Game description from the publisher:
In Puppet Wars, each player begins the game with a single Animated Puppet: the Master Puppet. Over the course of the game, each Master will construct an army of animated Puppets by making use of the Work Benches scattered about the board.
Puppets are small-minded creatures. They resemble their living counterparts but have only a slight memory of how to function once they become animated and sometimes they are confused about their roles. But watch out! They’re vicious when organized into an army!
Your goal is to destroy the competition and protect your Master, while retaining control of those valuable Work Benches. If ever your Master is killed, or you lose control of all your Work Benches, you're out of the game.
Puppet Wars includes components for two players, including the following puppet miniatures: Lady Justice, Seamus, Judge, Bete Noire, Misaki, Rusty Alyce, Executioner, Death Marshal, Austringer, Rotten Belle, Nurse, Punk Zombie, December Acolyte, Razorspine Rattler, Silurid, Malifaux Cherub, Ronin, Convict Gunslinger. Additional puppets allowing for games with up to four players are available separately.