Wartales vs Battle Brothers – Which is the better game?

It’s easy to see why people compare Wartales and Battle Brothers, as both are turn-based tactical RPGs in which you control a band of mercenaries in a gritty medieval world. But which is the better game?

Wartales vs Battle Brothers - Which is better?

If you want gritty realism, gorgeous graphics, and a story-driven strategic experience, I’d suggest going for Wartales. If you want a game with more randomness and endless replayability through randomly generated scenarios with less structure and immersion, Battle Brothers is still an excellent game despite its age.

In terms of which is better, it’s a coin flip. Both games are excellent and different enough to warrant a space in your library. Plus, they’re both mid-priced, so you can get both for the price of a AAA title. 

Wartales vs. Battle Brothers similarities

Wartales and Battle Brothers are very similar from a top-down perspective. The setting, the premise, the turn-based play, and the general feel of the game track, right down to the mystical nod to the fantasy genre without ever slipping into it. Both games have battles that tend to get longer the further you get through the game, which is a common genre trait.

Battle Brothers is an old favorite now, having released in 2017, while Watales landed in 2023. Both games have around 20,000 reviews (at the time of writing) on Steam and garner a very positive rating overall, and they have been well-supported post-launch with patches and DLC. So either way you go will be a solid choice! 

Wartales vs. Battle Brothers differences

Wartales battles feel more open, making positioning and overall party make-up (in terms of tanks, support, ranged, etc) a big key to success. Battle Brothers maps are tighter, with a stronger emphasis on the characters individually working together to make it happen. You’ll spend much more time optimizing individual characters in Battle Brothers, but losing your dudes hurts in both games! 

Related: Wartales Starting Guide – Tips & Tricks for Beginners

Battle Brothers is randomly generated, so it will be different each time you play without an overarching storyline. Wartales has set maps and a fixed storyline, which will always be the same. However, Wartales has a large amount of content, and you can play very differently in terms of party size and composition, so different plays can feel very different. However, if you like the way Battle Brothers plays, it is pretty much infinitely replayable. 

In terms of looks, Battle Brothers has a more cartoony style. Characters are represented as bobbleheads on screen, making the game look much slighter than it plays. Wartales takes the grit right into the visuals, giving each character a realistic look and including some grim and gory battle moments. 

Wartales is more of a strategic game experience, with outcomes to attacks being set rather than randomized. If you find yourself smashing your keyboard, it will be down to bad decisions rather than bad luck. Battle Brothers have a larger random element to fights, using RNG to decide hit roles more like an XCOM title.  

For more on Wartales, check out Wartales Region Levels and Order Guide and All Wartales Specializations, Explained here at Pro Game Guides!