War Master — Play Free Online

War Master is a small real-time strategy game about building an army and marching it across the map to take an enemy base. Despite the action label in the catalogue, you spend more time deciding what to train and when to push than aiming at anything. Cartoon soldiers clash in short battles, and the goal in each one is to beat the defenders and capture their flag.

It was made by EasyCats, the studio behind Archer Castle, Battle Wheels and Merge Arena, and it runs in the browser with nothing to install. If you came to Doodle Jump for quick, low-commitment sessions, this fits the same habit: a battle is a few minutes of planning, building and fighting, and then you decide whether to go again.

How to play

Move around the battlefield with the arrow keys or WASD, or click and drag with the mouse. On a phone or tablet you drag with a finger. The mouse also handles selecting and choosing things on screen.

The loop is about economy and rank. You build barracks and train troops, and defeated enemies drop medals. Silver coins unlock more types of soldier, while gold medals are spent on ranking up. Higher ranks open stronger units, and the game's own description lists tanks, attack helicopters and even nuclear bombs among them. Each fight ends when you take the enemy flag.

Tips

• Spend your early coins on unlocking more soldier types rather than hoarding them. A wider roster gives you more options once the enemy fields something different.
• Pick up the medals that defeated enemies leave behind. They are what pays for rank-ups, and rank is what unlocks the heavy weapons.
• Keep moving your commander around the field with the movement keys so you can see where the fighting is and where the flag sits.
• Do not rush the flag with a thin force. Build up first, then push together.

Similar games on Doodle Jump

Most of this site is one-button arcade play, so War Master is a change of pace. Bloons Tower Defense 2 is the closest relative here: it is also about planning and spending money, though you defend a path rather than march on a base. Day D Tower Rush is another game where building and timing matter more than reflexes. For something faster, Helix Jump and Bouncy Basketball are quick reflex games.

It suits players who like to think a little between actions, on keyboard or touch. Sessions are short, so it works well for a break.