Tactical Breach Wizards is everything it says on the tin and so, so much more.

Developed by Tom Francis and the many other talented folks at Suspicious Developments, the core fundamentals of the game's design will be immediately familiar to anyone already experienced with Francis's work. Dry humor, written with enough sincerity to sell the drama of the situation? Check. Systemically complex gameplay housed in a simple, understandable interface? Check. Shoving enemy combatants out of windows? You betcha, check.

Players step into the role of Jen, a private detective witch in a modern, urban fantasy setting. On a job gone haywire, Jen winds up reconvening with an old friend and soldier-buddy, a navy seer (pun intentional) named Zan, who is on a quest to prevent an old partner of his from sparking a cataclysmic war. The unlikely heroes begin a globe-trotting trek that features a delightfully oddball cadre of characters - from a druid assassin who turns into a dog to a necromancer medic to a teleporting riot priest-turned-rebel to a jerk-ass traffic warlock. (His name is Steve, and he is awful in the best ways.)

The characters and their dialogue alone could easily sell the game, but Tactical Breach Wizards's secret weapon is its world-building and storytelling. Not only is every character delightfully deep and charismatic, but the world they occupy is surprisingly well thought-through. Like a Tom Clancy novel by way of Terry Pratchett, it's entirely probable you'll hit a point in the game's back half where the political machinations of the main villain hit you all at once. Not content with merely being funny, Tactical Breach Wizards is actually a damn well written techno-thriller, albeit one strung along by cantrips instead of speculative military tech. Even the ending, which at first blush seems a little anticlimactic, winds up giving all of its characters unique epilogues which really rounds out the whole experience in the best of ways.

On that note, it's a narrative that only works as a game, slowly layering in crucial story beats to the campaign through the introduction of bespoke mechanics. One of the many delights of Tactical Breach Wizards is that new mechanics stack on top of one another in creative and interesting ways. While any given ability has some punch to it, the real joy is how their magic manipulates both the battlefield and the placement of combatants inside it. Slowly but surely, the game teaches you how to deal with different types of enemies using different abilities in conjunction, doubling down on experimental play with a forgiving rewind feature that encourages the player to try new strategies. What's most impressive about the game's design is that these teaching moments never stop happening, surprising you with new twists on old ideas right up until the very last level.

I could nitpick, gesture towards some of the humor falling a little flat now and then or how players should be given the option to toggle off the optional objectives in the UI, but honestly? I don't want to. Suspicious Developments have absolutely nailed this project, and I'm kind of in love with it. I'll even go as far as to say that Tactical Breach Wizards is their best game, and that's impressive, given the design of Gunpoint or the scope of Heat Signature. Even if tactical games or puzzle games aren't your thing usually, I strongly encourage you to try out Tactical Breach Wizards. Games this imaginative don't come around often.