What is Wayward Strategy?

Updated

Wayward Strategy is an English-language games criticism and design analysis site focused on real-time strategy (RTS) and real-time tactics (RTT) games. It publishes long-form articles, faction and design breakdowns, beta impressions, interviews, and video content, written primarily by Brandon "Wayward" Casteel with additional contributors. If you want design-level discussion of games like Company of Heroes, Command & Conquer-style titles, or historical RTS, this is the kind of site to read; if you need news, patch notes, or a general gaming database, it is not that.

What the site covers

The published work clusters around a few recurring subjects:

  • Genre definition and theory — for example, an article distinguishing RTT from RTS, arguing that RTT centers on troop positioning and immediate engagements while RTS emphasizes economic growth and broader strategic planning. It uses games such as Wargame and World in Conflict as illustrations and asks what RTS can learn from RTT.
  • Faction design — pieces on how Company of Heroes 3 builds faction identities, including a dedicated article on the Deutsches Afrika Korps faction.
  • Systems and mechanics — a discussion of status effects (mind control, stun, fire) in real-time strategy games, and a piece arguing that "RNG vs Skill" framing limits design discussion.
  • Impressions and interviews — beta impressions of Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin, a re-shared Tempest Rising interview, and a historical RTS overview of War Wind.
  • Video and commentary — including a piece titled "The RTS Masterminds Are Back!"

Who writes it

Brandon "Wayward" Casteel is the main author and the name behind the site. Other contributors also publish there, such as Felipe Eduardo Gonzalez Argañaras (Company of Heroes faction articles) and Johaggis (the RNG design piece). Articles carry both author names and publication dates.

How to use it

  • If you are studying RTS/RTT design, start with the RTT-vs-RTS definition article and the status-effects discussion; they are the most conceptual entries.
  • If you follow Company of Heroes 3, the faction-identity and Afrika Korps articles are the relevant cluster.
  • If you want broader genre context, the historical RTS piece on War Wind and the Tempest Rising interview cover older and upcoming titles respectively.
  • If you prefer watching over reading, the site also lists video content.

What to expect and what not to

Expect opinionated, design-oriented writing with named authors and dates, organized into categories such as Games, Game Design, Contributors, Overviews, Technology, and Videos. The site's own navigation shows pagination ("Older posts"), so the archive extends beyond the front page.

The available site information does not specify a publication schedule, editorial policy, or full staff list, and it does not state whether any content sits behind a subscription. Terms like "subscribe" and "subscription" appear as signals on the site, but no pricing links or payment platforms are listed in the material reviewed here, so treat access terms as unconfirmed and check the site directly before assuming anything is free or gated.