- All Army Attack gameplay centers on building an army so massive it overflows the screen
- Core loop: recruit animal & plant units via cards, fight auto-battles, upgrade your base between fights
- High-risk mechanic: you can stake your entire army on a single decisive push
- Roster scale: roughly 60 unit types and 70 cards planned for full release
- Demo is live: free demo available on Steam since November 16, 2026
What Is All Army Attack Gameplay?
All Army Attack gameplay is built around one wild fantasy: your army of animals and plants grows so large it literally spills off the edges of the screen. Developed by Blacklight Games and published by Devolver Digital, this roguelike auto-battler blends Action, Casual, and Strategy into a single-player experience that is easy to pick up but rewarding to optimize.
The game was officially announced on November 10, 2026, with a free demo landing on Steam on November 16, 2026. The full release is expected in 2027. What sets it apart from typical auto-battlers is scale — you are not managing five or ten units, you are steering a tide of chickens, beasts, and hostile flora at fortified enemy positions.
| Gameplay Pillar | Description | Where It Happens |
|---|---|---|
| Army building | Recruit animal & plant units through cards | Between battles |
| Auto-battles | Your army fights on its own once deployed | During combat |
| Base upgrades | Improve economy, production, and power | Between battles |
| Army gambling | Stake your entire force on one push | Key engagements |
| Roguelike runs | New cards and choices every run | Whole run structure |
Your job in All Army Attack is the strategy between fights, not the micro-management during them. Learn to make fast, decisive choices in the upgrade phase and the battles will take care of themselves.
Units and Cards: How Your Army Is Built
Your army is assembled from roughly 60 unit types split between the animal kingdom and the plant world, recruited through a pool of about 70 cards. Animals and plants fill different roles, and the real team-building depth comes from combining their effects.
Clucks (Chickens)
- Signature swarm unit
- Cheap and fast to field
- Devastating when massed with the right cards
Animal Frontliners
- Melee bodies and tanks
- Anchor the front of formations
- Shield squishier swarm units
Plant Units
- Support and area damage
- Buff or spawn extra units
- Multiply value of every animal fielded
Cards fall into distinct categories, each shaping your run differently:
| Card Category | Role | Demo Status |
|---|---|---|
| Animal unit cards | Add creatures like clucks, expand frontline | Available |
| Plant unit cards | Ranged damage, area effects, utility | Available |
| Army scaling cards | Boost unit counts, spawn rates, army size limits | Available |
| Base upgrade cards | Improve base and run economy long-term | Available |
| Full launch pool (~70) | Complete set with extra units and combos | To be confirmed |
The demo exposes only a subset of the planned 60-unit roster. The remaining units will be revealed as the game approaches its 2027 full release — watch the official Steam page for updates.
Step-by-Step: Your First Run
Follow these steps to get the most out of your early demo runs and build a strong foundation for the full game.
Understand the Core Loop
Each run is a series of battles. Before every fight you spend resources on units and upgrades; during the fight your army battles automatically. Focus your energy on pre-battle decisions.
Build Around Animals & Plants
Mix animal and plant units rather than stacking one type. Cheap swarm bodies provide numbers, while plants and utility units make those numbers hit harder.
Scale Your Army Early
Prioritize cards and upgrades that increase unit count or spawn rates in the early game. A bigger board squeezes more value out of every later upgrade.
Upgrade Your Base Between Battles
After each victory, weigh short-term power against long-term scaling. Economy and army-size upgrades usually outperform a single strong unit across a full run.
Adapt Every Run
As a roguelike, each run offers different cards. Pick the strongest options presented instead of forcing one build, and note which combos carried your best runs.
After winning a fight, immediately push toward the nearest enemy structure while your army is at peak size. Letting the enemy breathe lets them rebuild defenses faster than you can rebuild troops.
Army Scale Management & the All-In Push
Two mechanics define high-level All Army Attack gameplay: controlling an off-screen army and knowing when to gamble it all.
Managing the overflow. Your army growing beyond the screen is the core mechanic, not a glitch. Off-screen units still follow your commands. Use rally points and the minimap to steer units you cannot see, and re-center on your army blob before engagements so stragglers are not left behind. Wider formations reduce pile-ups at chokepoints and keep more units actually attacking.
The stake-your-army mechanic. You can gamble your whole force on one decisive push. The payoff is huge — a full-army assault can shatter a fortified base — but losing means rebuilding from scratch.
| Situation | All-In Push? | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Just wiped an enemy wave | Yes | Enemy production is temporarily down |
| Fresh attack-power upgrade | Yes | Max value while buff is strongest |
| Well-defended chokepoint | No | Massed units pile up and waste damage |
| Reinforcements still arriving | No | Enemy force grows during your push |
| Army at peak size after a win | Yes | Momentum beats rebuilding later |
Losing an army is not run-ending in this casual-friendly design — rebuilding is fast. Use low-stakes runs to learn enemy layouts before committing to greedier all-in strategies.
Base Upgrade Priorities
Base upgrades between battles are where runs are won or lost. Prioritize compounding effects over immediate comfort:
| Priority | Upgrade Type | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Unit production speed | Faster spawns compound into a bigger army for free |
| 2nd | Unit attack power | Converts raw numbers into actual damage |
| 3rd | Health & defense | Matters once you survive long enough to use it |
| Last | Cosmetic & convenience | Fun, but will not win runs |
Every-Run Essentials:
- Grab army-scaling cards in the first upgrade phase
- Keep animal and plant units roughly balanced
- Re-center on your army blob before each engagement
- Upgrade production speed before anything else
- Push immediately after winning a fight
Focus your demo time on three systems: army growth pacing, the all-in push mechanic, and base upgrade rhythm. These are the pillars the full game is built around, so your impressions there will tell you if the game is for you.
FAQ
Q: Is All Army Attack gameplay real-time strategy or auto-battler?
It is a roguelike auto-battler. Battles play out automatically once your army is deployed — your strategic decisions happen between fights, when you pick cards, recruit units, and choose base upgrades.
Q: How many units and cards are in All Army Attack?
The full game is planned to include roughly 60 unit types and around 70 cards, mixing animal units like clucks with plant support and damage units. The demo exposes a subset of both pools.
Q: Can I play the All Army Attack demo for free?
Yes. A free demo went live on Steam on November 16, 2026. Head to the game's Steam page and use the download demo button. Demo progress will not carry over to the full release.
Q: When does All Army Attack fully release?
The full version is expected in 2027, with no price announced yet. The safest way to catch the launch date is to wishlist the game on Steam and follow Devolver Digital's official channels.