THE WATCH

What is THE WATCH?

THE WATCH is a free-to-play game that its makers bill as the first Action RTS — real-time strategy played at the speed and intimacy of an action game. Its own store listing pins the genre down further as PvP roguelike strategy, which is the more useful description: matches are fought against other players, and the roguelike layer means the tools you get in a run are not the tools you had in the last one. It is built for PC and is available to wishlist on Steam, with an Epic release also listed.

How to play THE WATCH

Players build an army and master a set of powers, then shape the flow of a battle in real time rather than issuing orders and waiting. The design leans on decisions compounding: choices made during a match unlock new tactics and playstyles, so two players who started from the same position can end up fighting in completely different ways. Because it is PvP-first, the arena is the whole game — there is no long single-player campaign to work through before the competition starts.

THE WATCH's collection and portal

Alongside the game, the studio runs a portal and a digital collection, and publishes news through it. Access to playtests and early invites is handled through sign-ups on the site. The game is free to play, so the collection sits beside the game rather than gating entry to it.