Autumn Dynasty Warlords review: conquerin' ain't easy

Singapore’s Touch Dimensions made a mark in the mobile strategy genre with Autumn Dynasty. Today, the company has finally released a sequel, Autumn Dynasty Warlords, that’s available on iOS for $6.99. In this age of free-to-play mobile games, is a $7 game really worth the price?

Finally free of free-to-play

It’s honestly hard to even remember the last time I reviewed a mobile game that wasn’t free-to-play, and Autumn Dynasty Warlords was therefore a very pleasant surprise. Sure, it costs $7 up front. But there’s no stupid stamina system, no annoying ads, and no obnoxious reminders to visit the shop every ten seconds.

Instead, it’s just a game! You pay for it, and then you own it and can play it whenever you want with no future interruptions or annoyances. Imagine that!

The basics of gameplay

Of course, none of that’s very meaningful if the game isn’t actually good, but luckily it is. Warlords is an RTS/turn-based stratey hybrid, and while it may not be as complex as a PC RTS like Starcraft or a turn-based strategy game like Civilization, it is pretty darn deep for a cheap mobile game.

Autumn Dynasty Warlords puts you in the shoes of a—shocker—warlord in ancient China. At the beginning of the game you control one region with a city and a military camp, and your objective is to extend your domain, through diplomacy and military might, to unite the kingdom under your rule.

There are three major aspects of Warlords‘s gameplay. The first is base management. Like in many RTS games, you’re in charge of a home city in each province you conquer, and that includes building and upgrading buildings and defenses, and keeping an eye on the local economy and other factors like bandits to keep the populace happy. Separate from your city is a military camp, where you can train soldiers and deploy them to neighboring provinces for invasions. Your gold income, soldier training, building upgrades, etc., are all measured in turns, so when you’ve spent all your gold, end your turn and you’ll have more the next time around.