Before playing Squad Busters, I was sure it wouldn’t be for me. I love a good mobile game, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve somehow gone my entire life without playing a Supercell title. So given that Squad Busters brings together fan-favorite characters from Clash of Clans, Brawl Stars, Boom Beach, and Hay Day, I wasn’t sure I was the target audience. Let’s just say I was sorely mistaken.
Squad Busters is a new squad-building action game that combines iconic Supercell IPs with fast-paced loot-raiding gameplay. The core gameplay loop is deceptively simple – you pick a starting character, defeat NPC enemies to earn gold, use that gold to unlock more squad members, and defeat more enemies. The aim of the game is to collect as many gems from NPCs, mines, and your opponents as possible in three minutes as the arena shrinks around you.
This core loop is the center of every match, but the gameplay never feels repetitive as the arena and conditions of each game change each time. Ramp up the pressure with your massive squad in Double Trouble, avoid the goblins trying to make off with your gold in Loot Goblin Rush, and fight your opponents for chests in Angry Vines’ shrinking arena.
Considering Squad Busters’ two core controls are ‘move’ and ‘stop’, battles can get surprisingly complex. I found myself caught between wanting to try as many new characters in my squad as possible and needing to develop a solid team composition to survive until the end. Personally, I think Hay Day’s Greg is the true MVP of the starter squad as he lets you cut down trees for loot – perfect for collecting resources when you’re non-confrontational like me.
The overall look and feel of the game is extremely polished, colorful, and smooth, in line with what we’ve come to expect from Supercell. All of the characters look and feel unique, and their designs translate well into Squad Busters’ chibi art style. If you’re a fan of cosmetics, you’ll get even more of a kick out of the character designs, as even in the beta there’s already a brilliant selection of skins for your squad members.
Overall, I think Squad Busters has a bright future ahead of it. If someone as unfamiliar with Clash of Clans and Supercell’s other IPs as me could find themselves playing for several hours without even realizing it, it’s going to be a massive hit with existing fans of these franchises.
If you’re one of those Supercell superfans, check out our article on the Razer Gold Supercell collaboration. We’ve also got guides to Clash of Clans bases, Brawl Stars events, and Clash Royale decks.