No Plan B
Review

No Plan B (2021) is a tactical role-play game where you plan missions to neutralise various threats. Unusually, you don't directly control your team during the action. Instead, you plan orders for them ahead of time then watch as they execute your commands in the line of fire.

Play involves a planning phase viewed from above, where you pick which weapons and armour each of your team has. You then give each of them minute-by-minute orders to move, open doors, shoot weapons, throw grenades. The novelty is that you can move back and forth in time during this planning phase to see how different orders interact with each other. You then watch the mission play out in real time and in 3D as your team take on the different threats and scenarios.

Every choice you make, however small, has an impact on the outcome of the mission. These choices extend beyond simple movement to deciding your squad’s entry points, and how stealthy they will be in their movement. You also need to take care on your use of firearms, armour and grenades, particularly as it doesn’t replenish between missions.

As you progress you can select a different path of missions on the map, each with specific rewards. Completing whole campaigns earns your team experience, stats and perks to take on more difficult challenges. Take on different missions with different stakes, rescue hostages or prep for a bank heist (we’re not judging). There are also quick single missions and the ability to create and share your own.

The result is a streamlined tactical challenge with a no-fuss interface that lets you focus on the wide-ranging mechanics and deep tactical layers.

Our examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked No Plan B 24 months ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 17 months ago.