Don't Kill Them All is a Strategy Gem That Deserves More Attention

It is a hard life being an orc. Your daily routine typically involves waking up, smashing puny creatures, and heading back to bed. But things get complicated when your warlord is furious because you got a little too enthusiastic during a raid and destroyed the very resources you were sent to steal. This struggle is the heart of Don't Kill Them All a clever new strategy title that tasks you with leading a band of easily-ragebaited marauders who need to learn some restraint.

The Delicate Art of Calculated Smashing

While the goal is to hoard resources, the gameplay loop forces you into a constant balancing act. Your orcs are effectively unkillable, but they are highly susceptible to losing their temper. Rage builds up when they take damage or witness the destruction of the spoils you are trying to claim. If the entire warband crashes out, your expedition ends in failure, and you walk away with nothing.

If you have ever played Into the Breach you will find the combat familiar, though the stakes are different. Instead of preventing the loss of human life, you are managing a tile-based grid to avoid environmental hazards like logs and rocks, or physically shoving enemies out of the way to ensure they don't accidentally ruin your loot. It is a game of positioning where the most efficient path to victory is rarely the most destructive one.

Managing the Devil's Bargain

The strategic depth really shines through in how you deploy abilities. Every time your orcs use an ability, their rage ramps up. This creates a recurring devil’s bargain: do you use your strongest attacks to clear the board, knowing it will make your orcs harder to control, or do you play conservatively? Because rage persists between encounters, you cannot simply brute-force your way through a campaign.

Expeditions operate on a time-management system reminiscent of XCOM. You have to carefully allocate your time between raiding, upgrading your base, crafting new equipment, and—perhaps most importantly—calming your orcs down with a relaxing mud bath or some herbal tea. It’s an engaging loop that marries a charming art style with the surprisingly grounded theme of orcs trying to figure out how to manage a society without breaking everything in sight.

Despite the solid core concept and a promising demo, Don't Kill Them All is currently seeing a low playercount in the double digits. For anyone looking for a fresh spin on the strategy genre in 2026, it is a hidden gem that is well worth a look.