Tick Tactics

Tick Tactics  

Submission to GMTK Game Jam 2026

Tick Tactics is a fantasy tile-based auto battler where every unit acts once per second. Build your monster army, position your forces, then hit Start and watch your strategy play out tick by tick. 
The princess chose the dragon, but an arrogant knight refuses to accept it. Command the dragon's loyal monsters and defend their home from relentless waves of invading heroes.

Kill everything before the countdown ends. Time left when the last enemy dies pays a gold bonus. If the countdown hits 0 with enemies alive they enrage, a sudden-death timer starts and they get stronger every second. If it runs out, your army dies and the run is over. Gold comes from kills plus the early-finish bonus.

Between rounds you pick 1 of 3 augments; picks are permanent, stack, and are the main way your army scales. Actives sit in the bar and fire with 1-4.

Controls:

Left-click - Select unit / place / confirm augment target

Left-drag - Move a placed unit (plan phase)

Right-click or Esc - Cancel placement or a pending cast

1-4 - Fire the augment in that bar slot

WASD / scroll - Move and zoom camera

Created By:
Dennis Easterling - Music

Luke Angelos - Game Design

Tristan Voulelis - Art

Dino Gironi - Programming & Interface

James Lamusse - Programming

Third-party credits:

VFX - Various packs from Gabriel Aguiar Prod & Hovl Studio

3D Assets - Mix of created and packs from Dungeon Mason & WAND AND CIRCLES

Audio - Freesound.org & Sidearm Studios

https://freesound.org/people/humanoide9000/sounds/329028/

https://freesound.org/people/kyles/sounds/637527/

https://freesound.org/people/ikbenraar/sounds/126565/

https://freesound.org/people/nicotep/sounds/632732/

https://freesound.org/people/lwdickens/sounds/269364/

https://freesound.org/people/ali.g/sounds/849406/

https://freesound.org/people/TheSounderGuy/sounds/723559/

https://freesound.org/people/kevp888/sounds/829448/

https://freesound.org/people/kevp888/sounds/742553/

https://freesound.org/people/keng-wai-chane-chick-te/sounds/466427/

https://freesound.org/people/oliwoli/sounds/665944/

https://freesound.org/people/cookies+policy/sounds/556499/

https://freesound.org/people/tutarap/sounds/366011/

https://freesound.org/people/GammaGool/sounds/759503/

https://freesound.org/people/keng-wai-chane-chick-te/sounds/466427