Games Thursday : Stomping Grounds
Stomping Grounds is an addictive strategy/tactical casual game developed and released by aptly named Mind Control Software in 2006. Found out about Mind Control Software from a programming forum of all places 
The single player campaign follows Leo the Lion as he travels the world in search of his missing brother Lee. He must recruit new members to his herd to battle against other hostile animals which would block his way on his journey.
Each encounter with an enemy herd on the map (above) involves six consecutive bouts known collectively as a Stomping Ground (and hence the title) which will really put your strategical and tactical skills to the test. The tactical aspect of choosing the correct target for your animals during each round isn’t all that difficult but the selection of up to eight animals for each fight will pose a serious challenge to your resource management abilities, especially at the beginning when Leo starts with a tiny herd of raw recruits.
Since animals must spend the next round recovering their strength after fighting (animals knocked out during a bout spend the next two rounds recuperating), you have to decide on the number and type of animals to deploy for each round depending on both the quality and size of your opponents as well as the prize at stake which can be new recruitable animals or food for your herd. Strategic choices abound for this team management portion of Stomping Grounds – should you hold the stronger animals back for later rounds or stretch your available forces thin in an attempt to win every single round?
Since you do not always have the numbers necessary to fight with the full complement of eight animals for each round, deployment becomes very tricky indeed. Even when there is a choice between two prizes, you must decide whether to pick the animal or food since there is also the need to collect a set amount of food at each stomping ground. Food is also required for improving the fighting prowess of individual animals in your herd after each victorious stomping ground. Recruiting more animals to your herd makes it easier to field larger numbers per round but also increases the number of mouths to feed and consequently reduces the amount of food available for upgrading your fighters.
Skipping battles is also possible when you perceive a low chance of victory or wish to conserve your units for the upcoming rounds. Do remember that each bout that you win not only rewards you with the prize at hand but also gives you a key that unlocks one of six treasure chests at the end of each stomping ground for additional food and animals so skipping battles should only be resorted as a last-ditch tactic.
The trial version offers you one full hour of gameplay which should allow you to at least complete the savanna and jungles ares of Stomping Ground against the gazelles and baboons in the singleplayer campaign.
Download the trial version of Stomping Grounds or purchase the full version for 19.95 USD (~29 SGD).
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