
When most weapons are used, they cause explosions that deform the terrain, creating circular cavities. Some settings provide for the inclusion of objects such as land mines and explosive barrels.

Other scheme settings allow options such as deployment of reinforcement crates, from which additional weapons can be obtained, and sudden death where the game is rushed to a conclusion after a time limit expires. Over fifty weapons and tools may be available each time a game is played, and differing selections of weapons and tools can be saved into a "scheme" for easy selection in future games. The time limit can be modified in some of the games. Each turn is time-limited to ensure that players do not hold up the game with excessive thinking or moving. Worms may move around the terrain in a variety of ways, normally by walking and jumping but also by using particular tools such as the "Bungee" and "Ninja Rope", to move to otherwise inaccessible areas. They use whatever tools and weapons are available to attack and kill the opponents' worms, thereby winning the game. During the course of the game, players take turns selecting one of their worms.

Each player controls a team of several worms. Worms games are turn-based artillery games presented in 2D or 3D environment. The fully deformable landscape can be radically altered by the use of weapons, often requiring players to scrap their plans and adopt new strategies to cope with the changes. Worms Collection (2012 included Worms (2007), Worms 2: Armageddon and Worms Ultimate Mayhem).Worms Triple Pack (2002 included Worms 2, Worms Armageddon, Worms World Party and Worms Blast Demo).The Full Wormage (1998 included Worms United, Worms 2 and Worms Pinball).Worms United (1996 included Worms and Worms Reinforcements).

Worms: Battle Islands (2010 also released on Wii).It is part of a wider genre of turn-based artillery games involving projectile weapons similar games include Scorched Earth (1991), Gorillas (1991) and Artillery Duel (1983). The game, whose concept was devised by Andy Davidson, was described by the Amiga gaming press as a cross between Cannon Fodder and Lemmings. The games are noted for their cartoony animation and extensive use of surrealism and slapstick humour. In these games, small platoons of anthropomorphic worms battle each other across a destructible landscape with the objective being to become the sole surviving team. Worms is a series of artillery tactical video games developed by British company Team17.
