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The best steampunk games you can play right now.
Downright steamy.
If you've ever done an internet search for top hats, attended a convention of any sort, or were ever tricked into watching Wild Wild West , you know what steampunk is. A type of speculative fiction where steam is king and Victorian fashion never went out of style, it's gotten so big that it's effectively become a pop culture movement all its own. There are steampunk books, steampunk movies, steampunk bands, steampunk versions of every bit of pop-culture you've ever loved (yes, even that one). And you can bet there are steampunk video games, with a range of titles fully covering the genre and its many, many subcategories (for all five of you out there who know the difference between clockpunk and gaslight fantasy).
But Great Scott, we've yet to prepare a proper list of what the genre has to offer! Here you'll find the best steampunk games that you can buy right now, to give those in the know their steampunk fix and everyone else an education in all things gold, corseted, and full of gears. Steam-powered laptop optional.
Machinarium.
It's rough being a little robot in the big, grimy, unfriendly industrial world of Machinarium. It's especially bad when you come to in a junkyard missing your arm and leg (the steampunk equivalent of waking up in a bathtub full of ice with no kidneys), and quickly learn that a gang of evil robots wants you melted down for scrap. Thankfully you've got more processing power than they think, and your point-and-click powers are exactly what you need to take down these robo-jerks.
Everything about Machinarium works like a well-oiled machine. In addition to using a simple but well-realized art style that makes its grungy urban landscapes look beautiful, the point-and-click interface is responsive and handles well, making exploring the world and figuring out puzzles a treat. Sure, some of the puzzles may be tricky, but it's nothing a smart little machina-man can't handle.
Steampunk tends to involve a lot of solid metal, and you know its position on gaseous vapors, but the liquid phase of matter usually isn't touched on much. Thankfully Vessel's there to fill that empty space. With fluids, mostly. See, engineer protagonist M. Arkwright specializes in automatons that run on liquid power, and when they run amok well, things get a bit damp.
Using mecha-magical devices called Seeds that suck up liquid and turn it into a fluid body (which has a clear scientific explanation, I'm sure), Arkwright creates minions out of water, acid, or lava to do his bidding and fix the broken machinery of his world. While there's no shortage of gimmicky 2.5D puzzle-platformers out there, Vessel's delightfully clever gameplay, fun puzzles, and unique use of physics help it float above the rest. Apparently water can flow uphill.
BioShock Infinite.
Set in the stunning floating city of Columbia, where Victorian fashion, steam-powered machines, and old-timey renditions of Beach Boys songs are as common as apple pie, BioShock Infinite looks to be a steampunk dream. At first. Then you quickly find out that people who want to kill you are also as common as apple pie, and not nearly as delicious.
Infinite runs the gamut of awesome steampunk-esque scenery from chugging factories, to incredibly racist museums, to creepy science labs full of stuff that's only sort of science-y. Plus, about 54% of the game is spent trying to board, defend, or not fatally crash an airship, each one more fancy than the next. And you're going to tear your way through it all like a hurricane, killing armies of guards with the help of magical elixirs and ripping holes in the space-time continuum. Huh, maybe the Victorians were onto something with that water irradiating thing.
Thief series.
While the recent Thief reboot may have ground some gears, don't let that poison your vision of Thief entirely. Set in the back alleys of a half-magical, half-industrial city, Thief is a revolutionary stealth series that explores the darker side of the steampunk genre. As in, physically darker. God, I can't see a freaking thing.
Playing as a thief (duh) named Garrett who has a particular talent for absconding with even the best-guarded treasure, you'll eventually sneak through every nook and cranny of this steam-powered city. The first series to pull off first-person stealth and still one of the best, Thief makes sneaking around without getting caught feel like a huge accomplishment. Gameplay is solid across the series, so where you start just depends on your tolerance for blocky graphics. Thief: The Dark Project may not be so pretty anymore, but it's what's inside that counts.
SteamWorld Dig.
There's something to be said for simplicity. Sure, steampunk is known for lots of gold and shiny bits and excess gears (seriously, your eyepatch does not need to look like a disemboweled pocket watch), but you don't always need that fancy-shmancy stuff to do the genre proud. Case in point, SteamWorld Dig, which is a game about a robot who digs. That's it. That's all she wrote. Because as well as SteamWorld captures the feel of a steampunk universe with clever environment design and fun characters, it's all she needed to write.
Set in a Wild West locale populated by robots (which neither gets nor needs an explanation), brass protagonist Rusty spends his time digging through an abandoned mine, gathering resources and altering the environment to suit his needs. Things get less steampunk-y the farther down he goes, but the game never loses its touch, making it a title you'll definitely want to something into. There's a word for this, I swear.
Final Fantasy 6.
A classic from the bygone days of the SNES, one glance at the cover shows any steampunk fan that they're in for a treat. A lovely lady in a wrought iron BattleMech, looking on a city of towering gothic spires and a decked-out hot air balloon. And you haven't even opened the box yet. Oh, this is gonna be good .
Final Fantasy VI delivers on that aesthetic promise by being a proper anachronism stew, with medieval castles sporting industrial fans and armies going to battle in giant mech suits. Enemies fit the theme just as well, particularly a living steam engine called Phantom Train (which, no lie, fights with its whistle) and a monster that's literally called Machine. Oh, and then it tops things off with a full-blown opera for that extra baroque charm.
Valkyria Chronicles.
While this beloved turn-based RPG focuses more on the trappings of WWII than Victoria's reign (seriously, the battle system is even called BLiTZ), it still has plenty of steam behind it. Set on the fantasy content of Europa during the Second Europan War (a World War , you might call it), Valkyria Chronicles is flush with the sort of anachronistic kerfluffery that steampunkers love.
Its weapons are equal parts hi- and low-tech, the setting is distinctly old-world, and the teenagers who populate it apparently rode a DeLorean back to the 1930's and are trying to maintain their modern fashion sense. Combine that aesthetic with strong turn-based gameplay that creates a challenging yet fun experience, and why bother splitting wires?
Sunless Sea.
Sunless Sea is a little game about a steamboat journeying across the seven seas. Aww, how delightful! Or it would be, if not for the whole crew going off the literal and metaphorical deep end in the midst of a Lovecraftian nightmare rife with madness, death and cannibalism. My dear, do you feel faint?
Pulled from the darkest corners of Jules Verne's night terrors, Sunless Sea touches on an aspect of steampunk you don't see much, detailing what becomes of your crew as they explore the oceans beyond their home of Fallen London (your first clue that something's up). That sends you to eerie ruined cities and statue graveyards, and well as putting you in contact with diabolical monsters and machines that rip your team's psyches to shreds. Sunless Sea sails straight into the darkest parts of the genre, and unfortunately for your crew, it does it very, very well.
Professor Layton series.
The steampunk aspects of the Professor Layton series might not be obvious at first, since it seems to mostly be about a boy and his master solving puzzles and being delightfully British. Then you start seeing things like giant steampowered clocks and puzzles full of gears and poorly parked dirigibles, and you start to realize there's some merit to it. Plus, that top hat.
Much of Layton's steampunk-ness actually comes about when the Prof and Luke peace out of London, traveling to foreign lands in a luxurious airship or shooting through time to future-London. which looks weirdly more like past-London than present-London does. Man steampunk culture REALLY took off there. All that works as a nice border to the series' famously fun trademark puzzles. That may make the series Steampunk Lite, but it does a lot of things lite , so why not?
The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom.
Top hats. Grand clocks. A silent film aesthetic. A magical pie that can control time and alter the laws of physics so a fat jerk can eat as many pies as he wants. Yes, The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom is steampunk through-and-through, a tale of gluttony, destruction, and the almighty power of time. Also pastries.
Reminiscent of Portal in its humor, scientific focus, and obsession with mythical baked goods, P.B. Winterbottom is about a pudgy thief's desire to eat every pie within the Earth's gravitational pull. After losing a night's worth of tasty loot, what I can only guess is some sort of Nordic pie god grants him the power to go back in time and clone himself so he can get it all back. As awful as Winterbottom may be, solving puzzles and manipulating physics to help him reclaim his ill-gotten spoils is satisfying and stupid silliness that you won't want to put down. Who knew you could have such fun helping a selfish jerk?
Dishonored.
Dishonored is the little stealth game that always wanted to make grandpa Thief proud. Not only did it surpass expectations on that front, but it did so with the same love of steampunk as its beloved predecessor, doubling down so hard on industrial-Victorian imagery that it'd look ridiculous if it didn't work so freaking well.
Set in a plague-ravaged city that can best be described as a mix between Victorian London and Edinburgh if you lit them both on fire, Dishonored blares its steampunk influences everywhere you go. Giant gothic clocks, towering smokestacks, electric weapons that shouldn't exist - it's a long list. You discover all that while traversing the city and taking vengeance upon your enemies however you desire, making both the gameplay and the setting worth experiencing. Plus, theres a possible Eldritch abomination god in disguise, so hey, Lovecraftian bonus!
While Syberia deviates from other games on this list by setting itself firmly in the present, that only helps its steampunk elements stand out more - and trust me, they didn't need much help. In an effort to secure ownership of toy factory on behalf of her law firm, attorney and Lara Croft look-alike Kate Walker travels to a small French town obsessed with mechanical toys. There she meets an automaton that drives the train to where the factory's current owner is in hiding, and is forced to follow him if she ever wants to seal the deal.
Steampunk in everything but year, Syberia's period decorations, factory machinery, and the metal man Kate befriends all could have been ripped out of a good Sherlock Holmes remake plus robots (Sherobo Holmes, maybe). Plus, it looks damn good for a game made ten years ago, and with a simple point-and-click setup, it's still plenty of fun to play. And hey, it may be getting a sequel this year, so why not get a head start?
Quite the proper set.
Yes ladies and gentlemen, these are the best steampunk games you can play right this moment , without delay. Have you dropped your monocle in your tea from sheer amazement? Will you need some smelling salts to handle this astounding number of pulchritudinous offerings, or a spell on the fainting couch? Or are you positively incensed that we forgot a grand steampunk title? Speak your mind in the comments below, you fine cavaliers.
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Top 10 Best Steampunk Games.
Here are the ten best Steampunk games for the PC, Xbox One and PS4.
Steampunk is both an aesthetic and a subgenre of science fiction, and sometimes fantasy.
Fans of films like Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and books by China Mieville will be more than familiar with the setting, which has become somewhat popular in recent years despite maintaining the quality of a niche subgenre.
Video games, like books and movies alike, have adopted the aesthetic to create some of the best, and perhaps even the most memorable settings in video games to date.
As with our other lists, we've rounded up ten of the best, at least in our opinion, games with steampunk settings. Check out the video above or the list of games below for more details.
Guns of Icarus Online is a steampunk-themed airship combat game that's played in first person mode. Players choose one of three different classes, each of which allwos them access to different kind of tools to perform duties aboard a flying ship.
Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends.
The follow-up to Rise of Nations , Rise of Legends takes place in a steampunk setting populated by all manner of industrious designs inspired by Leonardo da Vinci in a world where magic and technology co-exist.
Machinarium is a steampunk adventure game of the point-and-click variety. The goal of Machinarium is to solve a series of puzzles and brain teasers.
Set in a steampunk setting and a story inspired by the second world war, Valkyria Chronicles is a turn-based strategy game of the highest caliber.
Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magick Obscura.
Arcanum is regarded as one of the best RPGs of the early 2000s. Combining magic and steam-powered technology in a world inspired by Victorian-era England, the game is all about choices and consequences.
The sixth title in the beloved Final Fantasy series, FFVI is a classic RPG set in a fantasy world with technology to the equivalent level of the Second Industrial Revolution. True to the steampunk genre, the game focuses on a group of levels who seek to overthrow an imperial dictatorship.
A contentious title, to be certain. Bioshock Infinite is a first-person shooter with a strong steampunk aesthetic. Taking place aboard the flying city of Columbia, players participate in a storyline set in an reality version of the 1910s.
The Thief series of games is classically set in a steampunk setting called The City, where players take on the role of Garrett, the master thief, who becomes embroiled in the political goings-on in the city.
Dishonored is set in the steampunk city setting of Dunwall, where whaling is very much the 'in-thing', much as it was in London during the 1800s. Players must take on the role of an assassin who vows to bring justice to the men who murdered the Empress.
A roguelike game at its heart, Sunless Sea came about following a popular Kickstarter campaign. Developed as a spinoff of the Fallen London setting, Sunless Sea puts players in the role of an Unterzee steamship captain who travels from port to port. The game features a strong focus on storytelling and is unlike any other roguelike out there.
Assassin's Creed Syndicate - Steampunk Pack.
Give your arsenal a steam-powered twist with a new set of items concocted by the most innovative and unusual minds of the Industrial Revolution. This Animus hack contains a collection of high-level clockwork marvels: an outfit for Jacob, three weapons and two pieces of gear. Players need to be level 7 and above to equip these.
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Assassin's Creed Syndicate - Steampunk Pack.
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Assassin's Creed Triple Pack: Black Flag, Unity, Syndicate.
Assassin's Creed® Syndicate.
Assassin's Creed® Syndicate Gold Edition.
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Assassin's Creed® Syndicate Gold Edition.
Assassin's Creed Syndicate - Season Pass.
Description.
Give your arsenal a steam-powered twist with a new set of items concocted by the most innovative and unusual minds of the Industrial Revolution. This Animus hack contains a collection of high-level clockwork marvels: an outfit for Jacob, three weapons and two pieces of gear. Players need to be level 7 and above to equip these.
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The outfit fits so well with the atmosphere.
24 out of 25 people found this helpful.
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The Swindle is a Steampunk Heist Game Coming to Xbox One.
Renowned for PC point and click adventures Ben There, Dan That! and Time Gentlemen, Please!, Dan Marshall announced that he's working on 'steampunk cybercrime' heist game The Swindle for PC back in 2011. It was subsequently cancelled, then resurrected in October 2014. Today, Curve Digital has announced a partnership with Marshall's studio, Size Five Games, to bring The Swindle to consoles this year.
Blending platforming, action and stealth gameplay, The Swindle will task players with breaking into buildings, hacking computer systems, pilfering wads of cash and then making good their escape amid the shriek of alarms. Levels and the buildings therein are procedurally-generated, and your steampunk thief will have upgrades like new tools and skills.
As you boost your thief, you'll be able to tackle bigger, more complex buildings with more elaborate security measures and larger scores. Sounds like fun. The Swindle will be coming to Xbox One, PS4, PS3, PS Vita and Wii U sometime in 2015, with Curve on porting and publishing duties. Check out the vid and screens below.
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Steampunk Exoskeleton Pack.
Blast through any match with the Steampunk exoskeleton Pack. Includes a pseudo-Victorian exoskeleton and a future-retro helmet.
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Steampunk Exoskeleton Pack.
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Call of Duty®: Advanced Warfare Digital Pro Edition.
Call of Duty®: Advanced Warfare.
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Blast through any match with the Steampunk exoskeleton Pack. Includes a pseudo-Victorian exoskeleton and a future-retro helmet.
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Your boi collin.
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Steampunk is a recognizable aesthetic characterized by steam power and Victorian fashion. The Order: 1886 claims not to be steampunk, but it certainly looks like it. If you can’t wait to play it, or if you believe it isn’t, here are some steampunk games that you can play instead.
The Order: 1886 and Steampunk.
When trailers for Ready at Dawn’s new game 5 PS4 Exclusive Titles To Make Xbox One Owners Jealous 5 PS4 Exclusive Titles To Make Xbox One Owners Jealous Having already proposed five reasons you should be buying a PlayStation 4, it's time to focus in on the games that will be released for the system within its first year on sale. What follows. Read More The Order: 1886 hit the web, the word “steampunk” immediately leapt to mind as a convenient descriptor. It’s set in Victorian England with advanced technology, so it was an easy association to make.
However, Ready at Dawn co-founder Ru Weerasuriya told Joystiq that the very people making the game deliberately avoided what he calls “the s-word.” Their rationale is that calling The Order steampunk brings with it certain connotations that they didn’t want associated with their game. Instead they call it “Neo-Victorian.” Six of one, half-dozen of the other, if you ask me. But whatever; Ready at Dawn’s game, Ready at Dawn’s prerogative.
What is Steampunk?
The term “steampunk” comes from the idea that, in a steampunk world, steam is the primary source of power. Some of it is inspired by Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, and borrows some Victorian elements. The “-punk” suffix originated in the word “cyberpunk,” which characterized a world of high technology and low lives. So steampunk in its purest form is a Victorian aesthetic and steam-powered machinery with story focus on the lives of ordinary individuals within such a society.
Thief II: The Metal Age (PC)
“Blessed be the Forge that gives shape unto metal, and steam unto the boiler.” The entire Thief series is a mix of steampunk and Medieval Gothic. The second game is the one where the punk-y tropes stand out the most.
Master thief Garrett gets caught up in the schemes of the Mechanist cult, an extremist religious sect that views machines as the inheritors of the land. Garrett encounters numerous steam-driven bots and clockwork security cameras made by the Mechanists. Garrett fits the profile of the lowly main character in this land of evolving tech.
Alice: Madness Returns (PC, Xbox 360, PS3)
We just can’t seem to leave Alice in Wonderland alone. When it comes to dark adaptations of classic literature, they don’t come much darker than American McGee’s Alice . This version is Alice Liddell, an orphan with serious mental health issues whose subconscious manifests as Wonderland.
There are some steampunk elements in the first game, but it comes to the forefront in the sequel. Alice, now the resident of a mental institution, must fight the Infernal Train, a massive moving monstrosity that looks like a cross between a cathedral and a steam engine.
Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs (PC)
Something about these settings invites horror, it seems. The original Amnesia had a few steampunk elements, if you squinted, but they are much more prominent in the sequel. The game is set on the eve of World War 1, an accepted endpoint for the real-world period associated with steampunk.
Even the title gives it away: The greatest horror in the game is the massive, steam-powered machine that… I’d better not say any more lest I give something away. Machine for Pigs uses steampunk to invoke horrors specific to a time period, to great effect.
Dishonored (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
This game is set in a world that looks like it’s transitioning out of a steampunk era. Whale oil is pushing things towards an industrial revolution, and I’ve seen it described as “whalepunk” for that reason. But I do see heavy steampunk influence in the architecture, costumes, and weaponry.
It’s a fantastical setting, with hero Corvo handling clockwork mechanical devices that are powered by magic. The dystopian setting is also characteristic of “punk” settings, as it is about the lives of the lower classes in the society.
Machinarium (PC)
You want robots? This game has them. Machinarium , a point-and-click indie game 3 Great Free Games For Kids New to Gaming 3 Great Free Games For Kids New to Gaming Read More , really puts the “steam” into their steampunk. The entire game looks like it is set inside a giant metal boiler. You play one such robot, a little guy named Josef who’s been thrown out onto a scrapheap. He must overcome the machinations (sorry, I couldn’t resist) of the Black Cap Brotherhood, who are currently holding his girlfriend hostage.
The beautifully drawn backgrounds show a world of wrought iron, crumbling bricks, and steam pipes holding everything together.
Bioshock Infinite (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
The original Bioshock definitely had a steampunk kind of look. But it’s this game, Bioshock Infinite , which feels more like a classic example of the genre. The city of Columbia, floating high in the sky, has steampunk robots and Victorian-era fashion and weaponry.
Infinite is much brighter visually than the other games, and feels more like an adventure. Still, the underpinning conflict is literal class warfare; and protagonist Booker is an anti-hero detective with a very dark past, fitting the mold of punk heroes.
Tell me what you think!
If you think one of these games isn’t steampunk, or you have a favorite that I’ve forgotten, let me know in the comments below!
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I just finished The Order for my MUO review, and it will be up shortly!
Man, was the game short.
I definitely recommend Dishonored if you're looking for a steampunk-influenced game. I've always loved dingy Victorian urban settings, and the one that they created in Dishonored was really great. I've been looking forward to The Order for quite a while, and I can't wait to see how it stacks up!
I wouldn't mind playing Machinarium 2 if they ever make one. A game similar to that (if you have a psvita) is Escape Plan. Fun, dark and funny as hell!
Steampunk: "Something about these settings invites horror, it seems." It would seem that in the 19th century, there was less government oversight, few people had IDs, and it was so easy for a few people to disappear and never be missed. This was also the age of Springheel Jack, Jack the Ripper, and Dr. Jekyll. As such, it's the perfect setting for horror, whether in the US or England; a mad scientist could make you disappear and turn you into a steampunk "cyborg" with little effort, or use you for crazy experiments like a Victor Frankenstein. Modern horror got its start in the 19th century, and adding pseudo-technology appropriate to the time is a perfect fit.
I really like the connection you've made between steampunk and Victorian Gothic literature / culture. That was my focus as an English student, and I definitely a see a lot of links there. I especially like that you bring up both Springheel Jack and Dr. Jekyll; the idea of something lurking in the shadows, hidden behind an illusion of normalcy, seems very relevant to The Order.
I'd like to chalk my vote up for BioShock Infinite. I played it for the first time last month and I absolutely fell in love with it. Play the original BioShock first for sure, and then you can fully enjoy Infinite (and the DLC, Burial at Sea).
One of the coolest stories ever with an ending I'm still thinking about months after finishing it. I'm a nostalgia-laden guy, and it instantly rocketed itself into my top 10 favorite games ever.
So consider this your second recommendation, everyone!
Rachel is from Austin, Texas. She spends most of her time writing, gaming, reading, and writing about gaming and reading. Did I mention she writes? During her freakish bouts of non-writing, she plots world domination and does a dead-on Lara Croft impersonation.
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Steampunk XBOX ONE Video Games.
Video Games Encyclopedia by Gamepressure.com.
Xbox One is the 8th generation console and the third in the Xbox family from Microsoft (a successor to Xbox 360). It was released on November 22nd, 2013, initially only in 13 countries over the world. Another 26 markets received XOne officially on September 5th, 2014. Just like its biggest rival from Sony (PlayStation 4), the console is based on components from AMD – 8-core Jaguar CPU and 1,23 teraflops GPU.
Dishonored 2 (XONE)
Action 11 November 2016.
A sequel to a best-selling FPP stealth game set in a universe that combines stylistics of the late Victorian era with steampunk elements. The title is a result of cooperation between Arkane Studios and the game’s publisher – Bethesda company. The sequel’s main heroine is Emily Kadwin, the daughter of the murdered empress, who joins forces with the empress’ former bodyguard Corvo, the protagonist of the previous game. The girl tries to reclaim the lost crown and take revenge on all responsible for the death of her mother. Gameplay mechanics did not change much, so you still are offered much freedom in the way you reach the game’s objectives. Depending on your preferences, you may either use stealth approach or engage in open conflicts. The game can be completed as either of the two heroes, whereas each one has slightly different abilities and fighting style. Just like the previous game, Dishonored 2 contains only single player gameplay with no cooperation mode.
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider (XONE)
Action 15 September 2017.
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider is an action game set in the Dishonored game universe. We play as a new protagonist, Billie Lurk. She is an assassin with supernatural powers and the right hand of Daud, one of the series' primary antagonists and the character we played as in two DLCs of the first Dishonored game. Our job is to hunt down the titular Outsider, a mysterious being that is the source of the supernatural powers used by the series' heroes. Story is nonlinear and its outcome is heavy reliant on our choices. Death of the Outsider takes us to the city of Karnaca known from Dishonored 2. We will visit many various locations during our adventures, like cultist hideouts or underground fight clubs. Gameplay mechanics did not change and are the same as in the previous games of the series. Once again we can play stealthy and be a silent assassin or attack our enemies in plain sight. As we progress, we unlock new abilities and pieces of equipment. After finishing the game, we can play it once again in the Original Game Plus mode where we have access to abilities from Dishonored 2.
Dishonored: Definitive Edition (XONE)
Action 25 August 2015.
A remastered complete edition of Arkane’s first-person stealth game from 2012, developed with PC and the 8th-gen consoles in mind. In the game, we assume the role of Corvo Attano, a former guard of the murdered empress who was falsely accused of killing her and force to reclaim his good name and take revenge on the actual murderers. The title is characterized by considerable freedom of action and the possibility of achieving a goal in multiple ways. Regardless of whether we want to act from the shadows or engage in direct combat, the game will adjust the plot to our actions and choices. Compared to the original version, the production features enhanced graphics as well as all the DLCs that were released after the launch of the vanilla edition of the game, including two major expansions: The Knife of Dunwall and The Brigmore Witches.
Edge of Eternity (XONE)
A third person action-RPG combining the most important aspects of Japanese role-playing games with medieval atmosphere and elements of the steampunk subgenre. The game was created by Midgar - an independent French studio, mainly known for mobile apps. The action takes place in Heryon - a fantasy land whose inhabitants have come under the threat of an alien civilization capable of turning both humans and animals into metal monsters. The player assumes the role of a young farmer by the name of Daryon, who is willing to confront the danger. The story is set in three main locations, including a mercantile town, a citadel controlled by the authorities, and ruins of the old capital city. During the journey, the player encounters randomly generated monsters and mutants. The game offers a turn-based combat system enriched with several modern-day mechanics. For instance, the player can spy on the enemies, checking which one is going to take the next action; one can also combine their spells together for a more powerful effect. The creators paid a great deal of attention to the soundtrack, which was composed by Cedric Menendez and inspired by works of Nobuo Uematsu, Jeremy Soul and Hans Zimmer.
SteamWorld Heist (XONE)
Another game by independent Swedish studio Image & Form, set in the universe of SteamWorld, which combines elements of Steampunk and Western genres. The game is set in the distant future, where a powerful cataclysm forced the remaining inhabitants to flee into space on steam space ships. The player becomes a captain of a group of robo-pirates who are trying to survive in this post-apocalyptic reality by raiding and plundering enemy bases and ships. SteamWorld Heist is a turn-based science-fiction game with movement points system (when a character performs an action they use up movement points). You control a party of antiheroes who use various weapons, gadgets, and special skills. The key to success is to appropriately use the different skills and combine various combat tactics, depending on the situation.
SteamWorld Dig (XONE)
Arcade 05 June 2015.
An action-platform game developed by independent Swedish studio Image & Form. The game takes place in an unusual universe that combines the traits of steampunk and Wild West. Once human civilization had fallen and Homo sapiens species degenerated and transformed into troglodytes living underground, weird creatures that are mostly robots became the new dominant species. One of them is the main protagonist of the game, Rusty. While looking for remains of human civilization, he starts a journey deep into the ground where he looks for interesting treasures. During the game the player is traveling through caves, avoiding traps, fighting enemies, collecting minerals and making sure that he always has access to light. The protagonist can use various useful tools that enable him to decide in which direction to dig vast tunnels. After filling the backpack it is possible to return to the surface and trade found minerals for various goods and upgrades for the protagonist.
The Watchmaker (XONE)
Adventure May 2018.
A steampunk action-adventure game with logic features. The title was developed by the independent studio Micropsia Games from Chile. The Watchmaker takes place inside a giant clock tower, and during the game the player assumes the role of a guard named Alexander. One day, a sabotage takes place in the tower, disrupting the flow of time and causing the protagonist to grow old extremely fast. In order to avoid death before his time, he must travel through subsequent sections of the tower to find and defeat the person responsible for the sabotage. He must also restore the proper flow of time. The game combines features of an adventure game, a 3D platform game and a logic game. The main focus was placed on solving various environmental riddles, but the game also contains typical action sequences and boss fights, during which the protagonist uses a variety of useful gadgets. The fact that the protagonist is getting older was used as a creative replacement for the classic health bar.
Flockers (XONE)
Logic 19 September 2014.
Ironcast (XONE)
Strategy 04 March 2016.
A turn-based strategy game set in a steampunk world and inspired by both the mechanics of the Puzzle Quest series and the works of such writers as Herbert Wells or Jules Verne. Ironcast is set in an alternative version of the Victorian England, and the country has been at war with France for a decade. When the French are beginning to gain the upper hand in the conflict, a private association is founded in order to produce cutting-edge combat mechs. The player battles subsequent skirmishes that utilize the mechanics once introduced in the so-called "match-3" logic games. During each turn, the player can match objects on the map up to three times, erasing elements which symbolize money, ammo, energy, repairs, or the mech's cooling system. Afterwards, those are used to reinforce the player's combat machines, as well as to activate different special abilities. The in-game campaigns are randomly generated, and each time, the player's goals are to stop the forces of the French, and defeat their boss in a final fight.
Pressure Overdrive (XONE)
Action 26 July 2017.
Being a refreshed version of Pressure from 2013, a dynamic shooter with racer elements, developed by Chasing Carrots. The action takes us to a steampunk world ruled by a ruthless businessman – Count Soap. When he plans to drain water from a new investment area, the locals organise a resistance movement. The player assumes the role of one of them, and fights the antagonist’s hired soldiers with an armed buggy. The action observed from the top-down perspective features diverse tracks, obstacles, loads of ramps and jumps, and most importantly, hordes of opponents. With the progress, you unlock new upgradable guns. Pressure Overdrive offers game modes for solo players and local co-op.
Trulon: The Shadow Engine (XONE)
RPG 24 February 2017.
Teslagrad (XONE)
Logic 09 March 2016.
Clockwork Tales: Of Glass and Ink (XONE)
Adventure 22 January 2016.
Rogue Stormers (XONE)
Arcade 07 October 2016.
Rogue Stormers, initially known as DieselStцrmers or Ravensdale, is an action game that includes elements of a shooter and a platformer. It was developed by Black Forest Games. The story is set in a dieselpunk universe that combines fantasy elements with combustion engines, where a conflict of human knights and orcs takes place. The gameplay resembles a typical two-dimensional platformer that heavily emphasizes the combat, in which the players use weapons they create and modify themselves. An extremely important gameplay element is the Arc Connector - a special generator by which the player's armor is powered. This delivers a set of incredibly useful combat options. Particular missions constitute of a series of different tasks. The player's successes or failures will affect the entire conflict and the course of subsequent missions.
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