Elemental Domination

Elemental Domination is a turn-based strategy game developed by Iron Sigil Studios and released in 2023 for personal computers and tablet devices. The game is set in a fictional world where four elemental factions—Pyre (fire), Tidal (water), Zephyr (air), and Terra (earth)—compete for control of a procedurally generated map. Each faction possesses unique units, structures, and resource mechanics tied to its element. The objective is to eliminate all opposing factions by capturing their central elemental core, a structure that generates the primary resource known as essence. Essence is used to summon units, construct buildings, and activate faction-specific abilities. The map is divided into hexagonal tiles, each with a terrain type that influences movement, combat, and resource generation. The game supports single-player campaigns, skirmish matches against artificial intelligence, and online multiplayer for up to four players. Victory is achieved through total conquest or by holding a majority of elemental nodes for a set number of turns. The game does not include a narrative campaign; instead, it focuses on strategic depth and faction asymmetry.

Gameplay proceeds in sequential turns. Each turn consists of a planning phase and an execution phase. During the planning phase, a player issues orders to all units and structures. Orders include movement, attack, construction, and ability activation. The execution phase resolves all orders simultaneously, with combat outcomes determined by a deterministic damage formula based on unit stats, terrain modifiers, and elemental affinity advantages. The interface is divided into a main hexagonal grid view, a command panel on the right side, and a resource bar at the top. To select a unit, a player clicks or taps on its tile. The command panel then displays available actions, such as move, attack, or use special ability. Movement is indicated by highlighting reachable tiles in blue. Attacking requires selecting an enemy unit within range, shown in red. Building construction is performed by selecting a builder unit and choosing a structure from a menu. The game uses a drag-and-drop system for issuing move orders on touchscreen devices. The camera is controlled by arrow keys or swipe gestures. A turn ends when a player presses the end turn button, located in the lower right corner of the screen. The game provides a tooltip system activated by hovering over any interface element.