Tarmanian Tactics is an isometric tactical RPG. The game consists of 2 parts: going to areas on the map and reading dialogues between various characters shown on a background and the battles themselves which may happen while players move from one area to the next one and when they get to their chosen destination. While players are in the world map, they can save or load their game, buy items and equipment for their characters and heal them.
During battle, the areas are 3D while the character sprites are 2D. Players use the mouse to choose where their characters should go and whom they should attack. Attacking an enemy from the rear can give extra damage to them but the enemies can do the same for the player’s characters. Terrain also plays an important role in battles as it influences the damage that the characters can give or receive. Sometimes it may be difficult to choose where exactly to move the player’s characters which is why players might rely on a special button that rotates the screen by 45° with each click.
The story is set in the Tarman continent which has gone through a nasty war for harvesting infinite magic energy. 5000 years later, the Tarman continent was suddenly struck by desertification. The earth was in a most desolate condition, the water withered, and the animals and plants were close to extinction. To prevent this desertification from spreading, Denon village in the corner of the Tarman continent sent out their swordsman Ian Stain to investigate. During his travels, Ian learns about the war for magic and the truth about his origin.
