City builder and tower defense hybrid SteamWorld Build has just been announced which came as a welcome surprise to fans of the long-running steampunk franchise. Consistent with other SteamWorld entries, SteamWorld Build yet again takes the beloved indie game franchise into a completely new genre while leaning into its unique cowboys-but-robots steampunk aesthetic.
The SteamWorld franchise has explored a number of genres since it began with 2010's SteamWorld Tower Defense on the Nintendo DSi. The series truly came into its own with Steamworld 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 Gilgamech was a more traditional party-based RPG with deck-building mechanics. The unreleased third-person co-op adventure SteamWorld Headhunter was revealed in 2021, so it's surprising to see a different SteamWorld title taking center stage now.
Thunderful Games revealed SteamWorld Build with 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 many stressful 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 typical SteamWorld fashion, SteamWorld Build brings 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 utilizing tower defense staples like chokepoints and mazes will be key to success.
A free demo is currently available for gamers who want to try out Steamworld Build ahead 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, the Steam Base Builder Fest is ongoing and bringing discounts to plenty of games featuring similar mechanics.
SteamWorld Build is currently in development and will be available in 2023 on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Steam