Western townbuilding spin-off SteamWorld Build digs into release this December
Now coming to Game Pass
The beeping booping SteamBots are back for the first time in four years, but the next outing takes them into a drastically different genre, as is now a tradition for the series. Publisher Thunderful have announced that their robo western citybuilder SteamWorld Build is coming out on December 1st. Here, take a look at the cuteness.
As you can see above, calling the game a citybuilder may be a bit reductive since it’s also an undercover (and underground) tower defence ‘em up, too. These rustbuckets do everything, I swear. On the sandy surface, you need to set up a mining town and take care of usual managerial duties: setting up homes, shops, and probably a saloon or two. But in an attempt to build better and reach for the sky (that’s not just a cowboy Woody quote; your goal is literally to escape the dying planet), you’ll need to start digging.
Our Katharine checked out the game’s demo earlier this year (still available on Steam) and had a grand, chill time. Here’s what she thought of the vibes:
The level of detail on show here is just supremely charming, from the robo dogs snuffling about in their wooden houses, to the cactus scarecrows twirling in the wind as little green spiky cucumbers bounce up the conveyor belt behind them to get mashed and pulped in the squelchy water press. LED signs buzz against the sound of whirring machine parts in the service shops, and together with your bots weaving in and out of warehouse couriers, everywhere you look is alive with the thrum of activity.
SteamWorld Build is coming to Steam, GOG, Xboxes, Switches and PlayStations on December 1st, and will be included in Game Pass subscriptions. Developers The Station emphasised that particular care went into bringing the gamepad controls up to snuff, which isn’t always the case with this genre. Oh, and if you bought the SteamWorld Complete bundle on Steam, you'll get a 20% discount on Build at launch.