Compact Conflict is a turn-based territory game for up to four sides. Each match takes place on a freshly generated map of irregular regions, and your goal is to own more of them than anyone else when the turn limit runs out. What sets it apart is the temple system: temples raise new troops every turn and can be blessed with one of four elements, each bending the rules in your favor. It was written by Jakub Wasilewski for the 2014 js13kGames contest, where the whole game had to fit in 13 kilobytes.
How to Play Compact Conflict
Before the match, pick who controls each color, how sharp the computer opponents are (Nice, Rude, Mean or Evil), and whether the game lasts 9, 12 or 15 turns or never ends.
On your turn you get three moves. A move sends some or all soldiers from one of your regions to a bordering one. Walking into empty land claims it. Walking into enemy land starts a battle, and you only take the region if every defender falls. An army that just conquered something must rest until next turn.
When you end your turn, each temple you hold adds a soldier and you collect faith: one point per region and one per soldier standing on a temple. Spend faith at a temple on extra soldiers, which cost more each time within a turn, or on an elemental upgrade. Lose the temple and its upgrade goes with it.
Compact Conflict Controls
| Action | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|
| Select an army to move | Click a region you own that still has soldiers able to move | Tap the region |
| Change how many soldiers go | Click the selected region again to cycle the count | Tap the selected region again |
| Move or attack | Click a neighboring region | Tap a neighboring region |
| Buy a soldier or an upgrade | Click one of your temples, then a button in the side panel | Tap the temple, then a panel button |
| Undo, end turn, sound, rules, restart | Buttons in the side panel and the round icons at the bottom right | Tap the same buttons |
Tips and Strategies
- Grab neutral temples early. Each one adds a free soldier every turn, and that extra flow decides most long matches.
- Park a soldier on each temple. Praying soldiers earn faith every turn and guard the building you can least afford to lose. Your soldiers who die defending also pay four faith each.
- Attack with a clear edge. Win chances grow fast as your numbers outweigh the defenders, so wait one turn and bring a bigger stack rather than trading evenly.
- Count regions, not soldiers. Only land counts at the end, so use the last two turns to spread into every weak or empty region in reach.
- Match the element to your plan. Water pays off over a long game, Air helps you sprawl quickly, and Earth makes a border temple very costly to attack.
Features
- Random maps: every match uses a new layout, and you can reroll it on the setup screen.
- Four computer levels: choose from Nice up to Evil.
- Shared-screen play: mix human and computer players across four colors.
- Saved setup: your player, difficulty, turn and sound choices are kept in your browser for next time.
- Built-in rules: a five-card guide opens from the question mark button at any time.
Tested and updated:
