Ironwood is a rules-light, highly asymmetric, card-driven tactical game for 1-2 players. Each round, you and your opponent take turns playing a total of three faction-specific cards to use their action effects. These effects include positioning battlegroups, initiating combat, gaining crystals, applying temporary passive effects, and more. When combat occurs, you’ll use those same cards for their combat values, in a simultaneous bid to gain combat bonuses, inflict or deflect casualties, and increase your battlegroups’ dominance to win the battle. Ironwood also offers a solo mode against the Ironclad or the Woodwalkers.

Each faction is controlled by a unique deck of 30+ action cards. On your turn, you select a card from your hand and resolve the action to progress toward victory. However, when a player initiates combat, you use the same cards in your hand to fight. Instead of resolving the action on the card, you and your opponent simultaneously bid a card with their combat values.

With faction-specific decks, unique victory conditions, and very different playstyles, each faction feels completely different. The Ironclad represent the established, defensive faction that favors long-term development. The Woodwalkers have limited access to crystals, and their more aggressive playstyle focuses on sabotage, pillaging, and surprise attacks.

As Commander of the Ironclad, your main goal is to lay the foundations of your forges and, once you have collected enough crystals, build these forges on the foundations. As Leader of the Woodwalkers, your mission is to find the ancient Totems of your people and secure them in the outer woods, out of reach of the Ironclad.