Chaos Reborn

 PC
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. Quarter to Three
    Nov 5, 2015
    100
    If there’s such a thing as “too small to fail”, it applies to this wonderful gem.
  2. Games.cz
    May 18, 2016
    90
    Strategy game from the classic of the genre is not based on nostalgia, but on the flawless turn-based core around which better and better game is evolving even months after the release.
  3. Multiplayer.it
    Jan 13, 2016
    90
    Chaos Reborn is the next masterpiece signed by Gollop, one great turn strategy game to play alone or online.
  5. Riot Pixels
    Jan 25, 2016
    87
    Chaos Reborn is a very accessible strategy game. It will take you just half an hour to learn all of its secrets. Thanks to simple rules, a turn lasts just a few seconds, and the entire session usually ends in 10 minutes or less. But you will be glued to this game for hours.
  6. PC Gamer
    Nov 13, 2015
    87
    A true wizard’s wheeze, and a fine return for one of gaming’s oldest tactical classics.
  7. Everyeye.it
    Jan 27, 2016
    86
    It's a great tactical experience per se, and also a nostalgic homage to a masterpiece of old, one that will really please fans of the genre.
  8. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Mar 22, 2016
    80
    An ideal choice for strategists and those who don’t get discouraged by random factor of success and failure. Sophisticated tactical fun is hidden beneath the cover of randomness. [Issue # 261]
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  9. Hardcore Gamer
    Dec 31, 2015
    80
    With a pedigree of the original Chaos, plus chess, poker, X-Com and Hearthstone in its DNA, Chaos Reborn still feels like a refreshingly different type of strategy experience.
  10. Softpedia
    Oct 27, 2015
    80
    Those who want precision and control should stay away, but Chaos Reborn will be a good fit for players who appreciate planning but also want to be surprised during a battle.
  11. Pelit (Finland)
    Jan 4, 2016
    79
    Chaos Reborn works the best if you have played Chaos back in the 80s. The multiplayer is quite enjoyable, but as single player game Chaos Reborn gets boring fast. Dear Gollop, with a niche-game such as this, the key to lasting success is solid single player experience. [Dec 2015]
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Awards & Rankings

17
#17 Best PC Game of 2014
54
#54 Most Shared PC Game of 2014

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 69 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 49 out of 69
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 69
  3. Negative: 8 out of 69
  1. Ped
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Awesome game, played over 850 hours so far and absolutely love it. So much re-playability. All about tactics, positioning, spell selection andAwesome game, played over 850 hours so far and absolutely love it. So much re-playability. All about tactics, positioning, spell selection and smart use of mana. Best TBS game for a long time, really friendly community too.… Full Review »
  2. Sephorin
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    A turn-based battle of wizards! Slay dragons! Summon the hydra! This is Chaos Reborn.
    Updated for version 1.00.
    Summary: Fast-Paced Wizard    A turn-based battle of wizards! Slay dragons! Summon the hydra! This is Chaos Reborn.
    Updated for version 1.00.

    Summary: Fast-Paced Wizard Chess With RNG
    You start in an arena with one to three other wizards. You have one of several staffs and a plethora of spells. You can summon hordes of creatures and send them into battle while you support them with your magic. Or cast Divine Blade, hop aboard a manticore, and challenge the enemy wizards in personal combat. You can bluff by summoning creatures as illusions. Entrap hostile monsters with the gooey blob. Singe your opponent's eyebrows with a magic bolt. There is a great deal of strategy involved, but luck also plays a big role in the game, making every match unique.

    The Luck Factor
    Every spell you cast has a percent chance to succeed. Every attack you make has a percent chance to kill. There are no hit points in Chaos Reborn. An action is either wildly successful or a dismal failure. This makes for exciting swings in fortune! One moment you might be sitting on top of the world because you've cornered your opponent with a sapphire dragon, unicorn, and giant spider. Suddenly, your opponent's magic bolt kills your spider, your opponent runs the unicorn through with her sword, and your opponent's rat somehow manages to slay your dragon (an 8% chance!). Now you're on the back foot and have to do some fast thinking to salvage the situation.

    The luck factor can create some ridiculously funny situations in Chaos Reborn. My most fun and memorable games have involved wild swings in fortune. That being said, careful planning is still a very important aspect of the game. You must be constantly aware of your chances, maximize your odds, and prepare a backup plan in case lady luck doesn't go your way. Bluffing can also help control the influence of luck. (See below.)

    Bluffing!
    Although all spells have a percent chance to fail, you can choose to cast any creature as an illusion and automatically be successful 100% of the time. An illusion behaves precisely like a "real" creature: it can attack, defend, fly, and carry you around on its back if it is a mount. But perhaps an enemy wizard suspects that huge dragon you summoned last turn is an illusion. He casts Disbelieve on your dragon and it vanishes in a puff of smoke. That's the downside to using illusions. If the dragon had been real, the Disbelieve spell would have failed and your opponent would have wasted his turn! If you are a great bluffer, you can probably get away with summoning lots of illusory creatures. If you are a very perceptive person you can probably deduce which creatures your opponents have summoned as illusions and Disbelieve them!

    Graphics
    I am a big fan of the graphics in this game. The art direction is distinctive and avoids the typical visual cliches associated with well-known fantasy creatures like unicorns and dwarves. Spells and creatures identifying with the concept of Law tend to have cool colors and a rigid crystalline appearance. Spells and creatures identifying with the concept of Chaos tend to have warm colors and an "entropic" aesthetic. If you like unique art direction, you will love this. If you prefer predictable visuals that you can easily associate with character models from other games, this will probably not be your cup of tea.

    More to Come!
    There is a great deal more to be added in the coming months. There will be a social rank system with orders (guilds), demi-gods, and gods. Have you ever wanted to be a God? Well start gathering your worshipers because you will have that chance in Chaos Reborn!

    What the Game Is Not
    Some folks seem to be under the impression that this is a deck-building game similar to Magic: the Gathering. It really isn't. Chaos Reborn does not have thousands of spells to choose from, and you will probably never have full control over the "deck" of spells that you bring into duels.

    While this game is clearly a "10" for me, I also realize it is not for everybody. If you do not like turn-based games, or you dislike random number generator mechanics, this game might not be your cup of tea.    … Full Review »
  3. NoWorries
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    TL;DR: I enjoy this game immensely. This review summarizes some reasons why.

    THE THEME: At the end of the 14th century, Earth shattered    TL;DR: I enjoy this game immensely. This review summarizes some reasons why.

    THE THEME: At the end of the 14th century, Earth shattered into innumerable fragments in a magic-instigated apocalypse. Powerful magic allows fragments of Earth to endure as habitable, island realms scattered between planes of existence. From a planet called Limbo, wizards and gods engage in eternal conflict over who controls the many, surviving realms of old Earth. Each realm holds the promise of ancient artifacts, lore, and power to fuel the ambitions of wizards and gods alike. It is a feudal, dystopic society of magic users.

    THE DEVELOPER: Chaos Reborn is a rebirth and reimagining of Chaos: The Battle of Wizards (1985) and Lords of Chaos (1990) by their original creator, Julian Gollop. Mr. Gollop is more known for creating the original X-COM: UFO Defense (1994), the widely acclaimed classic which inspired XCOM: Enemy Unknown and many other games. The classic Chaos and X-COM games were rooted upon deep, tactical play. Chaos Reborn is a true successor to both legacies.

    TACTICAL GAMEPLAY: I cannot really do the basic gameplay experience justice in a short paragraph. It has too many tactical layers. But at essence, the game involves duels of up to 4 wizards. Wizards can invoke flamboyantly magical spells and summon creatures. Yet wizards themselves are fragile and must be protected. Imagine a three dimensional, multi-layered game of wizard chess with variable numbers and types of pieces which can come and go, and where each attack has a very real chance of failure. But if you lose the wizard, then you lose the game. Sometimes you will lose despite your best efforts, and sometimes you will win because you were lucky rather than good. That said, this game is tactically deep and, over time, rewards players who come to understand and appreciate all of the many, varied tactical approaches to gameplay.

    TUTORIAL: There is a tutorial labeled “Wizard Training” in the main menu. It comprises a series of gated set-piece encounters which gradually introduce you to the fundamental mechanics and tactics of the game. Having played the game for hundreds of hours before experiencing the tutorial, I still found it enjoyable. It’s not often that I can say that about a tutorial.

    ONLINE MULTIPLAYER GAME MODES: Multiplayer wizard duels can be played live or asynchronously with up to 4 players. Matches can be friendly or ranked. And matches can be played Equipped (with custom equipment) or Classic (with standard equipment). Ranked matches allow you to qualify as an "Archmage" at which point you will be given your worldwide rank computed by an ELO scoring method. League standings reset in monthly seasons. Whether friendly or ranked, matches generally go quickly. As for the asynchronous games, these are my favorites. You can have up to 20 asynchronous games going at any time. Each player has many days to complete their turns in a match, but I find matches generally go more quickly than that. After ranked matches were first introduced, I completed 35 ranked async matches in just 3 days, and this was gameplay I managed in bits of free time that I had rather in continuous sittings. (I love, love the asynchronous functionality.) Additionally, players can create custom private, friendly matches, changing the parameters of the game.

    ONLINE SINGLEPLAYER/COOP MODE: There are developer and player created Realms of Chaos which you can explore online with your wizard. These Realms vary in size and challenge and come with a rating system to help determine which are worth exploring. The essential aspect of this game mode is to explore the map to find and defeat all of the Wizard Lords (AI-controlled mini-bosses) in order to reach and defeat the Wizard King (AI-controlled boss) of the Realm. While you are doing this, the Wizard King and his Wizard Lords summon reinforcements. And if you take too long, the Wizard King can banish you from the Realm. This game mode should not be considered a full-fledged RPG. Think of each of the Realms as puzzles to be solved, and some have stories to tell.

    OFFLINE HOTSEAT AND SINGLEPLAYER GAME MODES: There are offline game modes which allow hotseat gameplay against any combination of human or AI-controlled opponents.

    GRAPHICS: The game uses the Unity game engine, which should be compatible with most computers. The custom art and animations are quite pretty. And the game really does have its own, unique graphical theme. Don’t rely on me for too much input on this, as I was playing the game when wizards and creatures were represented by crude, unanimated placeholder graphics. But if you really care about graphics, the graphics are good.

    IN SUM: As-is, the game is a gem. If you like tactical turn-based games, then spending $20 on Chaos Reborn will get you one of the more fun games in your Steam inventory. If you’ve read this far and the game still intrigues you, then you should get the game.    … Full Review »
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