In MiceGard, a village of mice must defend themselves against an invading toad army in a story that weds Watership Down with the Norse Prose Edda. You are the champion Micel, the finest warrior in a clan that has long enjoyed peace under the grace of Freyja. But when the runestone that shelters the village mysteriously loses its power, Micel must take up arms to save his people from the cruelty of the sorcerer Toadon.

MiceGard brings action with tactical elements

MiceGard is a top-down action game with some tactical elements. Micel is not alone in his quest – he leads a small force of warriors who are under his indirect control. The player can switch between three formations: An offensive wedge in which the rear flanks fire bows to harass distant targets, a defensive formation in which all the warriors gather in a circle to block attacks from all angles, and a free movement order in which all the warriors pick their own targets at will. The player will need to regularly change formations in order to adapt to the circumstances of the fight.

There are some light RPG elements in MiceGard, with Micel collecting resources used to repair the damage caused to the village. This is narrative as much as mechanical – Micel and his warriors get some bonuses from fixing buildings, but they aren’t necessary or sufficient to complete the campaign.

There’s a bit of variety in the levels. Most task the player with reaching some goal, but others call for seeking out specific items or protecting an NPC. There are even levels that mix up the genre, having the player take charge of a ballista for a defensive minigame or captain a longship for a horizontal shoot-em-up level.

Short gameplay

MiceGard’s main drawback is its length. It’s a fairly easy game that can be finished in around two hours. There are some minor choice elements, but it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to play it more than once. As such, it’s best suited for either shorter sessions or streams in which it will appear alongside other games.

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Disclosure: We received a free review copy of this product from https://game.press

Drew Johnston

ANDREW JOHNSTON is a teacher, writer and journalist based out of mainland Asia. He is a regular contributor to Superjump Magazine, where he specializes in independent video games and the gaming culture of East Asia. He has published short fiction in 30 markets and anthologies including Daily Science Fiction, Nature: Futures and the Laughing at Shadows Anthology.