The final instalment of our 2025 Year In Review blog series is here, and we’ve managed to grab the development team once again to discuss their favourite moments of last year.
Sophie Williams
What was your favourite release for Dystopian Wars last year?
Hands down, it has to be the rulebook. It truly was a labour of love from the entire game dev team. We worked so hard to maintain the complexity and depth of the previous edition, but also make it quicker to play and easier to pick up for new players. I’m incredibly proud of what they've achieved.
What was your favourite release for Armoured Clash last year?
The Miron Super-Heavy Borer. I remember when we were working out how big it was going to be in the game dev team, we created a base on cardboard just to get an idea of its footprint on the game board before the sculpting had even finished. This thing was always going to be HUGE. Not only that, it’s gorgeous! The model is a feat of both glorious detail and amazing resin manufacture. I’ve never had such a strong need to pick up and hold a mini before. It’s such a fun concept, too. Burrowing through the ground, exploding onto the battlefield to disgorge heavily armoured units. Amazing!
What are you most proud of working on last year?
The Armoured Clash Enlightened ORBAT was something I absolutely loved working on. We wanted to enable the player to embody the ‘weird-science’ aspect of the force without overwhelming the game or new players. So we developed an ‘opt-in’ mentality. The Enlightened have all sorts of whacky stuff they can get up to, but you get to choose your moment. It makes what could be a very confusing Faction engaging on a strategic level. Presenting you with the choice, “exactly when should I take that risk?” - love it!
What personal Warcradle projects have you worked on this year?
I’m working on a Dystopian Wars Enlightened Fleet. Trying to develop something bold on the table, but easy to paint. I’m particularly fond of the whales.
What are your plans for your Warcradle projects next year?
I also have a whole Enlightened Armoured Clash force, which I’m excited to build. I will be shouting Ooooohhhh-Laaaaaaahhhhh whenever I take my tripods to the battlefield.
What release are you looking forward to the most, not just next year?
Valiant! I love choose-your-own-destiny books. Play as a Crown spy in the Dystopian Age whilst navigating a story packed with adventure, deciding how you would deal with the challenges ahead, yes please!
Do you have any words for the community?
Thank you so much! Your excitement and your passion have been so inspiring! I cannot wait for you to see what’s coming out in 2026!
Chris Demaude
What was your favourite release for Dystopian Wars last year?
It’s probably going to be a fairly common response from the team here - but it has to be the new Rulebook! I joined the team fairly late in the process, but dove right into working on the rulebook, and it’s the first book I’ve ever held that has my name in the designer’s section!
What was your favourite release for Armoured Clash last year?
Definitely the Alliance Faction Battlegroup, for pretty similar reasons to the Rulebook! The Becerrillo, Alpini and Globonauta were the first few units I worked on extensively, and they all now hold a very special place in my heart.
What are you most proud of working on last year?
This would have to be the Empire Launch ORBAT for Dystopian Wars, in particular, the Ofukoro and Kaiju Ika Colossi. They’re such inspiring sculpts, and I immediately gravitated towards them. I was really pleased with how Grapple eventually turned out - I really wanted to make sure they had the vibe of a Kraken reaching up and wrapping its tendrils around a ship!
What personal Warcradle projects have you worked on this year?
Lots of building, but not very much painting yet! I’m looking forward to painting my beautiful squid over their holiday season, ready to haunt the waves come the new year.
What are your plans for your Warcradle projects next year?
I’m certainly feeling the call of the Draconic Colossi for the new year, and I am looking forward to delving a little deeper into my Armoured Clash collection as well. Perhaps I’ll even allow myself to be tempted into an Alliance army too? Who’s to say…
What release are you looking forward to the most, not just next year?
There are so many exciting things on the horizon, it’s tough to narrow them down. I’ve adored working on Wild West Exodus this year, so that is definitely high up there, but so too is the Empire Full ORBAT for Dystopian Wars. It’s the first project I’m getting the opportunity to lead, and I can’t wait for you to see the exciting new ways the Empire will be able to wage war upon the seas!
Do you have any words for the community?
It’s been an absolute pleasure lurking within the Discord and watching you all dive into the new edition of Dystopian Wars, or discussing the changes made in the Armoured Clash Global Update. It’s a great feeling to see such a passionate community engage with the work you do - so thank you all.
Peter Sizer
What was your favourite release for Dystopian Wars last year?
It has to be the Dystopian Wars Rulebook. It is a great piece of writing that really puts the new edition into a place which will bring a lot of new players into the game. I was really pleased with being able to contribute to it.
What was your favourite release for Armoured Clash last year?
I would go for any of the Alliance releases. As a relatively new joiner to Warcradle, the playtesting of the Alliance’s units was one of my first jobs after joining. So it was great to see units that I had a part in creating get released and play their part in the game.
What are you most proud of working on last year?
I’m most proud of seeing the community’s response to the Armoured Clash Sultanate release. Seeing them engage with the units and narrative that we’ve crafted was really gratifying. Seeing fan-made army lists get posted, after they had looked through the full ORBAT, was very satisfying to see.
What personal Warcradle projects have you worked on this year?
This year, I have started an Armoured Clash Commonwealth Army, built from the Faction Battlegroup. I want to lean into the Jad Auxiliary Battlegroup with lots of Kheshig Sky Cutters backed up by some Tsar Battle Tanks in the Faction Battlegroup. I’ve started to paint the first few vehicles to test out a colour scheme before I go into mass painting to get the army table ready as quickly as possible.
What are your plans for your Warcradle projects next year?
My plan for next year is to build up a Commonwealth fleet for Dystopian Wars based around large squadrons of Ekranoplans tearing across the ocean surface.
What release are you looking forward to the most, not just next year?
As a big fan of narrative skirmish games, I’m really looking forward to Wild West Exodus being released. What I’ve seen of it so far looks amazing.
Do you have any words for the community?
They are the heart of Warcradle, as getting the games in the hands of the players and seeing stories from the Dystopian Age come to life on their tables is a real pleasure.
And that concludes our year in review for 2025, delving into the best bits and looking forward to what this year has in store. Once again, thank you for your support this year, and make sure to stay tuned for the latest news on our Facebook, Instagram, and X and the Warcradle Studios Discord