Balancing Units: The Key to Strategic Depth

Before designing the Mercenaries game mode, it was crucial to properly balance all units in Toy Tactics to establish a fair and strategic foundation. To do this, I first conducted an in-depth analysis of the game’s core mechanics and design pillars, ensuring that any balance adjustments aligned with the intended gameplay experience.

A key challenge was maintaining faction diversity while upholding a clear tier-based power structure, where each unit tier had to be three times stronger than the previous one. At the same time, every faction needed distinct strengths to promote unique playstyles.

Once the balancing framework was defined, I ran battle simulations across different unit types, factions, and scenarios, fine-tuning stats to ensure that all units followed the established balancing rules while preserving strategic depth. This process laid the groundwork for a fair yet dynamic experience, in the main game, multiplayer and in the Mercenaries mode.

Designing Mercenaries Gamemode

My primary responsibility in Toy Tactics was to conceptualize, design, and implement the Mercenaries game mode. 

The core idea was to merge Toy Tactics’ mechanics with the strategic chaos of Totally Accurate Battle Simulator (TABS), creating a fresh and engaging experience.

To achieve this, I conducted in-depth research by playing TABS, analyzing how it made player choices meaningful, ensured a clear sense of progression, and maintained an entertaining gameplay loop. 

Using these insights, I carefully structured the pacing of Mercenaries levels, ensuring a balanced flow between challenge and reward. Additionally, I set unit costs, designed most of the levels and encounters, and fine-tuned the experience to keep it engaging while preserving the core appeal of Toy Tactics.