After a year and a half in Early Access, Urban Strife has finally reached its 1.0 launch. White Pond Games’ turn-based strategy certainly won me over – but that doesn’t mean the game is without flaws.

The story unfolds in the aftermath of a deadly epidemic that has transformed much of humanity into zombies. The infected roam the wasteland, posing a constant threat to the remaining survivors. Unfortunately, the living are often just as dangerous. Cultists, soldiers and ruthless gangs make survival every bit as challenging as the undead.

Burn zombies! Burn!

You begin as an unnamed patient transported from a laboratory in the collapsing city of Atlanta. When the convoy crashes, you’re rescued by an inhabitant of Urban Shelter – the last relatively safe haven left standing. When you enter this place, it becomes clear that your arrival was no coincidence.

In fact, Urban Shelter needs you as much as you need it. The settlement lacks capable defenders, its infrastructure is crumbling, and precious resources are desperately needed to keep it alive. As new companions join your ranks and additional survivors are recruited, your squad embarks on a series of engaging missions.

That lonely pizza box adds a touch of drama.

Urban Strife blends turn-based gameplay with base management, exploration, and survival mechanics. At its core, it’s a tactical combat game. You battle both zombies and hostile human factions. The encounters are absorbing and immensely satisfying, especially later in the campaign, when larger-scale firefights demand careful planning and your arsenal has finally caught up with the growing threat.

One of the title’s standout features is its realistic ballistic simulation. Every firearm behaves differently, but equally important is the cover your enemies hide behind. The material and its density determine whether bullets penetrate or stop short. Positioning, line of sight, and environmental awareness all play a significant role, rewarding players who think several moves ahead. A well-prepared ambush can reduce enemy numbers before the battle truly begins.

You scour both interiors and exteriors for zombies and other threats.

Of course, opening fire isn’t always the smartest option. When you’re outnumbered or hopelessly outgunned, stealth often becomes the better strategy. Characters can move at three different speeds: running, walking, or sneaking. Silent takedowns are possible using both conventional melee weapons, such as crowbars and screwdrivers, and more unconventional tools like… frying pans or rolling pins.

The combination of tactics and constant decision-making is easily the strongest aspect of Urban Strife. It’s just a shame that the enemy AI can be quite disappointing at times. Their behavior often falls into predictable patterns. For example, they’ll fire a shot, duck behind cover and disappear from view, only to repeat the exact same sequence moments later – over and over again.

Planks, cans, jerry cans, bottles of water… The real question is: where does he keep all of that?

Base management is another pillar of the experience. Urban Shelter starts off in a terrible condition and requires a steady stream of resources to restore its facilities. Refugees need food, medicine, and even morale-boosting comforts that offer a brief escape from the grim reality outside the walls. Nearly everything required to keep the settlement functioning must be scavenged during missions.

Managing loot is almost a game in itself. Every squad member has a limited carrying capacity, and overloaded characters suffer penalties – for example, they can no longer sprint. As your base expands, you’ll unlock new buildings and facilities that allow you to produce some essential resources yourself, reducing your dependence on scavenging.

Rolling pin and its practical uses.

The UI is one of the title’s greatest disadvantages. It feels cluttered, unintuitive, and often difficult to read. Important buttons are tiny and menus can be confusing. The meaning behind some icons is unclear, and highlighting them does not provide any additional information.

Visually, Urban Strife performs well, considering its indie origins. The environments are atmospheric, and the destructible scenery adds dynamism. That said, it’s hardly a graphical showcase. Character animations lack polish, environmental detail is inconsistent, and character models themselves are perhaps the weakest element. Zoom in close and many faces are almost completely devoid of detail. At the same time, characters’ portraits in the UI have an AI-generated look.

Post-apocalyptic love stories.

The audio does a respectable job. The soundtrack, ambient effects, and squad banter all contribute to the post-apocalyptic mood. However, the voice lines quickly become repetitive, and hearing the same combat shout several times in succession inevitably detracts from the experience.

Urban Strife is far from a polished AAA production. Its visuals and audio lack polish, the user interface needs refinement, and the enemy AI requires further improvement. Yet, if you’re willing to overlook those shortcomings, you’ll find an impressively deep and rewarding tactical experience underneath. Ultimately, games like this live or die by the quality of their gameplay, and White Pond Games has delivered where it matters most. The turn-based combat is engaging, thoughtful, and consistently satisfying, providing dozens of hours of strategic encounters that make the rough edges well tolerable.

Urban Strife is available now on PC.

Reviewed on PC.

A copy of Urban Strife was provided by the publisher.