City builder and tower defense hybridSteamWorld Buildhas just been announced which came as a welcome surprise to fans of the long-running steampunk franchise. Consistent with otherSteamWorldentries,SteamWorld Buildyet again takes the belovedindie gamefranchise into a completely new genre while leaning into its unique cowboys-but-robots steampunk aesthetic.
TheSteamWorldfranchise has explored a number of genres since it began with 2010’sSteamWorld Tower Defenseon the Nintendo DSi. The series truly came into its own withSteamworld Dig, a Metroidvania that involved clever puzzles and platforming. Meanwhile,SteamWorld Heist was a turn-based tactics game that focused on precise aiming and angling shots like sidescrolling billiards with guns. Most recently, SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamechwas a more traditional party-based RPG with deck-building mechanics. The unreleased third-person co-op adventureSteamWorld Headhunterwas revealed in 2021, so it’s surprising to see a differentSteamWorldtitle taking center stage now.
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Thunderful Games revealedSteamWorld Buildwith a trailer that shows off its distinct western steampunk art style in a full-blown city builder. As expected, players will be tasked with growing and managing their bustling towns by constructing buildings, placing roads, and refining materials to meet resource demands. Unlike manystressful management games, there are very few time constraints to worry about and players can generally go at their own pace without things crashing and burning. There are also plenty of decorations to enhance the cities, which are populated by charming robot citizens and mechanical animals all going about their days.
In typicalSteamWorldfashion,SteamWorld Buildbrings a unique twist to the genre by returning to the franchise’s roots and introducing a tower defense layer to the game’s underworld. Players will gradually expand underground reaching new resource nodes while preparing an array of defenses before hordes of enemies arrive to disrupt the player’s mining efforts. It almost seems like two games in one, as the dark and tense underworld contrasts terrifically with the vibrant, peaceful, low-pressure overworld city building. Players will have access to some defensive units and structures, and utilizingtower defensestaples like chokepoints and mazes will be key to success.
A free demo is currently available for gamers who want to try outSteamworld Buildahead of its release, though gamers should note the demo is currently lacking controller support which will come with the game’s full release. In the meantime, theSteam Base Builder Festis ongoing and bringing discounts to plenty of games featuring similar mechanics.
SteamWorld Buildis currently in development and will be available in 2023 on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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