It's been a long time since I've played any of the Worms games, but I can tell you this: the feuds they started still linger. The debates, tantrums, and laughter sparked by Worms Arageddon ring around my head like the Green Goblin mask calling to me. Ahead of Gamescom 2026, I knew I'd be getting hands-on Worms: Galactic Tactics, but publisher Team17 kept details beyond that to an absolute minimum. Seeing that Absolutely Games is taking it in a completely different direction in person at Opening Night Live certainly piqued my interest.
Cut to the following morning, and the halls of the Koelnmesse are in full swing. Sitting down to play for the next 30 minutes, I wasn't sure whether a turn-based game-show take on Worms would be for me. How wrong I was to consider otherwise. I'll tee it up for you before we go any further - Worms: Galactic Tactics is a bona fide riot I'm itching to play again. Absolutely Games puts us on a new battlefield: the Galactic Gauntlet.
Held to appease the egotistical Emperor Flugg, it's up to me and two worms to battle it out in isometric fights across destructive environments. My demo takes me to Roman coliseums and battlegrounds made of candy. Absolutely Games's CEO, James Brooksby, tells me that there are vast layout combinations to fight on, making each match a shifting spectacle. It can be daunting to learn a turn-based game, as many of them can make even the slickest of players feel dumb for making certain decisions.
What I like off the bat about the new Switch game is that it does away with that perspective. Variety is the spice of the Galactic Gauntlet, with options to undo choices and consider other moves in just a tap. There's no right or wrong way to play. I can see this coming across as a huge victory for younger players or families hopping on for a quick skirmish. Even if things don't exactly go to plan, the beauty of Galactic Tactics is that it can turn these blunders into positives.
For example, series staples like chain reactions return, meaning an accidental explosion could be the reason the odds tip in your favor. Making those moments happen is an arsenal of new and familiar weapons and gear. Of course, the classic Bazooka is in the mix. Setting loose exploding sheep is just as funny as it sounds. More bombastic inclusions can turn the arena into nothing more than scorched earth.
I experiment when senior game designer Daniel Chambers enables all the juicy cheat codes for me. Sacrificing my computer controller worms to land a magnificent finishing blow brings a twisted smile to my face. Landing those hits isn't always guaranteed, though. Galactic Tactics uses various skill mini-games to decide whether you're firing a critical hit.
Perhaps it was the iced coffee I drank that morning, but I'm still shocked at how many consecutive crits I began landing. The most common mini-game wants me to line up a reticle inside a tiny circle by pressing it fast enough. To quote the John Wick series: "The bodies he buried that day laid the foundation of what we are now."
I'm only scratching the surface for combat possibilities. Post-match, I can spend earned in-game currency on upgrades and healing my team. I'm not satisfied with the options available, so I choose to spend that currency on rerolls. Even though Galactic Tactics is a roguelite by nature, it doesn't feel like it - and that's a compliment. There are no cloying obstacles that make Galactic Tactics oppressive. You fight, blow shit up, and get some laughs in along the way.
Where it fits into the genre is in the replayability Galactic Tactics presents. Even through 30 minutes of hands-on gameplay, it's clear there's an abundance of gear combinations and upgrades to consider. Fights come across as unpredictable mind games, and I'm itching to play against others. I do wish that multiplayer expanded beyond a 1v1 format in both local and online settings. Given that the series has relished in bigger multiplayer options, this does strike me as an outlier.
Either way, Worms: Galactic Tactics caught me completely off guard. Its forgiving approach to turn-based combat feels welcoming without stripping away the chaos that makes Worms so much fun. There's still plenty I want to see, particularly when it comes to the limited multiplayer options, but the Galactic Gauntlet already feels like a brilliant new playground for the series.
Between the ridiculous weapons, destructive arenas, and the sheer number of ways a match can go completely off the rails, Worms: Galactic Tactics doesn't hold back on its primary goal: having fun. And honestly, that's exactly what I want from Worms.
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