War of the Roses

War of the Roses is a 2012 multiplayer melee-combat game developed by Fatshark and published by Paradox Interactive for Windows. Set during the eponymous 15th-century English civil wars between the rival houses of Lancaster and York, it pits teams of players against one another in large, visceral medieval battles emphasising close-quarters combat with period weaponry, swords, axes, maces, polearms, bows and crossbows, alongside mounted combat on horseback. Its standout feature is a skill-based, directional melee system that demands timing, aiming and positioning rather than simple button-mashing, lending fights a tense, weighty and tactical feel, where armour, weapon choice and well-placed strikes matter. Players progress by unlocking and customising their knights' equipment, weapons and appearance across various combat roles. The game tapped into a niche appetite for authentic, large-scale medieval warfare uncommon in mainstream shooters. Critical reception was mixed-to-positive; reviewers praised the satisfying, brutal melee combat and authentic setting while criticising balance issues, a steep learning curve and technical rough edges. War of the Roses sits alongside titles like Mount & Blade and Chivalry in the medieval-combat niche, and it later led to a Napoleonic-era follow-up, War of the Vikings. It remains a notable entry in skill-based historical multiplayer combat. It was followed by a Viking-era spin-off, War of the Vikings, applying the same skill-based melee combat to a new setting.