Auto battlers, originally known as “auto chess”, are a sub-genre of strategy games that feature chess-like elements where players place characters on a grid-shaped battlefield during a preparation phase. Once set, the characters fight the opposing team's characters without any further direct input from the player. Despite being one of the newest game genres, auto battlers have rapidly gained popularity.
In auto battlers, players and their opponents start with a random assortment of characters or units from a common pool. This ensures everyone has the same opportunities and is on an even playing field. The drafting style, inspired by trading card games like Magic: The Gathering, adds a layer of strategic depth as players form their teams.
After assembling their teams, players send their units into battle, where the game takes over, and the outcome is determined by the strategic placement and combination of units. The game plays out rounds where players can expand and adjust their teams based on the results.
Auto battlers draw inspiration from multiple genres. The drafting mechanism resembles that of trading card games, while elements from tower defense games and chess are also evident. The first significant auto battler was a mod for Warcraft 3 called Pokémon Defense, which involved building a team of Pokémon to fight opponents in a grid layout.
The breakthrough came with Dota Auto Chess, a mod for Dota 2 released in January 2019 by Drodo Studio. This game became immensely popular, eventually peaking at over 8 million players by May 2019. Valve, the developer of Dota 2, collaborated with Drodo Studio, resulting in both developing their standalone versions: Dota Underlords by Valve and Auto Chess by Drodo Studio.
Following the success of Dota Auto Chess, Riot Games released Teamfight Tactics (TFT) in June 2019 as a game mode for League of Legends. TFT introduced faster, more accessible gameplay, attracting a massive player base. Blizzard also entered the genre with Hearthstone Battlegrounds in November 2019, incorporating the mechanics into its card game Hearthstone.
Despite the initial hype settling, auto battlers like Teamfight Tactics and Hearthstone Battlegrounds remain popular, consistently featuring on streaming platforms like Twitch. These games have maintained their player base through continuous updates and familiar characters.
Independent games like Super Auto Pets have shown that new, standalone auto battlers can still succeed. Released in September 2021 by Teamwood Games, Super Auto Pets is simple yet strategically complex, making it accessible and appealing to new players.