Knightica brings grid-based strategy to iOS and Android autobattling

Knightica is trying to answer the biggest autobattler question on mobile: does the game happen before combat starts? Goblinz Studio’s turn-based roguelike auto-battler puts the real pressure on setup, asking players to recruit units, place them on a grid and build synergies before the fighting plays out on its own. That means the strategy is in the layout, not in tapping through the battle animation.

Instead of centering a single hero, Knightica uses grouped units and formation logic that should feel familiar to anyone who likes battlefield planning. Archers sit in the back line, cavalry can be pushed to the flanks, and the whole system is built around squeezing value out of positioning rather than reacting once the fight begins. The result is a structure that looks closer to a small-scale war room than a passive watch-and-wait autobattler.

That matters because Knightica is arriving with a clearer identity than many mobile strategy releases. The official description says players guide a warband through challenges to free the Kingdoms, while also recruiting powerful units and finding the best synergies. Shops, encounters, monsters, bosses, enchants and demonic souls all feed into the run, giving each attempt a different mix of choices before the game resets the board and asks for a new approach.

Goblinz Studio has already set a premium tone around the project. Its official page lists a release date of August 21, 2025, with the PC and console version priced at 14.99€, while Steam shows the game at $14.99. The studio also describes itself as a French team split between Luxembourg and Strasbourg, with only a few core members and fewer than ten freelancers depending on the project. That small-team setup fits the offbeat, tightly scoped feel of the game’s pitch.

The rollout has also moved beyond a simple mobile reveal. Mad Mango Games and Goblinz Publishing partnered for Knightica’s first-ever demo, which was announced on February 13, 2025, and the game has been positioned across PC and consoles as well as mobile. That broader release path suggests Goblinz is treating Knightica as a full strategy launch, not a stripped-down side project.

For players who bounced off autobattlers because they felt too hands-off, Knightica’s grid, formations and run-based structure are the hook. If it lands as advertised on iOS and Android, it could be the kind of mobile autobattler that finally makes the genre feel active, spatial and worth replaying.