SteamWorld Build is the latest installment in the longstanding franchise, this time a city-building game with underground tower defenses.
SteamWorld Build is the latest installment in the longstanding SteamWorld franchise, this time a city-building game with underground tower defenses.
SteamWorld Build is currently in development and will launch in 2023 on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
The newly announced city-building and defense game SteamWorld Build comes as a welcome surprise for fans of the long-standing steampunk franchise. On par with other installments of the franchise, SteamWorld Build once again takes the beloved indie game franchise into a whole new genre with its cowboy steampunk-inspired graphics and uniqueness.
The SteamWorld franchise has explored several genres since it started with SteamWorld Tower Defense in 2010 on the Nintendo DSi. The series really comes into its own with Steamworld Dig – a Metroidvania involving clever puzzles. Meanwhile, SteamWorld Heist is a turn-based strategy game that focuses on precise aiming and angled shots similar to Gunny. Most recently, SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech is a more traditional team-based RPG with deck-building mechanics. The unreleased third-person co-op adventure SteamWorld Headhunter has been revealed for 2021, so it’s surprising to see another SteamWorld installment appear now.
Thunderful Games unveiled SteamWorld Build with a trailer that showcases its distinct steampunk art style through a full-blown city building. As expected, players will be tasked with developing and managing their bustling towns by constructing buildings, laying roads, and refining materials to meet resource needs. Unlike many other management games, there are very few time constraints to worry about and players can usually go at their own pace with no other issues. There are also plenty of decorations to adorn the cities, where charming robotic citizens and mechanical animals inhabit their day.
In typical SteamWorld style, SteamWorld Build offers a unique twist to the genre by going back to the franchise’s roots while also introducing a tower defense layer to the game’s underworld. Players will gradually expand underground to access new resource nodes while preparing a series of defenses before hordes of enemies arrive to disrupt the player’s mining efforts. It’s almost like two games in one, as the dark and tense underworld contrasts sharply with the vibrant, peaceful, low-pressure underground city building. Players will have access to a number of defensive units and buildings, and using defensive elements like points and maze layout will be key to success.
A free demo is currently available for gamers who want to try out Steamworld Build prior to its release, although gamers should note that the demo currently does not support gamepads that will be bundled with the full release of the game. play.
