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.
The game blends turn-based strategy with real-time tactics. Players must carefully position and maneuver "Human Tanks" - anime-inspired, anthropomorphized war machines - on a grid-based battlefield to achieve victory.
The combat takes place on a hexagonal grid. Before each battle, players deploy their units to different sections of the grid. During the battle, units can move a limited number of spaces and perform actions like attacking, using special abilities, or self-destructing.
Most units die in a single hit, creating tension as players must avoid losing valuable units. Larger "tank" units, however, require multiple hits to destroy, forcing players to focus fire on these high-priority targets.
Each unit has a "transmission speed" that determines how quickly it can receive and execute orders. Units with higher speeds can act more frequently, introducing a dynamic, chess-like element as players manage their unit's turn order.
The battlefield is shrouded in fog, requiring players to carefully scout ahead with specialized units to reveal enemy positions. This risk-reward mechanic forces players to weigh the benefits of gathering information against the dangers of pushing forward blindly.
Between battles, players can invest resources to research and develop new unit types, as well as equip their existing units with upgradeable modules. This deep customization system allows players to tailor their forces to the demands of each map.
Players praise the tense, high-stakes combat that forces difficult decisions, as well as the strategic layers introduced by the transmission speed, fog of war, and unit customization systems. The game's ability to create a sense of urgency and dynamic tactical maneuvering is frequently cited as a standout feature.