Let’s travel back to 1995. It was the year of Chrono Trigger, Donkey Kong Country 2, and Warcraft II. It was also the year that Worms, a beloved turn-based strategy game featuring worms wielding weapons, was released.Created by Andy Davidson in 1993, the game was inspired by the classic 2D turn-based title Artillery. But, instead of tanks, players took control of worms. Well, eventually. When Andy first programmed the game, he used characters from the game Lemmings.
It wasn’t until he entered the game
into a competition (which he didn’t win, but people still enjoyed it) that he realized he couldn’t use those characters if he ever wanted to sell the game. Thus, the Lemmings were replaced with the now-iconic worm characters. The rest is, as they say, history.
Looking back at the history of Worms
The original Worms was eventually released in 1995 by published and developer Team17 for the Amiga. The game, and sequels of the Worms franchise, were eventually developed for other platforms.
Veterans of the series know that the Davidson and Team17 never take themselves too seriously and that honestly makes it one of the best reasons to play Worms. From Monty Python and the Holy Grail references to inside jokes about the creators, Worms is a colorful blast (literally!) to play.
Did you know that one of the staple weapons in the series, the Concrete Donkey, actually has a backstory? It is based on a real-life garden ornament from Andy Davis’ yard. Additionally, Mike’s Carpet Bomb was based on an actual store that was near Team17’s home office.
Alongside the humor embedded in every game, destruction and strategy are at the forefront of the Worms series. Players have to use the appropriate weapons and can even terraform the environment on their path to victory.
The Worms series is jam-packed with games, so come along as we open up this can of worms (sorry for the pun) and look back at some of the titles that have been released over the decades.
Best Worms games available on GOG.COM
If you are looking to revisit the series or check it out for the first time, you have plenty of games to choose from.
Worms United – this is where it all started! Well, sort of. Worms United includes both the original game from 1995 and Worms Reinforcements, an expansion pack for the original game. Control your teams of worms while using over 50 weapons to destroy the opponent. The Reinforcements add-on also added a level editor and full-motion video.
Worms 2 – if you exhausted all of the fun in the original Worms, it’s time to pick up Worms 2. It features everything that is loved from the original plus improved graphics and a level editor so you can make your own challenges in a fun, hot-seat multiplayer.
Worms: Armageddon – features a whopping 55+ weapons to cause mayhem with, plus 40+ campaign missions to keep you entertained for hours on end. Need to improve your Worms strategy? Make sure to check out the special training mode!
Worms Forts: Under Siege – this turns the classic Worms formula on its head! This Worms game requires you to protect your own castle while destroying the opposition, all in a wacky 3D world. You’ll build up your castle through four different eras, with each era featuring five different scenarios.
Worms World Party Remastered – a remaster of the 2001 title by the same name, this version improves the graphics and frame rate. It also includes a bunch of different gameplay modes to spice up your sessions and features almost 60 unique weapons.Worms W.M.D – the most recent game in the series, Worms W.M.D features really cool hand-drawn style graphics, and guest appearances from the stars of Goat Simulator, Saints Row IV, and more. You have over 80 weapons to destroy your opponents (and the environment!) and you can even craft weapons while your opponents take turns.
Worms Revolution – use four different classes (Soldier, Scout, Scientist, and Heavy) in a 2.5D environment to send the bad worms straight back to the dirt. As many titles have, this one also adds new weapons to use and features plenty of single-player and multiplayer goodness.
Worms Ultimate Mayhem – want to get into the mind of the worms you control? Ultimate Mayhem puts you in a 3D world where you can get right behind the barrel of the weapons you’ll use to create mayhem for the other team.
Worms Crazy Golf – want to take a break from blasting worms to smithereens? Worms Crazy Golf challenges you to a round of golf where collecting goals and getting high (or low, since it’s golf) scores can unlock new outfits, clubs, and balls.
Play Worms today for a blast from the past
Now is the perfect time to start playing Worms for the first time. It’s also the perfect time to revisit the series for a blast of nostalgia. What we’re saying is that it’s always the perfect time to play Worms! We could all use a few more laughs, and Worms provides plenty of them.
You can play it in single-player for hours on end or if you have friends (lucky you!), many of the games offer multiplayer through both online play and fun hot seat options. Because the game is turn-based, hot seat is especially fun as you can get in your friends’ heads while they try to line up the perfect shot.
All of the titles we mentioned above are available on GOG. That means that when you buy the games from us, they are yours to keep forever. No DRM restrictions or limitations. They are YOURS.
What do you think? What is your favorite Worms game or will you be trying them out for the first time? Let us know down in the comments! 