Tactical Breach Wizards, a turn-based strategy game about spec-ops casters with a habit of throwing people out of windows, has a free demo after years in the cauldron

GamesStrategyTactical Breach Wizards, a turn-based strategy game about spec-ops casters with a habit of throwing people out of windows, has a free demo after years in the cauldronWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Suspicious Developments Inc)

Two world-weary tactical mages stand outside of a police department they just tore through.

It might just be my history with City of Heroes—an MMO which had witches and wizards aplenty in its modern comic-book styled setting—or my love of Dimension 20’s Fantasy High, but I’m a huge fan of modern magic settings. Give me a witch in a leather jacket and I’m basically there.

Tactical Breach Wizards, whichwe previewed back in May 2021, has been in the oven for a while—and, at long last, has aplayable demo on Steam.

Tactical Breach Wizards is shaping up to be an excellent time if you’re a fan of turn-based strategy games like XCOM (or, more recently,Capes)—although, in terms of moment-to-moment gameplay, the game plays out a little more likeChimera Squad, focusing on a squad of defined characters doing battle in tight spaces, though it already feels more well-realised than that game did.

Each level includes a series of rapid-fire breaches requiring cunning deployment of guns and spells to deal with foes like the druid mafia, cops (you’re a loose cannon PI, naturally), and whoever’s unlucky enough to get on the business end of your hexes. Positioning is key—requiring you to knock enemies out of windows, into walls, or into each other.

(Image credit: Suspicious Developments Inc)

Combat rages on in Tactical Breach Wizards, with several cops already dispatched.

Tactical Breach Wizards doesn’t lock player power behind difficult side-objectives, which was one of my biggest bugbears with Capes. Instead, it lockscosmeticsbehind those things, which I think is a far cooler way to handle things. If I feel obligated to do a bunch of super-difficult extra objectives just to unlock better abilities, I’m gonna feel annoyed. I will, however, walk across hell and back for a fancy coat. You can still upgrade your soldiers with perks, naturally.

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(Image credit: Suspicious Developments Inc)

A snazzy coat, available with enough confidence, in Tactical Breach Wizards.

Each turn, your operatives can move once and take one action. There are things that let you swing the action economy your way—for example, failed private eye and witch Jen has a wind grenade she can huck at someone for free, while ex-military seer Zan can spend mana to grant extra actions to his mates. Mana is a resource that can be gathered through completing optional side-objectives like snagging intel and sealing doors. It all dovetails very nicely—though it can be a little difficult to tell where ranged enemies are going to move, rendering multi-turn strategies hard to execute.

The real unexpected surprise, however, is Tactical Breach WIzards' story. The game’s cleverly written, already setting up a mystery involving a “god-tier operative”, their kidnapping, and their subsequent involvement with a paramilitary organisation.

(Image credit: Suspicious Developments Inc)

A discussion in Tactical Breach Wizards between a spec-ops witch and a camo seer.

(Image credit: Suspicious Developments Inc)

Two operatives in Tactical Breach Wizards stand outside, with several cops floating in slow fall bubbles.

Disclosure: Tactical Breach Wizards' developer Tom Francis was an editor at PC Gamer for 10 years, leaving in 2013 after the release of his first game, Gunpoint. We assign writers and editors who do not have personal relationships with Tom to any coverage of his games.

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