Don’t Kill Them All Is a Mindful Orc Strategy Game Where Rage Is the Real Enemy
Orcs are not exactly known for their restraint. In most fantasy worlds, they storm in, smash everything in sight, and call it a day. Don’t Kill Them All dares to ask a different question. What if the real challenge was convincing them not to?
This turn based strategy game with base building elements puts you in charge of the most feared creatures in the land during an economic crisis. Newly promoted to Warchief, you answer directly to a glory hungry Warlord. Your mission is clear. Lead raids, gather resources, and rebuild the camp. Just try not to let your entire squad spiral into a rage fueled disaster along the way.
Rage Is a Resource and a Risk
In Don’t Kill Them All, Orcs do not simply fall in battle. They rage.
Getting punched in the face, burning through too many actions in one turn, or even suffering resource losses all feed into an Orc’s anger. Push them too far and they might shout the dreaded words. If every Orc in the same battle loses control and yells “Kill Them All,” the raid fails and your hard earned loot is gone.
It is a clever twist on the usual power fantasy. Instead of rewarding reckless aggression, the game constantly nudges you toward precision and restraint. Extraction can be the smartest play. Sometimes walking away with a full pack of resources is more glorious than clearing the map.
Tactical Combat With Consequences
Raids take place in semi procedurally generated environments. You explore freely until combat begins, then shift into a grid based tactical system where positioning is everything.
Most abilities have visible areas of effect. Swing too wide and you might destroy the very resources you came to collect. Enemies have no such concerns. They will happily smash through valuable materials if it means hurting your squad.
Managing threats while safeguarding resources becomes a balancing act. A mindful Orc can even shield a chosen resource, protecting it from damage. At the same time, Orcs are notoriously stubborn. The more you use them in combat, the higher their Stubbornness climbs, increasing the energy cost of future actions. You are not just planning attacks. You are managing tempers.
Building a Camp Worth Fighting For
Back at camp, the game slows down and lets you breathe. You construct Stations, craft weapons and armor, and decorate your home to enhance your Orcs’ abilities in and out of raids.
Stations are more than passive buffs. They interact directly with your Orcs’ Passions and personalities. An Orc who loves baking can boost motivation with pastries. A gardening enthusiast might learn to protect resources with twisting vines during combat. Even tending a theater can lift spirits and prepare your crew for the next brutal encounter.
Decorating is optional, but fully supported. If you want to spend an entire session making the camp feel like home, the systems are there to support that quieter side of Orc life.
Emotional Growth on the Battlefield
What truly sets Don’t Kill Them All apart is its focus on emotional intelligence. Orcs have Motivation, Stubbornness, Traits, Bonds, and Moods that constantly shift depending on events.
A happy Orc might gain extra movement, skipping across the battlefield. A sad one could lose motivation every turn. Traits are discovered through play, revealing hidden fears or preferences. Bonds form between clanmates who fight well together, unlocking teamwork advantages.
Passions function as skill trees, letting you shape each Orc’s role. Progression is linear, encouraging careful choices about how you build your ideal raiding party. Every decision shapes not only combat efficiency, but also the emotional texture of your clan.
Style, Sound, and Identity
The game’s hand drawn art style leans into gritty charm, giving each Orc personality beneath their rough exterior. Outfits are not just cosmetic. Armor protects against melee damage, while comfier clothes can help defend against psychological blows and keep motivation high.
The soundtrack is written and recorded in house by Philippe Grant, whose influences range from jazz to J pop and classic console era inspirations. The goal is to give these brutal yet surprisingly complex warriors a musical identity all their own.
Localization is also a priority. The team aims to match the ten language support of their previous project and add Brazilian Portuguese to the lineup.
A New Kind of Orc Fantasy
Don’t Kill Them All blends turn based tactics, base building, and character driven systems into something refreshingly different. You still raid forests for spiderwebs and clash with Ogres, Trolls, and Goblins. You still answer to a Warlord who demands glory.
But between the rage meters, the mood swings, and the surprisingly wholesome camp activities, this is a strategy game about growth as much as conquest.
It turns out that leading Orcs is not about telling them to smash everything. It is about teaching them when not to.
