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A beginner's guide to the current and future Warhammer 40,000 games for iOS and Android

Who's who in 40K?

A beginner's guide to the current and future Warhammer 40,000 games for iOS and Android
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| Space Hulk

If you're a developer and you're not releasing a smartphone or tablet game set in Games Workshop's grim Warhammer 40,000 universe, then it appears you're in a teeny-tiny minority.

Right now, there are no fewer than six Warhammer 40K mobile titles in development or already out there, and at least one that might end up being set during this time of dark and miserable galactic conflict.

But don't fret if you can't tell the difference between a Tyranid swarm and a Daemon horde. Or if you wouldn't be able to pick out a set of Mark VI Corvus power armour from a line-up of post-Heresy battle wear.

I'm here to help.


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Space Hulk
Full Control / iPad / Out now

Space Hulk is an impressive-looking 3D port of the super-expensive and no longer available third edition of the classic two-player boardgame.

Oh, and it's been out for a few months. And it's not really that good.

The game is all about Terminators (walking tanks in super-strong battle armour, basically) from the Blood Angels legion stomping through derelict and mangled spaceships that have slipped out of the warp.

Cue lots of fights with Genestealers. They're essentially hive creatures that live to kill and subsume the genetic material of their conquered foes. Which is mean.

The game has recently been updated with some Space Wolves Terminators, too. Depending who you are, Space Wolves might be the coolest Space Marine legion in the whole of the 40K canon. More on them later.


Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon

Slitherine / iOS / 2014

This is a massive hex-based strategy game from the developer of the Silver Award-winning Panzer Corps. And it's set during one of the biggest battles in recent 40K history, the Second Battle for Armageddon.

In 40K, planets all seem to be victims of nominative determinism.

The scrap goes down between the Ork Waaagh of Ghazghkull Thraka, Imperial Guard forces commanded by Commisar Yarrick, and a whole bunch of Space Marines (including Blood Angels, Ultramarines, and Salamanders).

I'm pretty sure there should be some Black Templars involved in the throwdown, too.

Expect more than 30 single-player missions, 100 units, and some massive multiplayer battles on maps designed specifically for extra players.


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Warhammer 40,000: Space Wolf
HeroCraft / iOS and Android / summer 2014

Space Wolves!

Where a lot of the other Space Marine legions are into discipline and following the rules, Space Wolves are basically Vikings.

They fight wolves on their planet Fenris. And if they kill them, they get to wear their pelts over their power armour.

They're all runes, bones, and crows. In the tabletop game, one of them (Loki) will blow up and kill everything around him if he gets shot up too much.

This game is a mash-up of CCG and turn-based strategy that sees you tackling a variety of missions against Chaos Space Marines. These chaps are Space Marines that fell under the sway of the dark Gods of the warp. Boo to them.

It's grid based, skirmish-y, and free-to-play. Plus, it features both single-player and PvP modes. Might be quite fun. Check out our vid of this game here from GDC.


Warhammer 40,000: Carnage
Roadhouse Interactive / iOS and Android / 2014

This one is a side-scrolling action battler that sees you taking control of a lone Space Marine whomping and stomping his way through a horde of Orks.

By the looks of the single image of this game that's been released, you'll be playing as an Ultramarine here. They're sort of vanilla Space Marines who love doing what they're supposed to.

They follow the Codex Astartes, a.k.a. the big Space Marine rulebook, to the letter. Because they wrote it.

Orks are essentially fantasy orcs, but with rockets strapped to their backs and guns that might explode in their faces as well as yours.

Expect Carngage, I guess.


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Warhammer 40,000: Storm of Vengeance
Eutechnyx / iOS and Android / March 27th

In this lane-defence action-strategy game, you play as the Dark Angels. These guys are moody, hooded Space Marines with dark green armour who've got loads of dark secrets about which they don't want anyone finding out.

Or you play as the Orks, who are ridiculous green-skinned monsters who wouldn't even know how to spell 'secret'.

It's essentially Plants vs Zombies, albeit starring genetically engineered super-humans and snarling spore-born tribal monsters.

There's also a third faction you can buy as day one DLC. It'll probably be Chaos. It's usually Chaos.

The game is set during another of the desperate last stands around which most of the 40K lore is built. It's our old friend Ghazghkull Thraka again. This time, though, his Waaagh is facing off against Grand Master Belial and just 100 Space Marines.

Who wins? You decide. By playing the game when it comes out next week.


Eisenhorn: Xenos
Pixel Hero Games / iOS and Android (probably) / 2015

Holy moly! Here's a 40K game that doesn't have you playing as a Space Marine.

Instead, you're Inquisitor Eisenhorn, and you're part of the shadowy Inquisition that roots out heresy in the Imperium.

This one's based on some books by Dan Abnett, who's quite famous for writing books and comics and other stuff.

You'll probably be fighting aliens, if the title is anything to go by. And it's by the people who made Spiral, which was quite good.

Got a long time to wait for this one, though, for it won't surface on the App Store until next year.


So, there you go. Now you know who's who and what's what and where that goes and why that does that when you push that button.

Sort of.

We'll let you know more about all of the upcoming games we've mentioned as and when we hear anything about them. Until then, serve the Emperor well.

Harry Slater
Harry Slater
Harry used to be really good at Snake on the Nokia 5110. Apparently though, digital snake wrangling isn't a proper job, so now he writes words about games instead.