Dust to the End
Dust to the End
Game
Game2018
Vigilantes
Developer Timeslip Softworks
Vigilantes is a combat focused, turn-based tactical RPG set in the crime riddled city of Reiker. The game offers hardcore squad-level combat in a gritty neo-noir setting, intel gathering through surveillance and interrogation, a detailed character system, base facilities, crafting, and more. From the Steam store page
263 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy, Mastodon) · newest Oct 25, 2026 · last updated Oct 25, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
81
LovedLoved
155 positive · 36 negative
95% range 75–86%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 155 | 36 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 9 | 1 | 60 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
224 of 272 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
81% recommend · 156 yes, 36 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 192 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (248 of 307 positive).
Players say Vigilantes captures the spirit of Jagged Alliance 2 and XCOM, but falls short in execution. [1][2][3] The game is praised for its base management, crafting, and character progression systems. [4][5][6] Many reviewers note the AI is predictable and combat becomes repetitive over time. [1][7][8]
Liked
Representative posts
- [18]
This game is getting great ratings, which is confusing to me. I was sold on the whole "Fallout meets XCOM" thing, but the gameplay is so rigid and robotic and the story is so trite that I'm having a hard time with it. You go out on missions to get intel, but there's no realistic set up to any of them. Contrary to XCOM, not only are all enemies immediately visable, but they know exactly where you are from the jump. …
- [1]
Finally, a game that actually captures the spirit and feeling of Jagged Alliance 2. Does it capture that feeling WELL? Not totally... but at least it tries. Allow me to explain: A lot of games that claim to be in the JA2 spirit focus exclusively on the tactical combat but don't include much of a strategic overworld game and don't even try to include memorable characters. Vigilantes at least attempts all three. …
- [5]
Rough, but very nice tb strategy, which I'm enjoying immensely. Setting is nice and systems (char progression, hq management, evolving enemies) well crafted - just enough to be rich but not overwhelming. Battles are a bit simple, but fast and fun. I'd love to see even more refined sequel one day.
- [13]
If you're a fan of games like Jagged Alliance 2, X-Com, or tactical turn based games in general, this is a no-brainer. It's an incredibly fun and unique gem, and I would've gladly paid a lot more for Vigilantes. Just buy it.
- [2]
Review by [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/34633003-Gaming-Masterpieces/] Gaming Masterpieces - The greatest games of all time on Steam. Is this game a masterpiece? No, but it is a rather good indie strategy title. Sometimes you find indie games you have never heard about before that really surprise you because of their good quality. This is one of them. The game is for single player only. It's core game …
Summarised from 34 of the 246 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 13, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Players who liked Vigilantes talk about good turn-based tactical combat with XCOM-style gameplay; those who didn't talk about aI is predictable and easy to exploit. Which matters more to you?
Reactions
60 of 263 · most liked firstFinally, a game that actually captures the spirit and feeling of Jagged Alliance 2. Does it capture that feeling WELL? Not totally... but at least it tries. Allow me to explain: A lot of games that claim to be in the JA2 spirit focus exclusively on the tactical combat but don't include much of a strategic overworld game and don't even try to include memorable characters. Vigilantes at least attempts all three. Tactical Combat: C+. AI is almost hilariously bad but the battles are short and you…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Review by [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/34633003-Gaming-Masterpieces/] Gaming Masterpieces - The greatest games of all time on Steam. Is this game a masterpiece? No, but it is a rather good indie strategy title. Sometimes you find indie games you have never heard about before that really surprise you because of their good quality. This is one of them. The game is for single player only. It's core game mechanic is very close to XCOM: Enemy Unknown. You fight enemies in…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →[url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/7871885/]Follow our curator page: OCG-Curations if you like and want to see more reviews like this one. Gameplay: 8/10 Story: 6/10 Sound: 7/10 Graphics: 8/10 Final Rating: 7.25 👍 Pros: 👍 Good Xcom-style gameplay Enjoyable Base Building Intel Gathering Meta-game Meaningful Crafting Shop improves alongside the player 👎 Cons: 👎 Barebones story Audio recordings are of various qualities Overview “Vigilantes” is an xcom style…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The old Villains & Vigilantes game would prompt you to invent a crazy theme for a character because you randomly rolled to determine your superpowers. So you might get Stretching and Ice Powers. And come up with a character named Snow Serpent or Sleeeet.
positive · AI labelView post →In our third Let’s Play episode of Citizen Vigilantes tie in game, we talk more than you might expect about beloved 80s character actor Judge Reinhold youtu.be/AUqjlLJv468
neutral · AI labelView post →This game is getting great ratings, which is confusing to me. I was sold on the whole "Fallout meets XCOM" thing, but the gameplay is so rigid and robotic and the story is so trite that I'm having a hard time with it. You go out on missions to get intel, but there's no realistic set up to any of them. Contrary to XCOM, not only are all enemies immediately visable, but they know exactly where you are from the jump. Additionally, their placement is seemingly random, it's a bit funny. Anyway,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Vigilantes! 📢 We have a very important update on The Vigilante Diaries: the game has been delayed for a bit. But it’s for a good reason: we are currently working on another unannounced project! 💪 Read the full update on Steam for all the information 👇 store.steampowered.com/news/app/284...
neutral · AI labelView post →For that price point (14€ at the time of writing), you are absolutely getting you're money's worth. The game is about what the title implies : fighting crime as a group of civilians, the end goal being taking down three gang leaders. For those familiar with SRPGs, the combat doesn't reinvent the wheel and reuses both old and new concepts (APs, interrupts, overwatch, turn delay, half/full cover, etc.). Other than that, it also uses some RPG elements such as skill checks during dialogs, perks and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Foreword: I didn't actually manage to finish the game. I fought the doomsday cult, and fought the mafia boss once, but that's it. The main problem with the game is that it just isn't fun. The story is alright, soundtrack is alright, graphics is alright, but the main gameplay is an absolute slog. Here's how every mission goes down: you enter an area, you get a choice to "reposition" (i.e. move like 5 spaces in), then the enemies swarms your position while your XCOM team does their best to hold…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A sloppy and shallow tactics game with glacial animations, a repetitive campaign, and an unsatisfying core feedback loop. I wanna like these games, but developers need to start meeting me halfway.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This badass drawing by Jeff Dee on the GM's screen from the Villains & Vigilantes box set is badass. I have a huge nostalgia love for this game because my friend in high school had it and we made a lot of characters for it. After finally playing it, the system is *troubled*. But that's ok.
neutral · AI labelView post →Players assume the role of Sam Contino, an idealist dragged down the rabbit hole of vigilantism as he works to bring down the three gangs that dominate Reiker City: the mafia, survivalists, and Church of the Final Exodus. Test your tactical thinking in battles in a variety of environments, against three distinct criminal gangs. Get up close and personal, taking down your opponents with hand to hand combat, or choose from a range of blunt and bladed weapons, from the humble hammer to a deadly…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's definitely ambitious with its aspirations to mimic Xcom in the world of Vigilantes, but it suffers in comparison. The biggest issue being the enemy AI making the encounters trivial. Best example is a mafia assassin standing in one spot throughout the whole encounter and trying to shoot a cop miles away - always missing as a result. The combat in general is lacking as it feels just plain and flat. Besides being good at certain things from the start your team doesn't really have any special…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Rough, but very nice tb strategy, which I'm enjoying immensely. Setting is nice and systems (char progression, hq management, evolving enemies) well crafted - just enough to be rich but not overwhelming. Battles are a bit simple, but fast and fun. I'd love to see even more refined sequel one day.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This isn't bad at first, but it has a strong browser-game sense of semi-completion that permeates the non-combat sections and the combat itself gets extremely repetitive extremely fast. Maps are repeated verbatim quite frequently and have little to no intelligence behind their design to begin with, character levelups and equipment upgrades make very little difference to the game, and the story makes very little sense. All in all, this is a game that does nothing new and nothing particularly…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Everybody knows about Villains and Vigilantes. Here’s where you can find every other RPG I’ve co-created, which are also very spiffy. Cavemaster, Bethorm, Quicksilver, and more! www.lulu.com/spotlight/un...
neutral · AI labelView post →All enemies immediately run towards you at first contact with any enemy of the map, and crowds you like a hoard of zombies, destroys any strategic combat element in the game. The AI has basic, if no intelligence at all. If they can fix that part, the game wouldn't be half bad.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hmm. I feel like I need to name the first five RPGs I played MORE THAN ONCE, because back in the day there was a lot to dabble in: 1. AD&D (I had the Holmes blue box but never actually used it to play a game) 2. Villains & Vigilantes 1E 3. Shadowrun 1E/2E [hiatus] 4. GURPS 3E [hiatus] 5. D&D 5E
neutral · AI labelView post →The 35 year rule is how the designers of Villains & Vigilantes (@JeffDee.bsky.social, @jackbherman.bsky.social) got back their game (but not the trademark to the title, sigh), and how Steve Jackson retrieved his first RPG, The Fantasy Trip, from limbo.
neutral · AI labelView post →If anyone has Meskin Vigilantes and a good scanner, I’m 16 (of 68!) short of having 600dpi scans of every Meskin Vig story. Also game to buy beat/incomplete copies with intact stories in.
neutral · AI labelView post →I wish there was a neutral button on Steam. The good: - The writing is good - The whole idea is original - Decent amount of items - Base management and especially the tactical map are fun - Weapon and item upgrades are fun - Nice music - Sounds (weapons especially) feel nice - Good drawn art - Skills and perks are well designed The neutral: - Graphics and animations feel way too generic. They are not ugly, they are just very plain (understandeable, since it's a small studio) - No character…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a provisional thumbs up. If your favourite part of squad-based RPGs is levelling characters and upgrading your base and gear, then Vigilantes will appeal to you. If your joy comes from facing off against a challenging AI, then you will be disappointed. The game looks good. Nothing fancy, but the tile sets and different gangs' wardrobes have enough variance to set the mood. The characters who make up your ragtag troop of heroes are familiar archetypes, well presented. As you move…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The other thing is you need an auctioneer who has good banter and knows what they're selling. I once got a great price for a box-set of Villains & Vigilantes with the line "If you want a game where you can throw heavy objects as far away as possible, this is the sort of object you'll want to throw."
neutral · AI labelView post →AD&D and Villains & Vigilantes. I remember the game SESSIONS fondly, but I'm not sure I'd want to play either one of them as written today. Now, after those came Shadowrun … and while Shadowrun 1E was pretty janky, I would absolutely give Shadowrun 2E another try. My memories of it are VERY fond.
neutral · AI labelView post →Played the most: GURPS as my GM was a writer and editor for SJG. GM’d the most: Villains and Vigilantes. Early superhero game where you rolled for powers, so you’d end up with weird power combos like Animal Control/Lightning/Telepathy. Fun nonetheless.
positive · AI labelView post →Bland, Boring Gameplay The premise is good but is held back by poor AI, a boring gameplay loop, and a grindy nature that does little to reward you. Vigliantes has a dark gritty atmosphere with the various screens looking ripped from a comic book. The rare voice-overs give your characters life and the combat is brutal. The bullets fling back fallen enemies and the crack of a bat looks painful as it hits. The UI can be a little offputting, as the planning map is horrible to look at it -- let…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Excellent turn based gameplay with good strategic layer. This game should feel comfortable to anyone used to turn based tactics without feeling derivative or old. The ability to upgrade you character in various ways with different perks is well balanced with no single choice feeling over powered or useless, so you can play this multiple times experimenting with how you arm and set up your characters. That said AI tactics are quite predictable and easy to overcome. They will wildly rush you…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What's So Cool About Vampire Vigilantes TECHNICALLY counts as a Christmas game. Promise.
neutral · AI labelView post →TL:DR? It's a decent TBS game that I do recommend despite its flaws. 7/10. What's Vigilantes? A turn based strategy game where you run a group of up to 7 vigilantes that are trying to take out 3 crime syndicates in a grid based city. Turn based combat, random events, base management, RPG leveling mechanics, gear and crafting. This game's got a little bit of just about everything you might expect or want from a TBS game, but it falls just short of great for a number of reasons. A little…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is literally what happens when you find developers who loved Jagged Alliance and XCom and fleshed out a city that is in need of deep cleaning. The combat system is fun, and very cover dependent (But done in a way that if you don't invest in good Melee you can easily find yourself screwed) with characters that have enough personality and care into them to want to change up your roster from time to time especially when taking on each faction. Like... Elena will seriously get mad at you if…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good idea, terrible execution. The game has some interesting features. But it also has the worst turn based combat in the history of gaming. I have never seen anything so bad. Enemies will just rush onto you like a horde of zombies right from the beginnning. A turn based combat game should be about tactical positioning and coordinated attacks. Here, you have neither. Instead, everything will be rushing towards the players blazing guns from the start. All maps look the same and you will have…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →9/10 or 4.5* It is a must have to any players who enjoy turn-based combat. Vigilantes is a hidden gem. It is an RPG with turn-based combat. The game is very easy to get into, has great depth and amazing repayability. I normally play a game only once doing all in one go. I have played 3 complete run so far. I enjoyed the game so much I invested over 100 hours to make an enormous guide, covering everything. The game has no bug. The developer is very active and replies very fast to anything…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Rolemaster for detail and flexibility, GURPS for genre-crossing, Villains & Vigilantes for character/player dualism, Traveller for character creation as a mini-game, Everway for system minimalism, D&D 3.5 for what it means for a game to be truly broken and why it matters.
neutral · AI labelView post →I would like to once again nominate my game, "What's So Cool About Vampire Vigilantes," a dark and irreverant WSCAOS Hack about being Immortal and Fed Up with Current Events. I will build my tower of Babel with these things. farmergadda.itch.io/whats-so-coo...
neutral · AI labelView post →The comic book based on a role-playing game based on a comic book! (Coming next Wednesday: VILLIANS AND VIGILANTES #1 -- see you then!)
neutral · AI labelView post →For consideration by this illustrious body, I submit "What's So Cool About Vampire Vigilantes" a game about killing the people responsible for society's woes and wow this is topical as fuck right now farmergadda.itch.io/whats-so-coo...
neutral · AI labelView post →There was so much product being cranked out that game store clearance bins were still crammed with Villains & Vigilantes and old school Traveller supplements into the mid-1990s.
neutral · AI labelView post →Ten games to get to know me: 1. Mr. Mouth 2. The Intellivision 3. Dungeon! The board game 4. Gamma World 5. Villains and Vigilantes 6. Steve Jackson’s Sorcery! 7. Dungeon Quest 8. Obscure 90s CCGs 9. The PlayStation 1 10. 2-player board games with my wife (Carcassonne The City, Trails, etc)
neutral · AI labelView post →I purchased this game on sale, as it looked like an interesting Strategy RPG. A few things which could greatly enhance the experience: 1. Better enemy variety. On most maps it was generic goon 1, 2 and a unique elite enemy. Even simply adding slight variants to models would have helped. 2. Better AI system. It was pretty often that the CPU got stuck or was moving between cover without doing anything, felt like playing against a bunch of mindless zombies, picking them off at range which became…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →IT would be a great game if they gave the computer Mobs an above zombie level AI.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you're a fan of games like Jagged Alliance 2, X-Com, or tactical turn based games in general, this is a no-brainer. It's an incredibly fun and unique gem, and I would've gladly paid a lot more for Vigilantes. Just buy it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The good: The gunfight is ok, not as good as Xcom but good. The building part is nice. Not very deep but good enough for this kind of game. The good, but... The gameplay is decent, gets a little repetitive but not terrible. The story is nice if it had been told in any other way than written boxes that you can only skip one at a time. There is a nice weapon system but there is very little possibility of taking advantage of it as the resources are mostly gotten by luck and the weapons aren't…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game promised a lot more than it could deliver on. The main problem was the lack of content. There is way less content than the developers promised and I felt honestly disappointed at the change. Gameplay that is there is repetitive and not all that fun. I will admit that the squad system was a good idea and the leveling system was quite fun, but they cannot outclass the negatives of this game. I would tell the developers to add more mission types and mechanics to allow for more diversity…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Totally engaging for anyone addicted to turn based tactical combat (JA2, wasteland, Xcom). You are gathering a squad (and funds ... And equipment..) to engage and destroy 3 criminal organizations in your city. There is some management, a strategic overlayer (that I feel should expanded and deepened). Good character improvement system. Tactical combat itself is logical, fast, entertainig. There is a very nice crafting system. Overall is it GREAT ? no, but close to it. It lacks the bells and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've also written stuff for Villains & Vigilantes and Tunnels & Trolls. Help keep a retired-from-his-day-job game designer in porridge and marmelade! There are free items here too! www.drivethrurpg.com/en/browse?ke...
neutral · AI labelView post →#ttrpg I've been playing ttrpg since '81 & have played a lot of different games over that time. Here are 25 games I've played, 1 per day, no comments or explanations, just a picture for each game (some games may appear multiple times w/different editions) Day 15 Villains & Vigilantes (FGU)
neutral · AI labelView post →Next up: Jack Herman and Jeff Dee's Villains and Vigilantes. This superhero game encouraged players to base their characters on themselves before providing the the characters with an assortment of randomly determined powers. This is an example of a game I played once, decided it wasn't my thing.
negative · AI labelView post →17. Funniest game you've played: Villains & Vigilantes, no contest. Make goofy superheroes, pit them against the GM's goofy supervillains, slug it out. No plot required. #RPGaDay2023 🎲
positive · AI labelView post →TLDR : If you love Turn Based Tactical this one is a winner. Starts out feeling very basic but picks up speed fast. Many new weapons and fun skill/perk additions as you progress.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's cute, but very limited in scope. Combat follows old school Fallout style with skills, stats, and perks to back it up. The game play loop involves entering an area for an immediate combat, auto looting your enemies, then going back to base for inventory management, leveling up, and base building improvements. I like the fact that leveling up is based entirely upon skill gain and that different types of actions in battle raise or lower ally relationships. Ultimately, the combat is bare bones…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I loved the ability to customize units and position them in X-Com but I wasn't so fond of the downtime and random insta-death firefights. I like melee characters in games like Shadowrun but it isn't optimized for them. Vigilantes closes in the fighting arenas a bit and makes melee useful so this is spot on for someone like me! I like the aesthetic and noir storytelling with a black sense of humor. I like that there's a million systems for added complexity which you can add or ignore as you…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is definitely not an RPG. It is basically an inferior Jagged Alliance Online clone. I love a challenge, but the game is out of balance and clunky. I feel like they released this game, to fund their upcoming full out RPG. Some people may get some enjoyment out of it, I have a pretty open mind and I will never waste another hour on it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If Xcom, Jagged Alliance and even Syndicate ring a bell, please make yourself a favor, buy this game and wishlist the next one. Labor of love with indeed a loop highly focused of combat but clearly a indie solo dev to support !
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Cool concept but poor execution. Balance and gameplay issues.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not an RPG. Yet another game that abuses the RPG tag, although this one does have RPG elements, notably some dialogue choices complete with skills dependency, and the unit progression of strategy games fleshed out to Fallout-like mechanics (including the same flaws.) So, after the initial disappointment from the absence of exploration, how does this tactical game fare? Well, the negative reviews are correct: it's grindy, repetitive, lacking in enemy variety, and the AI is confused and yet very…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Vigilantes is a turn-based strategy game where you move a squad of up to 4 people around a map, similar to games like XCOM. You start out alone, and recruit your team and allies along the way, while simultaniously upgrading your base for free resources and passive bonuses, and finding where the leaders of each of the three enemy groups are. I picked up this game for a big discount on chrono, not expecting much, but I found myself positively surprised at how well it played and how enjoyable it…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →X-com like tactics in a death wish-esque plot
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A turn based shooter (X-com like), an interesting take (small team of vigilantes vs various criminal gangs). Non-standard characters with fun introductions. The AI needs some work, and it desperatly needs a "group move" for bad guys that aren't attacking. But I enjoyed the playthrough. Don't expect a AAA game from a small indie studio at a budget price, and you can probably enjoy this. Zero crashes, lightning fast load times, decent post launch patches. Something the big studios could do…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I only played the game for about an hour or so, and I don't have much motivation to keep going for a couple of reasons: -While I don't expect the highest quality graphics, the textures look extremely muddy like it's for the browser. Maybe it was because I see the Facebook logo on the top right corner of the main menu. -Animations look very stiff with poor sound assets. -Voice acting is practically nonexistant despite the few words during combat and the cutscenes. -The tutorial feeds you a…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →4) Oblivious Game Cyberpunk Dystopia where Heroes are just figureheads and Vigilantes run the town Story wip, used to follow a married couple who love each other so much who didn’t know the other was a vigilante and are actually arch enemies Ocs: Kane, Nick, Brenda, Andrea, Comet(Jacob), Astrea
neutral · AI labelView post →
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