Overview
Andy Davidson’s creation started as a bedroom project and became Team17’s defining franchise. Worms took the artillery game formula—angle, power, fire—and added personality: teams of cartoon worms with silly voices, absurd weapons, and destructible landscapes. The result was party game perfection.
Fast facts
- Developer: Team17.
- Original creator: Andy Davidson.
- Release: 1995.
- Sequels: 20+ titles across platforms.
Core mechanics
| Element |
Design |
| Turn-based |
One worm moves per turn |
| Physics |
Projectile trajectories |
| Terrain |
Fully destructible |
| Wind |
Affects projectiles |
Weapons arsenal
| Category |
Examples |
| Projectiles |
Bazooka, grenade, cluster bomb |
| Melee |
Baseball bat, fire punch |
| Animals |
Sheep, donkey, skunk |
| Super weapons |
Banana bomb, holy hand grenade |
| Utilities |
Rope, jetpack, teleport |
Signature weapons
| Weapon |
Effect |
| Holy Hand Grenade |
Massive explosion |
| Banana Bomb |
Cluster bananas |
| Concrete Donkey |
Falls from sky |
| Sheep |
Walks to target, explodes |
Game modes
| Mode |
Description |
| Deathmatch |
Last team standing |
| Mission |
Single-player objectives |
| Training |
Learn weapons and movement |
Customisation
| Element |
Options |
| Team names |
Player choice |
| Worm names |
Individual naming |
| Voices |
Multiple sound banks |
| Gravestones |
Death markers |
Multiplayer appeal
Why it worked:
- Easy to understand
- Deep strategy
- Hilarious moments
- Accessible to all skill levels
- Pass-the-controller friendly
Evolution
| Era |
Key titles |
| 2D classic |
Worms, Worms 2, Armageddon |
| 3D experiments |
Worms 3D, Worms 4 |
| Mobile |
Worms (iOS/Android) |
| Modern 2D |
Worms WMD, Worms Rumble |
Worms Armageddon (1999)
Considered the definitive version:
- Refined mechanics
- Massive weapon set
- Active community
- Tournament standard
Cultural impact
Worms established:
- Artillery genre revival
- British gaming humour
- Long-running franchise model
- Party game conventions
See also