ARTILLERY EVOLVED
HOW WORMS MADE AN ART OF REFINING A GENRE
The core of Worms’ gameplay was not something new – artillery strategy games like Tanx and Scorched Tanks were a staple of the Amiga’s public domain scene. Like those games, Worms offered players the chance to take part in turn-based combat, firing long-range weapons by adjusting trajectory and power, as well as factoring in terrain and wind. Since those games had been popular with players, particularly as multiplayer experiences, it’s no surprise that Worms attracted the same kind of popularity. However, simply adopting a popular game design well doesn’t explain how Worms went on to become a cross-platform success of a different scale.