High Strategy: Oradros

High Strategy: Oradros is a turn-based strategy game built around a steady stream of consequential decisions. You guide one of 40 playable realms across a shared map, managing its expansion, cities, armies, economy and relationships with other realms. Campaigns last hundreds of turns, and each realm has different starting conditions and a unique set of cities it seeks to capture.

Realms and decisions

You are not racing against the AI-controlled realms, whose reasoning is itemized in a way you can interact with. All realms follow the same rules, with no AI bonuses. There are no arbitrary limits on expansion, but even the largest realm can take only one action per turn. A realm's capital cannot be moved, and losing it destroys the realm immediately.

Random events can disrupt your plans. Most projects that enhance your cities are temporary and mutually exclusive, so you must choose which improvements to pursue and when.

Cities and armies

Terrain around a city affects its economy, the random events that can occur there and how different armies fight over it. Battles consume soldiers for both attackers and defenders, while systems for efficiency and surprise breakthroughs can affect the outcome. Spying can replace or supplement battle, and its chance of success depends on the happiness of local residents.

The military units available to you depend on the cultures living in your realm, which have different customary fighting styles. Most unit types gain experience through use and unlock upgrades. Units with more potential upgrades start weaker but become stronger later. There is no single best army composition, and you can change yours easily, though doing so leaves you temporarily vulnerable.

Economy and population

Trade brings in money, but the realm you trade with earns just as much. You can raise an army quickly through conscription, at the cost of population.