Diplomacy is Not An Option Review — War is Likely

Diplomacy is Not An Option is a newly released wave-survival city builder that I’ve had the pleasure of tracking and playing during its Early Access development. With a special focus on tower defense mechanics, Diplomacy is Not An Option might be the niche title you’re looking for, though certain aspects of the game may feel dated compared to other new titles in the genre.

As I mentioned, Diplomacy is Not An Option falls into the “tower defense” or “horde builder” genre. This type of game has been around since early titles like Stronghold Crusader but recently re-entered the public consciousness with They Are Billions. These games challenge you to manage resources and build a city that can survive waves of enemy attacks, often requiring you to manage civilian and military production chains simultaneously. The genre combines strategy, tower defense, and city building; I would say Diplomacy is Not An Option focuses more on the latter two than on the former.

Diplomacy is Not An Option doesn’t offer much variety in its city-building aspect. There’s a fairly limited amount of buildable structures, a simple economy system, and no variation in placeable buildings. The game doesn’t want you to focus too much on the city-building side of its mechanics.

However, we are still building a city, and I can’t imagine a city builder player not wanting to create an aesthetically pleasing city. It’s more or less the whole point—you want to make a city you enjoy looking at. That’s at least 50% of the fun in the game. If you didn’t want to build a city and immerse yourself in some kind of fantasy, these games would use colored blocks instead of buildings.

It feels dated that Diplomacy is Not An Option doesn’t offer alternative looks for buildings. Other than rotating them, there’s nothing you can do to make your buildings stand out. This was a gripe I also had with Cataclysmo. Still, that game innovates with a Lego-block style system that allows you to build your settlement in a unique way, somewhat compensating for the lack of visual diversity.

This isn’t to say that you can’t make a good-looking city in Diplomacy is Not An Option. It’s also not to disparage the work that went into the base models, which are simple and charming Italian-like homes, businesses, and forts that dot the landscape. It seems like your city’s beautification and aesthetic cohesion were an afterthought.

This lack of interest in deeper city-building mechanics reflects the type of game Diplomacy is Not An Option wants to be.

The game puts particular focus on its tower defense and wave survival mechanics. Featuring a variety of units (both friendly and enemy), some special player god-powers, and a range of difficulty options, Diplomacy is Not An Option prioritizes combat against endless hordes above all else.

A wide selection of difficulty options creates diverse enemy types and scenarios, ranging from zombies to rebellious peasants to invading knights, each with distinct gameplay mechanics and stats. What the game lacks in complex city-building mechanics, it makes up for with strategic depth.

One thing I appreciate about Diplomacy is Not An Option is its emphasis on building troops over walls and static defenses. Yes, those are a crucial part of your city’s defense, but the game won’t let you survive with just a handful of infantry and some Tesla towers. Instead, it pushes you to rapidly expand your population, draft them into war, and prepare to lose hordes of soldiers, burying them in mass graves before the next attack.

Though it was often hard for me to get there, the late game in Diplomacy is Not An Option can be a thrilling clash of hundreds or thousands of units battling in the streets. However, I rarely made it that far—my preferred difficulty usually leaves me defeated by the third wave. Still, I enjoy it all the same.

Other titles in the genre offer more unique approaches to their settings and mechanics. For example, They Are Billions has a stronger zombie apocalypse theme (although Diplomacy is Not An Option also has a zombie mode), and Cataclysmo has a unique base-building mechanic with a Lego-block philosophy. Manor Lords features an advanced city-building system with smaller, less frequent invasions. While these games stand out for their unique mechanics, Diplomacy is Not An Option narrows its focus to excel in tower defense.

Diplomacy is Not An Option is not the best city-building game. If your goal is to create a beautiful city and immerse yourself in a complex economy, you won’t find that here. Nor will you find the most visually striking tower defense game or the most innovative tower defense mechanics. But you will find a game that focuses on the fun of tower defense horde survival, adds a good amount of statistical depth, and is decent enough in other areas that you won’t mind where it falls short.

Try Hard Guides received a PC review code for this game. Find more detailed looks at popular and upcoming titles on our Game Reviews page! Diplomacy is Not An Option is available on Steam.