Braveland embraces its cliched fantasy setting with a gusto we usually reserve for our first coffee of the day. A young man's village attacked by bandits. With everything he holds dear ripped from him, he dons his father's armour and heads after them. It is a wonderfully predictable fantasy story, but one that sets the perfect stage for Braveland's turn-based strategic gameplay.

Taking control of the would-be town hero, you fast begin to form a troop of militia from the world’s friendlier inhabitants. The fantasy setting works as a fantastic shorthand for each new unit found. Even before you are treated to their tutorial, you know exactly what their role will be. Before long you will have recruited farmers, wizards, and a host of other fantasy stereotypes.

Braveland's clean visual style ensures that each of these units can be told apart at a glance. This combination of archetypal characters and clear design mean that, by the time you enter battle, half your work is already done, as you instinctively know units’ strengths and weaknesses. This makes the already intuitive battle system almost second nature from the start.

Shaded spaces appear around each unit when it is their turn, dictating their range of movement on the hexagonal grid. You tap on a space to move your character, and then attack if you are able, before your opponent takes their turn.

There are a few other tactical decisions, such as the option to forgo attacking to defend or utilising characters’ special ability. However, for the most part, you will just be looking to do lots of damage as quickly as possible. This is one of Braveland's biggest problems because, while it does get progressively more challenging and strategic, it is possible just to brute force your way through the early game by running straight at the enemy.

Braveland is a solid game that utilises its fantasy world and stylistic art to make its gameplay more accessible. This, along with a gentle difficulty curve, make it a turn-based strategy experience that can be enjoyed by a wider audience than most.