying nature-infused combat units, and carving out a winding river system. The river acts as the lifeblood of your war machine, carrying game-changing bonuses downstream and dictating which surrounding groves awaken to join the fight.
As Nico King, Creative Director at Chaos Theory Games, explains:
“In most kingdom builders, the forest is the first thing you clear. In Oaks vs Orcs, the forest is the kingdom. You bend the river and turn a tiny ecosystem into a living war machine. We love that contradiction: the more beautiful your kingdom becomes, the more dangerous it gets.”
Over 100 Cards, Changing Seasons, and Broken Synergies
Strategy gets granular between waves. With over 100 unique cards featuring structures, troops, and wild mutations, players can shape unpredictable builds—from overwhelming swarm tactics to powerhouse defensive chokepoints.
To keep commanders on their toes, dynamic seasonal changes constantly reshape the terrain. Shifts in weather transform tile values and force players to evolve their strategies on the fly across 20 escalating waves, culminating in high-stakes boss battles.
Key Features Include:
- Autobattler Mechanics: Design your tactical layout, deploy your forces, and watch your living forest automatically battle incoming axes and armour.
- Deep Rogue-lite Progression: Experiment with wild card combinations and mutations to discover game-breaking strategies on every run.
- Dynamic River Mechanics: Shape the water’s path to route powerful buff chains and activate specialised grove tiles.
- Evolving Environments: Adapt to changing seasonal effects that alter tile values and battlefield tactics.
- Multiple Game Modes: Dive into multi-stage campaigns or test your endurance in Endless Mode featuring global leaderboards.
- Twitch Integration: Streamers can connect with their community directly, allowing viewers to interact with gameplay mechanics live.
How to Join the Playtest
Whether you’re a fan of deckbuilders like Slay the Spire, tactical autobattlers like Teamfight Tactics, or innovative indie strategy titles, Oaks vs Orcs is shaping up to be a fresh, leafy entry in the genre.
Oaks vs Orcs is currently listed as “Coming Soon” on Steam. You can head over to the official [Oaks vs Orcs Steam Page] today to add it to your wishlist and sign up for the upcoming public playtest to get early hands-on access.
Find out more here
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