War Groups

War Groups - Play Online

Imagine S.T.A.L.K.E.R. meets a mobile strategy game—that's War Groups in a nutshell. You're dropped into the Zone, that radioactive hellscape we all know from the legendary PC franchise, but this time you're managing squads instead of scavenging solo. Your mission? Capture over 15 sectors crawling with mutants and anomalies, destroy rival factions, and become the undisputed warlord of the wasteland. Pick your crew—Stalkers, Bandits, Military, or Sectarians—and dive into tactical resource management where every decision counts.

Key Features

• 10+ Unique Factions: Choose from Stalkers, Bandits, Military, Sectarians, and more—each with distinct units and playstyles.
• 15+ Sector Map: A sprawling Zone filled with anomalies, mutants, and hostile territories to conquer.
• Real-Time Alliances & Wars: Team up with other players or backstab them when the moment's right.
• Artifact Trading Economy: Hunt rare artifacts and trade equipment to strengthen your squad between raids.

How to Play War Groups

Getting started is easy—dominating the Zone is where things get brutal.

Build Your Squad from Scratch

You start by recruiting units using RUB (the in-game currency, yes, actual rubles). Each fighter has a portrait, stats, and gear slots. Some are locked behind levels, others are straight-up dead until you revive them. You'll tap portraits, assign weapons like the AKS-74U, check their radiation protection, and prepare them for deployment. There's a timer for recruitment unless you skip it with an ad—typical mobile fare, but it keeps the pacing deliberate.

Navigate the Zone and Survive Blowouts

The tactical map is your battlefield. You'll see sectors marked with icons, enemy positions, and a countdown timer for the next blowout (those deadly radioactive storms). Click on locations to send squads for scavenging or combat. The game runs in semi-real-time—your units gather resources while you're offline, but you need to check in to claim loot, dodge anomalies, and react to rival attacks. There are ad-boosted shortcuts everywhere for instant money or time skips, which honestly gets pushy after a while.

Upgrade Gear and Expand Your Territory

Every successful raid nets you artifacts, equipment, and currency. You'll dive into inventory screens to equip better armor, swap out guns, and boost stats like accuracy and speed. The endgame is territorial dominance—capture all sectors by overwhelming enemies with superior firepower and strategic alliances. Form pacts with other players, then break them when convenient. It's ruthless and satisfying if you're into slow-burn strategy.

Who is War Groups for?

This is for mid-core strategy fans who loved the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. universe but want something on their phone during commutes. If you're 25-40, enjoy managing resources over twitchy combat, and don't mind waiting on timers (or watching ads), you'll feel right at home. Not for kids—the post-apocalyptic vibe is grim, and the progression demands patience. Hardcore action junkies might find it too slow, but tactical thinkers will appreciate the depth.

The Gameplay Vibe

It's methodical, almost meditative. You're not dodging bullets—you're planning raids, checking timers, and optimizing loadouts. The visuals lean heavily into that dirty Eastern European post-apocalypse aesthetic: grey skies, rusted UI borders, Cyrillic fonts. It's low-to-mid fidelity, clearly built for mobile with simple 2D assets, but the grunge style hides the technical limits well. There's no voice acting I noticed, just ambient wasteland sounds. It nails the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. atmosphere on a budget, though it feels more like a tribute than something truly original.

Technical Check: Saves & Performance

The game saves your progress automatically through your browser or app data, so you won't lose squads if you close the tab. Just don't wipe your cache. Performance-wise, it's optimized for mobile—runs smooth even on older Android devices. The UI is designed for thumbs, though it works fine with a mouse on desktop. Loading times are minimal, probably because the assets are pretty lightweight.

Quick Verdict: Pros & Cons

War Groups delivers a solid tactical experience if you're craving Zone vibes on the go, but the monetization can feel aggressive.

• ✅ Pro: Captures the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. atmosphere surprisingly well for a mobile game.
• ✅ Pro: Deep enough faction and trading systems to keep you planning your next move.
• ❌ Con: The constant ad prompts and timer skips get annoying fast—it's built to push microtransactions hard.

Controls

Responsive and straightforward. The mobile-first design shows, but it's totally playable on both platforms.

• Desktop: Point and click through menus, drag to navigate the map. Simple mouse controls.
• Mobile: Tap to select units, swipe the map, hold to view details. Touch-optimized UI.

Release Date & Developer

Developed by Mirra Games and released on December 24, 2025. It's a recent entry clearly targeting the post-apocalyptic strategy niche on mobile platforms.