Clans of the Forest costs $29.99 and early reviews land between 6.5/10 and 77/100. Here is who should buy it, who should wait, and why scores split.
Is Warrior Cats: Clans of the Forest Worth It?
Yes if you are a Warrior Cats reader who wants to live in the Lake Territories; wait if you are buying it as a standalone RPG. At $29.99, Clans of the Forest delivers a faithful, family-friendly adaptation with strong cat customization and a turn-based combat system that reviewers genuinely like. What it does not deliver is a deep RPG: early reviews agree the quest structure repeats, the story assumes book knowledge, and the main campaign runs about four hours.
This page pulls the published verdicts together so you can decide without reading four reviews.
Official source: Warrior Cats: Clans of the Forest on Steam and the official game page
Official Warrior Cats: Clans of the Forest screenshot via Steam.
What the reviews say
| Outlet | Score | Platform | Short verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Checkpoint Gaming | 6.5/10 "Decent" | Switch 2 | Faithful but assumes book knowledge |
| COGconnected | 77/100 | PC | Strong adaptation, shallow systems |
| Gaming Trend | No score published | Switch | "Go back and read the books instead" |
The spread is not noise. The three reviews disagree about what the game is for. Checkpoint Gaming and COGconnected treat it as an adaptation for existing fans and judge it on atmosphere, customization and combat. Gaming Trend judges it as a game first and finds the campaign structure, visuals and bugs hard to forgive.
The case for it
- The adaptation is sincere. COGconnected calls it a strong book adaptation with beautiful art design and a world that feels like the covers.
- Combat has real ideas. Gaming Trend lists stance-based combat as a genuine positive, and the turn-based system is the most consistently praised mechanic.
- Customization is deep. Both positive reviews highlight cat creation; Gaming Trend calls it a strong point too.
- It is family-friendly. The tone, subject matter and difficulty suit the age range the books are written for.
The case against
- Repetition. COGconnected: "shallow systems" and a "repetitive structure"; Gaming Trend: "copy-paste campaigns tire quickly".
- Story for newcomers. Checkpoint notes much of the plot "will be lost on newcomers", because the game treats the books as required reading.
- Technical polish. Gaming Trend cites "typos and glitches" and "profoundly ugly graphics"; the PC control scheme drew enough complaints that the studio issued a public response.
- Length. About four hours for one Clan route at full price.
Who should buy it now
- Long-time book readers. This is the closest thing to walking around the Lake Territories, and the four Clan routes each have their own prophecy storyline.
- Parents buying for a young fan. The game is aimed at the books' audience, and the turn-based combat is manageable. Check the age rating page first.
- Players who enjoy cat creation. The creator is the most universally praised feature.
Who should wait
- PC players without a controller. The launch control scheme is the weakest part of the PC version and a fix is in progress. Waiting costs you nothing.
- Players who want a 30-hour RPG. One route is roughly four hours; the rest is replay and decoration timers.
- Players who need technical polish. Reviews describe visible bugs and dated visuals at launch.
What $29.99 includes
The standard edition is the base game. The Feral Edition bundles extra content, and the Prophecy Pack is available to base-game owners as a separate purchase. Before buying, check what each edition actually contains on the editions and price page — the pack contents are not all spelled out on the store page.
All three reviews were published on 23 October 2026, within a day of release. Patches since then — including the promised control update — may change the experience.
The verdict
Clans of the Forest is a good adaptation and an average RPG. If you are inside its audience, $29.99 is fair for a faithful trip through the Lake Territories with four routes to try. If you are outside it, the reviews are telling you the same thing: the game leans on affection for the books, and without that affection the repetition is hard to ignore.
For the category-by-category scores behind that call, see the full Clans of the Forest review.
For a sense of how long that trip takes, see the how long to beat breakdown.
FAQ
Is Clans of the Forest worth full price?
For book fans, yes. For general RPG players, wait for a sale or for the control patch, since the campaign is about four hours.
What score did it get?
Checkpoint Gaming gave it 6.5/10, COGconnected 77/100, and Gaming Trend published a negative review without a numeric score.
Is it good for kids?
The game is designed around the books' young-adult audience, with turn-based combat and a family-friendly tone. Check the age rating for your region.
Is the PC version worse than console?
The PC version launched with a keyboard-and-mouse camera that players disliked; the console versions use a controller by default. The studio has promised a PC input update.
Does it have multiplayer?
There is an asynchronous multiplayer mode, not a co-op campaign. See the game modes page.
Related Guides
More Warrior Cats: Clans of the Forest Guides
Warrior Cats: Clans of the Forest is a licensed turn-based RPG from Bamtang Games and Trailmark Games, launching 23 October 2026 with four Clan campaigns.
Clans of the Forest age rating for parents: the ESRB Everyone 10+ label, how much violence there is, the scar toggle, and what younger fans should expect.
Start of Clans of the Forest: create and name your Warrior Cat, pick one of four Clans, rise from apprentice to warrior while foraging, crafting and hunting.
The Clans of the Forest cat creator offers millions of combinations: fur, patterns, colours, tails, whiskers, ears, eyes and markings, on a cat that ages.
Clan ranks in Clans of the Forest: starting as an apprentice, the ranks you can reach, medicine cats, and why the game has no classes to choose.
Clans of the Forest combat is turn-based 3v3 with 75 unlockable moves and no spells - depth comes from shifting combat Stances that every move changes.
Where to download and play Clans of the Forest now that it is out: every official storefront, the PC install size, and how to spot fake free-download pages.
Clans of the Forest costs $29.99 standard or $39.99 Feral Edition on console and $39.58 as a Steam bundle. The Feral Edition is the game plus the Prophecy Pack.