War of the Human Tanks

The strategy and visual novel game War of the Human Tanks is currently free, for Windows — 100% free to keep — in a limited-time Indiegala’s giveaway! Grab it while you can, as War of the Human Tanks normally sells for US$9.99!

War of the Human Tanks is an indie real-time strategy game where you command “human tanks” — chibi-style anime characters — in a world loosely inspired by modern-day Japan. It was developed by Yakiniku Banzai and released on September 14, 2012.

In addition to its tactical combat, which has a board-game feel reminiscent of Chess and Battleship, the game features strong visual novel elements, with lots of story and dialogue between battles, cute and stylized cutscenes, and a lighthearted, somewhat silly narrative that leans heavily into Japanese pop culture.

Published by Fruitbat Factory and available for Windows, War of the Human Tanks received a 70% rating from HonestGamers. As of this post, it holds hundreds of very positive reviews on Steam.

You can get the game here! There’s also a free demo version here!

Trailer

Gameplay

War of the Human Tanks is a real-time strategy game with 2D graphics and a strong narrative emphasis, presenting long segments in the visual novel style interspersed with tactical battles. The player takes on the role of a commander of the Empire of Japon and leads units known as Human Tanks—anthropomorphic tanks that resemble anime-style girls. The story unfolds in episodes, each alternating between dialogue scenes and strategic confrontations.

Battles take place on grid-based maps, where units move and act in near real-time, with brief pauses during command execution, each unit possessing an individual action gauge that determines when it is ready to act. The basic available actions include movement, attack, and reconnaissance, with field visibility being limited and heavily dependent on the intelligent use of recon units.

The core mechanic of the game revolves around the connection between units and the Command Tank, which functions as the command center—only units connected to the commander can receive orders. Losing this unit results in immediate defeat, which makes its positioning and protection critical throughout the mission. Most units are destroyed in a single hit, making anticipation of enemy movement and the use of obscured terrain key elements for success. At times, players can launch attacks on empty map tiles in search of hidden enemies, a feature that brings the mechanics closer to those of a game like Battleship.

Tanks are divided into different categories, such as recon units, long-range artillery, assault tanks, and even kamikaze-style shock units. Each type comes with its own characteristics, such as range, speed, and cooldown time, and new units can be developed between missions using resources acquired in combat. Units can also be customized with modules that modify their attributes and provide tactical advantages.

Beyond the main campaign, the game offers a Free Battle mode, where players can replay previous encounters for training purposes or to gather additional supplies. After finishing a run, a New Game+ system becomes available, allowing the campaign to be restarted while keeping previously acquired units and resources, making it possible to explore different story branches and unlock multiple endings.

Visually, the game embraces an aesthetic heavily inspired by Japanese culture, with chibi-style characters, thematic soundtrack, and static cutscenes that resemble an episodic anime presentation. The interface may feel dense at first, but it offers precise control over tactical actions, enabling a variety of strategies as the player becomes familiar with the game\’s systems.

About the game

War of the Human Tanks is a story driven strategy game with a gameplay reminiscent of Battleship and Chess, featuring a story of war, loyalty, sacrifice and human shaped tanks.

This story takes place in a land vaguely reminiscent of modern-day Japan. In the twenty years since the first Human Tank was developed, the war raging between the Empire of Japon and the Kingdom of Japon has turned into a proxy war fought between Human Tanks on both sides.

The Empire of Japon once ruled the entire land of Japon. Now diminished and cornered, the Empire prepares to make its last stand as the tanks of the Kingdom of Japon draw close to its capital. Shoutaro Daihon’ei, Lieutenant of the Imperial Army moves out to the battlefield, followed closely by the loyal Human Tanks in his company.

Features

Fast-paced strategic battles in over 30 maps.
Use resources earned from battles to develop new tanks.
Customize your tanks with various modules to deadly effect.
Multiple endings based on your performance.
Replay the story keeping your previously earned units and resources.
Free battle mode to practice and gather extra supplies.
English localization features two all-new bonus maps, hand-drawn battle backgrounds and an improved user interface.
Episodic TV drama style story with openings and endings changing by battle’s progress.