Introduction
Basic information
Developer Name: Landfall Games
Full Name: Totally Accurate Battle Simulator (TABS)
Release Date: April 1, 2019 (Full release: April 1, 2021)
Released on: PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch
Cross Play: Limited (varies by platform)
Initial thoughts
I picked up TABS completely at random, one of those spontaneous I want something weird, fun, and short moods. I expected a goofy distraction for an hour or two, but what I got instead was a surprisingly engaging sandbox full of physics chaos, hilarious character animations, and battles that somehow require both strategy and absurdity in equal measure. The game instantly pulled me in with its intentionally clumsy charm, and before I knew it, I was fully committed to clearing campaigns and experimenting with ridiculous unit combinations. It was far more addictive and challenging than I expected, yet always maintained a cheerful, comedic tone that made even the hardest levels feel entertaining.
Story and setting
Plot overview
Plot? Well… plot is a generous word for TABS. The game’s overarching narrative is essentially: defeat all enemy units on the map by assembling an army of misfits who fight like intoxicated ragdolls. Yet this simplicity works beautifully because TABS never pretends to be anything more than an unpredictable battle playground. The campaign structure offers an implied progression, from primitive factions to mystical, modern, and absurd eras, but the storytelling is secondary to the sheer joy of seeing how battles unfold.
World building and immersion
Despite its chaotic physics and comical presentation, there’s a surprising amount of worldbuilding. Each faction has its own environments, themes, and distinct personalities. Some maps feel like historical reenactments gone terribly wrong, while others are fantastical arenas full of magic, myth, or outright nonsense. The immersion comes not from realism, but from leaning fully into the silly, wobbly madness that defines the entire experience.
Character development
Not in a narrative sense, of course, but each unit type has a delightful character of its own. Their unique abilities, movements, and combat quirks make them feel alive in a way only TABS can deliver.
Emotional impact
It’s a joyful game. Victory feels triumphant, failure feels hilarious, and unexpected outcomes, like a single unit surviving against all odds, become memorable emotional spikes. TABS consistently delivers laughter and surprise.
Rating for story and setting
I have visited multiple aspects of the story, and after some thought and objective thinking, I rated the story and setting with a 7.
Gameplay and mechanics
Core gameplay mechanics
TABS revolves around assembling armies of wildly diverse units, clubbers, necromancers, minotaurs, gunslingers, reapers, gods throwing lightning, and watching them collide in glorious physics-based chaos. Every unit behaves differently, and interactions between them can create unexpected strategies or complete disasters.
Difficulty and balance
Do not be fooled by the floppy animations: TABS is hard. Clearing every campaign requires clever experimentation, shifting strategies, understanding unit counters, and embracing chaos. Some levels demand precision; others demand pure creativity.
Pacing of the game
Fast, punchy, and enjoyable. Each battle lasts seconds to minutes, making the flow addictive. One more level easily turns into an entire evening.
Innovation and uniqueness
Few games embrace physics-driven combat this boldly. TABS remains one of the most unique strategy-sandbox blends available. Its unpredictability is a feature, not a flaw.
Controls and user interface
Clean and accessible. Placing units is simple, experimenting is natural, and the replay camera adds tons of charm. Being able to zoom in and watch the chaos unfold enhances every moment.
Microtransactions
None. TABS respects your time and your wallet, a refreshing rarity.
Rating
After combing through many of the mechanics, the pacing, and other factors of this game, I rated the gameplay and mechanics with an 8.5.
Graphics and art style
Quality of graphics and art direction
The graphics strike a perfect balance between silly and stylized. Characters wobble, roll, stumble, and attack with awkward precision, while the environments maintain a polished but intentionally minimalist look. The simplicity enhances the humor.
The art direction is confident in its identity, lightweight, bright, colorful, and exaggerated. Everything feels intentionally handcrafted for comedic impact.
Technical performances
Generally excellent. Even large-scale battles run smoothly, with occasional dips only when hundreds of units fill the screen. For a physics-heavy game, performance is remarkably stable. At least, until you spawn over three hundred units in one battle, then it starts to lag and stutter very badly.
Environment and design uniqueness
Every map offers its own charm, hazards, and strategic possibilities. From floating islands to medieval arenas to neon dreamscapes, each location adds flavor to the experience.
Rating
It took me some time to give the graphics and art style an objective rating. There are many things to consider, but ultimately, I rated this section with a 7.8
Sound and music
Music score and how it contributed to the game
The soundtrack enhances the comedic tone while still making battles feel epic. Drums, chants, and energetic melodies help set the stage without overshadowing the action.
Sound effects quality
Bones cracking, weapons clashing, silly grunts, dramatic screams, everything contributes to the comedic chaos. The soundscape is a crucial part of the fun.
Voice Acting
Minimal, but the absurd vocal noises from units fit the game’s humorous style perfectly.
Rating
After a lot of consideration, I rated the sound and music section with a 7.5.
Replayability
Game Length and content volume
TABS is surprisingly massive. Campaigns, challenges, battle simulations, sandbox experiments, secret units, hidden maps, there is a huge amount of content for both casual and dedicated players.
Extra Content
The secret units and special maps add layers of replayability. Unlocking them takes genuine effort and curiosity, and some of the hidden campaigns are impressively difficult.
Replay value
Very high. Whether you’re pushing through campaigns or just placing units to see what happens, the game offers infinite replay potential. Its unpredictability makes it endlessly entertaining.
Rating
After thoughtful consideration, I decided to rate the replayability and game length of TABS with an 8.5
Suggestions and comparisons
Suggestions and feedback
More campaigns, additional secret units, and even larger-scale maps would be fantastic. A few more quality-of-life options in sandbox mode could improve experimentation. Cooperative or competitive modes with physics modifiers could also add variety.
Comparisons
Compared to other physics-based games, TABS is far more polished. Compared to strategy titles, it’s far more comedic and chaotic. It exists in its own special niche: a strategy puzzle game wrapped in slapstick silliness.
Personal experiences and anecdotes
TABS gave me countless WTF moments, units flying through the air, ballista shots curving hilariously, a lone halfling somehow defeating an entire army, and secret units appearing where I least expected. Clearing the campaigns felt rewarding and surprisingly challenging. Discovering secret units was thrilling, even though some of the hidden fights nearly broke me. But that difficulty made the victories memorable.
Rating
Taking in all the personal experiences with TABS, I give it a personal rating of 8.
Last words
Pros
- Hilarious physics-based combat
- Massive variety of units
- Tons of secret content
- Smooth performance (sort of)
- No microtransactions
- Sandbox mode is endlessly fun
- Unique art direction
- Great sound design
- Highly addictive pacing
- Clever and surprising battle solutions
Cons
- Some levels can feel overly difficult
- Secret campaigns are brutally hard
- Not everyone will enjoy physics randomness
Totally Accurate Battle Simulator is a delightful blend of chaos, comedy, and creativity. It provides a unique strategic experience where no two battles unfold the same way. Whether you’re clearing campaigns, discovering secret units, or simply experimenting in sandbox mode, TABS delivers unpredictable fun from start to finish. Its humor, simplicity, and surprising depth make it an easy recommendation for anyone wanting a playful, strategy-forward experience.
FINALÂ RATING
7.4
Please let me know what you think of TABS in the comments!
I hope you enjoyed reading this review, I hope to see you in the next review!
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Awesome game, thanks for a review. I like this physical aspect of the game and that where is still variety and strategy in it. And lot of fun, honeyness like i say (is this a even a legit word in English? If not i made one). I could try this game one day (it was free on epic).
Totally accurate review for a totally accurate game. This game needs a tons of dlc.
I liked how you showed that TABS is way more than just a silly physics game
That’s a great review!
It’s a nice game with a simple RTS feel, isn’t it!
I heard about this game before (and I did got it for free on Epic!), but I’ve never imagined it had such a level of depth. I may have to give this one a shot!
Great job on the review, pretty informative as always! 😄
Yes, exactly that, I would have never imagine such depth in a game that looks like it was made as a random simulator sandbox, where you had to create your own fun…
Having a great campaign is already a great thing, but the comedic and emotional aspects, along with the well-thought missions makes it that much more attractive to give it a shot.
This one just looks sooooo weird. I kinda like the idea, but I’m not sure I’d have fun playing it myself. But I got it free aswell, like others here, and I think I’m just going to give it a shot, since, like others and you yourself, I did not expect this level of depth and strategy.
I totally accurately have this game already. And totally actually though about playing it once. I might totally maybe give it a try sometime 😀
Thanks for another detailed review. I’ve watched and enjoyed gameplay of the game and grabbed it on Epic, but don’t play there, so have not checked it out myself yet.
Honestly, I feel the cons are not really cons. Some levels have to be brutal, and the physics randomness is part of the fun tbh. Amazing review though, or as one might say, Totally Accurate Review Sven (TARS)
I think review is perhaps totally accurate, seems interesting, but simulators rather not for me. Anyway, I got it for free at Epic, so might try and see.
Seems like a fun game with all the comedic atmosphere. The only thing I don’t like is the iffy physics. Got the same feeling when trying Human Fall Flat. The ragdoll ‘fake’ simulated physics just feels a bit off!
Added to playlist. Thanks for review!
Good job. Thank you for the review!
Some of the gameplay looks really fun and addictive.
The first Landfall game i seen, when it launched on early access, it was so fun and different!
It got so far since then, with so many new units and scenarios, still a great game
Yay, more landfall reviews! All of their stuff is fantastic and no microtransactions.
Sounds to be in for a stupid good time 🙂
It’s good to have a fun game like this to disconnect
That groin shot pic on the top is such a surprise. I am definitely going to try this weird and fun game, it is so up my alley.
Sometimes such a lightweight game is nice but I am not sure about crazy random physics.
“Battles that somehow require both strategy and absurdity in equal measure” sounds amazing! I love sandbox games like this where you can just freely experiment! The physics and weapons look hilarious and I’m interested in how unique you can get with solutions! On my list to play 🙂
That’s awesome game! I like sandbox games with chaos and ragdoll characters!
Well, this game looks pretty crazy 🙂
A great find.