Best Artillery Games Like Worms 1995

Ever since Team17 released Worms in 1995, the 2D turn-based artillery genre has captivated players with its blend of ballistic physics, destructible landscapes, and chaotic multiplayer competition. This article explores the defining traits that made the original classic a landmark hit and highlights the best modern and retro alternatives that deliver the same tactical, trajectory-based gameplay today.

What Made Worms (1995) Unique

The original Worms succeeded by combining straightforward mechanics with deep emergent gameplay. Players took turns controlling small squads, calculating angles, accounting for wind resistance, and choosing from an eccentric arsenal of weaponry—from standard bazookas and grenades to bizarre novelty explosives. Fully destructible terrain ensured that no two matches played out the same way, as every explosion reshaped the battlefield and introduced new environmental hazards like sudden drops into rising water.

Notable Games Like Worms

Maggots For players looking for a quick, accessible, and authentic tribute to retro 2D artillery battles, Maggots delivers the classic turn-based experience directly in the web browser. The game channels the visual style and core mechanics of early artillery titles, allowing players to calculate shots, destroy terrain, and battle opponents without requiring complex setups or modern hardware.

Hedgewars Hedgewars is a free, open-source turn-based strategy game that closely mirrors the gameplay of the Worms franchise. Instead of annelids, combatants control teams of combative hedgehogs across a massive variety of randomly generated, destructible 2D environments. It features dozens of distinct weapons, deep customization options, and robust online multiplayer support.

ShellShock Live ShellShock Live takes the artillery formula and applies it to tanks. While it moves away from platforming and free-roaming characters, it doubles down on shot calculation, ballistic trajectory, and weapon variety. With an upgrade system spanning hundreds of unlockable weapons, it modernizes the competitive math-and-physics core that made Worms so engaging.

Gunbound A classic multiplayer online title, Gunbound blends turn-based vehicle combat with tactical environmental factors. Players pilot unique "Mobiles," each with distinct shot types, handling, and strengths. The game incorporates wind mechanics, planetary influences, and avatar customization, providing a competitive, team-focused twist on 2D ballistic warfare.

Scorched Earth For those interested in the roots of the genre, Scorched Earth (1991) is the quintessential DOS predecessor that inspired Worms. Featuring 2D tanks trading shots across jagged mountainscapes, it laid the mathematical and tactical groundwork for destructible terrain, shield mechanics, and variable trajectory weapons.