Advance Wars was a great series of lightweight strategy games for the Game Boy Advance. The games were attractive and easy to get started with, and yet there was some meat to them too. Best of all, you could play most of the battles in about half an hour. They were perfect for "I want to do something fun for a little while, but I don't want to spend all night on it."

There were three games in the series: Advance Wars and Advance Wars 2 on the Game Boy Advance, and Advance Wars: Dual Strike on the Nintendo DS. (There was also Advance Wars: Days of Ruin on the DS, but it was done by a different team, and it sucked.)

I replay these games every couple years, and I always enjoy them, but I haven't found much else that scratches the same itch.

Super Robot Wars was the closest thing to Advance Wars, but I don't like it as much. SRW is IMHO overcomplicated, and is basically a strategy RPG. You spend more time leveling up your units than you do playing, and grinding and leveling up is far more important than placement of units and use of terrain.

I tried one of the Fire Emblem games and didn't like it. Like SRW, it seemed like it was more about leveling up than battlefield strategy, and giving all the characters names made it unpleasant to lose them in battle.

I also played Valkyria Chronicles on the PS3, which I loved, but it tends to be a game you play for hours, rather than a quick pick-up game. VC2 on the PSP was the same way, only worse, and VC4 on the PS4 was good, but had a less enjoyable storyline.

You want Tiny Metal and it's sequel Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble.  They site the Advanced Wars games as their main influence.

Maybe also check out Into the Breach.  It's a bit more hard-core.  You'll lose a lot but each time you do you get to keep one of your upgraded units and "bring it back in time" to the start of the game.

Quote from: rgalex;1130488You want Tiny Metal and it's sequel Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble.  

Rad! I'm downloading Full Metal Rumble now!

I had heard about Tiny Metal, but I watched a video review of it and it didn't grab me. Have you played it?

I tried Great Little War Game on Android, but it wasn't that great.

There's also Warbits, but it is currently only on iOS.

This page has a list of games that are like Advance Wars:

https://www.giantbomb.com/advance-wars/3030-12719/similar-games/

I should add that I've also played Final Fantasy Tactics. I really, really don't like FFT.

Disgaea was kind of fun, but ultimately I just got lost in the grind.

I've played the first one.  It was good.  If I had to rate it I'd say above average in general and if you are a fan of the genre you should enjoy it, 6.5/10.

My brother played both and said they made some good decisions for the sequel.  Probably an 8/10 : still not perfect but really solid and good fun.

Seriously? Nobody Brought up Wargroove yet?

Fricking seriously? Its the most direct inspirational descendant of advanced wars.

Its advanced wars 'IN FANTASY LAND'

I've played "Great little Wargame" on Android and it's a lot of fun and a lot like Advance wars.

Tiny Wars, Full Metal Rumble is frikkin fun. Thanks for the suggestion!

This video has some other, different strategy game recommendations:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yi6AWwGHWw

FYI, Tiny Wars is on sale on Steam now for half price (April 2, 2021).

TINY METAL is much too easy the game is cool with potenciel but advence wars 2 proposed more functionality and more strategy.


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i wanna say Battle for Wesnoth might be up OP's alley

If you have any interest in a tabletop version of Advance Wars, might I suggest this one:  https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/40455/skirmish-wars-advance-tactics

Fan-made, yes.  Self-print, yes, though I did get with the maker to get a pre-done copy.  But still, it is Advance Wars tabletop.

A Metal Slug: Tactics game was just announced at E3. It looks kind of like Final Fantasy Tactics but in a modern day setting. That could be cool, especially if, unlike Final Fantasy Tactics, the game is actually fun.

https://www.gamesradar.com/metal-slug-tactics-is-a-turn-based-take-on-snks-classic-arcade-action/

Is it wrong that I find the isometric gameplay footage far more intriguing than the boobs-n-guns anime trailer?

(In other news, E3 happened this year, and I totally missed it.)