Research-backed game lineage

Worms

Worms is included in the Series Atlas after independent recognition and an authoritative game-by-game roster audit. Editions, simple ports, DLC, bundles, canceled projects, and cameo-only appearances are excluded.

18 curated games 1995–2020 release span 0 connected branches
Worms coverWorms 2 coverWorms Armageddon coverWorms World Party coverWorms Blast cover

Genre profile

Primary-root profile.

2 primary-root changes across the researched chronology.

Observed shapeStrategy18 researched entries
Primary roots
Frameworks

Subgenres representedTurn-Based Tactics 5Logic Puzzle 1

Entry points

Starting points.

Use the researched chronology, ratings, and remake relationships to select a starting title.

Chronological startWormsMainline · 1995Highest ratedWorms 2: ArmageddonMainline · 2009Most recent mainlineWorms RumbleMainline · 2020Remaster routeWorms: Ultimate MayhemRemaster · 2011

Release chronology

All researched entries.

Ordered by researched series position, then original release date. Ports, DLC, and duplicate editions are intentionally excluded.

Primary root

18 games in this lineage

01 Worms cover
Mainline1995

Worms

Worms is a turn-based strategy game that combines tactical decision-making with elements of randomness. Players control teams of worms and take turns using a wide range of weapons and tools to defeat opposing teams, resulting in varied gameplay outcomes. The game offers numerous possible strategies and scenarios, contributing to high replayability. While the basic mechanics are simple, players may require some time to become familiar with controls, weapons, and tactics. Worms supports both single-player and multiplayer modes. Team17 planned on producing Worms for the Virtual Boy back in 1995. Though after a few weeks, they cancelled this plan due to the lack of interest of the publisher and the expected failure of the Virtual Boy.

Jun 1, 199578/100
02 Worms 2 cover
Mainline1997

Worms 2

Worms 2 is a turn-based strategy game, with each team moving in a randomly determined sequence across two-dimensional terrain. During a single turn, a team can only move one of its worms. Worms can crawl and jump, as well as swing by ninja-rope, parachute, teleport, and bungee when the appropriate items are available. The objective of a traditional match or campaign mission is to defeat all opposing teams by killing their worms. When hit with a weapon, the worm will lose health depending on the power of the weapon and the directness of the hit. A worm can be killed either by having its health reduced to zero or being knocked into the water around and below the level.

Dec 31, 199781/100
03 Worms Armageddon cover
Mainline1999

Worms Armageddon

Those intrepid invertebrates return with a vengeance in the much-loved Worms Armageddon. It’s a whole new can of worms! It’s hilarious fun that you can enjoy on your own or with all your friends. Worms Armageddon was originally developed as an expansion pack to Worms 2 and initially titled Wormageddon before it was released as a standalone game. Worms Armageddon was acclaimed by critics, who praised the refined gameplay and stylized graphics, and it has been featured in a number of "greatest games of all time" lists. Worms Armageddon is still updated periodically as of 2020, and was released on the Steam platform in 2013.

Jan 29, 199983/100
04 Worms World Party cover
Mainline2001

Worms World Party

Worms World Party is an artillery game, which is a type of Turn-based strategy game. Like its predecessors, Worms World Party involves controlling a team of worms and using a collection of weaponry to eliminate the opposing team(s). The worms can walk and jump around and use tools such as the ninja rope and parachute to move to otherwise unreachable locations. The worms have an arsenal of dozens of weapons, ranging from longbows to bazookas and from fireballs to Holy Hand Grenades.

Apr 6, 200182/100
05 Worms Blast cover
Mainline2002

Worms Blast

Worms Blast is a puzzle game similar in concept to Puzzle Bobble, with several important distinctions and gameplay features taken from Worms games. Instead of releasing and matching bubbles, the player has to color blocks on a hexagonal grid. Unlike most Bust-A-Move variants, the player character can move right and left, sailing in a boat. Various weapons, such as bazooka, grenades, dynamite, and others, can be used to fire at the blocks, coloring them on impact. Like in the main, artillery-based Worms games, holding down the fire button increases the power of the weapon, affecting the distance it travels.

Dec 6, 20022.6/5
06 Worms 3D cover
Mainline2003

Worms 3D

Join the party as worm battles ensue across 3D worlds. Worms 3D pits four players--each with a customizable team of worms--against one another in fully deformable landscapes. All the bizarre weapons from the Worms series--including Banana Bomb, flying Super Sheep, Earthquakes, Air Strikes, and Holy Hand Grenade--appear for your destructive pleasure. Wreak havoc in turn-based multiplayer action or unlock landscapes, sound sets, challenges, and secret missions in the immersive single-player mode.

Oct 31, 200376/100
07 Worms Forts: Under Siege cover
Mainline2004

Worms Forts: Under Siege

Worms Forts: Under Siege is a turn based strategy game by Team 17 which worms must destroy the enemy team or their stronghold

Nov 19, 200457/100
08 Worms 4: Mayhem cover
Mainline2005

Worms 4: Mayhem

The Worms series continues with Worms 4: Mayhem. You can engage in the turn-based combat that the series has become known for across predesigned or random 3D maps. Worms 4: Mayhem delivers new weapons as well as more customization options, allowing you to design your teams and the arsenal that they use. You can unlock bonuses in the 25-mission story mode or play online against up to four other players.

Jul 29, 200561/100
09 Worms: Open Warfare cover
Mainline2006

Worms: Open Warfare

Worms: Open Warfare is an artillery strategy game.[2] It was developed by Team17 and published by THQ for the PlayStation Portable and Nintendo DS.[1] There are several other Worms video games in the Worms series. The game marked Team17's return to its 2D roots.[2] The game spawned a sequel, Worms: Open Warfare 2, which is also available on Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable. In Worms: Open Warfare, the player takes control of an army of worms. The goal of the game is to defeat the opposing army through reducing the health points of enemy worms using various types of weaponry while avoiding friendly fire and other obstacles. The weapons and gadgets you use in battle include grenades, homing missiles, bazookas, cluster bombs, banana bombs (a Worms staple), dynamite, air strikes, shotguns, and many more. You can also choose from a variety of settings to battle in and make your own schemes and teams. The game is played in rounds with each worm starting with 100 hit points. Each team takes turns controlling one of their worms. The player is usually allocated 60 seconds per turn to move their worm around the battlefield and attack the opponent worms, though this time limit is customisable when playing non-career games. Only one attack is allowed per turn. In addition to timing individual player turns, each round has a 20-minute time limit. If the round timer runs down to 0:00 before a team claims victory, every worm's HP drops to 1, creating a sudden death scenario. During the course of a round, crates containing health or weapons will occasionally drop and the water level will rise.

Mar 17, 200660/100
10 Worms: Open Warfare 2 cover
Mainline2007

Worms: Open Warfare 2

"Worms: Open Warfare 2 features a ton of single player content, new multiplayer modes like Forts mode and Race mode and of course you can customize teams and schemes to your heart’s content. On Nintendo DS the gameplay takes place spread over both screens, there is full support for all wireless modes including Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and the included landscape and flag editors are designed specifically for touch screen use. The Nintendo DS exclusive Laboratory mode features three types of experiments; Blow, Blast and Draw. Blow asks you to guide a parachuting worm to the exit by controlling the airflow in the level, Blast sees the player making explosions on screen to blast their worm to the exit and Draw allows players to draw directly onto the landscape to save a worm from being blasted into the water."

Aug 30, 200776/100
11 Worms 2: Armageddon cover
Mainline2009

Worms 2: Armageddon

Worms 2: Armageddon is a 2D artillery turn-based tactics video game developed by Team17 and part of the Worms series, released on July 1, 2009 on Xbox Live Arcade. The game is a follow up to the 2007 Worms game, which in-turn was a port of 2006's Worms: Open Warfare.

Jul 1, 200986/100
12 Worms Crazy Golf cover
Mainline2011

Worms Crazy Golf

Worms Crazy Golf is a hilarious mixture of the explosive action of Worms and the puzzle-based challenges of crazy golf! All of the trademark Worms humour, comic violence, and cartoon visuals are present, combined with addictive yet accessible golf gameplay. With extensive and re-playable single-player options, and hot-seat multi-player for up to 4 players, this is not just a load of balls.

Sep 3, 201157/100
13 Worms: Ultimate Mayhem cover
Remaster2011

Worms: Ultimate Mayhem

Worms: Ultimate Mayhem is a 3D turn-based strategy game featuring content from both Worms 3D and Worms 4: Mayhem. The shift to 3D gameplay introduces new mechanics and tactical options compared to earlier 2D titles. The game includes over 70 single-player missions and challenges, along with local and online multiplayer for up to four players across five different modes. It features fully destructible environments, customization options for characters and weapons, and support for Steam Achievements. This version also includes updated visuals, gameplay improvements, and additional content, combining elements from two previous games in the series.

Sep 28, 201165/100
14 Worms Revolution cover
Mainline2012

Worms Revolution

Worms Revolution is the latest game in the classic turn-based strategy series to come to the PC, featuring exciting new features and beautiful 3D graphics whilst retaining the classic 2D gameplay that fans love. Choose to play the extensive single player mode which features both campaign and puzzle missions or dive straight into multiplayer warfare via online or local play. For the first time ever see the inclusion of dynamic water, physics objects and worm classes! Customize your experience by choosing what classes you play with, what they look like and even how they speak!

Oct 9, 201269/100
15 Worms 3 cover
Mainline2013

Worms 3

Worms 3 is the latest in the award-winning series. Worms is a chaotic turn-based strategy game laced with dark humor.

Aug 8, 201340/100
16 Worms World Party Remastered cover
Remaster2015

Worms World Party Remastered

Imagine taking the perfect online gaming experience and one of the most popular Worms games ever made, adding a touch of Steam achievements, leaderboards, cloud saves, full controller support; a little sprinkle of 1080 / 60FPS, and you have Worms World Party Remastered!

Jul 16, 201555/100
17 Worms W.M.D cover
Mainline2016

Worms W.M.D

The worms are back in their most destructive game yet! With a gorgeous, hand-drawn 2D look, brand new weapons, the introduction of crafting, vehicles and buildings plus the return of some much-loved classic weapons and gameplay, Worms W.M.D is the best worms experience ever.

Aug 23, 201674/100
18 Worms Rumble cover
Mainline2020

Worms Rumble

Welcome to Worms Rumble, the first ever Worms game to feature real-time combat! Dive into epic 32-player Battle Royale and Deathmatch modes with full multi-platform cross-play as you fight to be the last worm standing!

Dec 1, 202060/100

Sources and method

Built from the public record.

Membership is researched from external official and independent sources. Mainline games, direct spin-offs, remakes, remasters, and standalone expansions are included; DLC, simple ports, duplicate editions, compilation-only duplicates, rumors, cancellations, and cameo-only crossovers are excluded.

  1. database Worms collection — IGDB

    IGDB maintains a distinct collection record for Worms and supplies the authoritative roster used for membership verification.

  2. reference List of best-selling video game franchises

    The independent catalog recognizes Worms as a multi-game franchise and supports its inclusion in this major-series research sweep.