Summary
Mechs have always been a large part of popular culture when it comes to anime, science fiction, and especially video games. Game series such as FromSoftware’sArmored Coreand Square Enix’sFront Missionare great examples of mech games done right.
With indie games bigger than ever and only growing in popularity, many developers are harnessing their love of retro mech games and/or their love of the genre as a whole to create accessible, unique, and often cheap experiences that are well worth the price tag.
Battle Gridis aVampire Survivors-style gamein which players are tasked with building out a squad of unstoppable mechs by collecting resources and leveling up through defeating hordes of aliens. Similar toother auto battlerssuch asTeamfight TacticsandDespot’s Game,Battle Gridfeatures unit synergies between the different mechs, adding a much-needed level of strategy to the gameplay.
Battle Grid’scombination of arcade-action gameplay and the synergies and strategic mechanics commonly found in auto battlers helps it to distinguish itself in an overly saturated market, and the game’s low price point makes it accessible.
This older indie mech game features an abundance of random generation and frantic top-down shooter combat in which players pilot a mech as a freelance mercenary. The game features a grim-dark story and intense combat thatfans of top-down-shootersand arcade-style games will love.
Brigadorfeatures a lot of customization options both gameplay-wise and settings-wise. Players have a large amount of control over their mech’s loadout, and there are a plethora of mech and weapon options to choose from. Although the game features a campaign with over thirty missions,Brigadortruly shines in its Freelance Mode.
This turn-based tacticsmech strategy gamefeatures retro graphics that borderline on an ASCII aesthetic, which won’t be for everyone, but for those that can look past (or are fans of) the old-school visuals,Mainframe Defendersis a highly tactical experience with a massive focus on unit customization.
Mainframe Defendersmay look intimidating on the surface with its chunky user interface, but the turn-by-turn gameplay is both simple and easy to learn. The strategy and challenge inMainframe Defendersboils down to efficiently managing an entire squad of customizable mechs, upgrading and loading them out with the appropriate gear to complete missions and unlock new mechs.
This highly complex, dark science fiction strategy game features RTS mechanics and resource management wrapped up in a relatively inaccessible, but extremely unique, package.Mech Engineeris a complex mech-building game in which players must worry about heat generation, weight, and energy management, with very little control over their units in real time.
Mech Engineerhas a distinct visual style that won’t be for everyone, but its graphical choices and UI design are highly immersive, creating a dark and dingy atmosphere that fans of grim-dark science fiction are sure to enjoy. Although players can give their squad of mechs a variety of vague orders,Mech Engineer’sgameplay is much more focused on resource management and unit customization.
Gearbitsis a mech-themed third-person shooter featuring a narrative campaign with twenty missions and a wave survival mode that helps to add replay value to a game that’s already worth its low price point.Gearbitsplays very similarly to the earlier entries in FromSoftware’sArmored Coreseries and isa great cheap alternativefor those looking for third-person mech action.
Gearbitsfeatures several distinct weapons and ten unique mechs to unlock and play throughout its well-designed campaign, and each mech has its strengths and weaknesses that help to make each of them feel different. Although its visuals may be primitive,Gearbitsis an impressive indie title that fans ofArmored Coreand 3D third-person action games are sure to have a blast with.
This mech-themed strategy auto battler has a heavy emphasis on PvP, but it also features AI opponents and a great survival mode that makes it a blast even in single-player.Mechabellumtasks players with building large armies of mechs and countering their opponents through careful unit purchases and positioning.
Mechabellumis heavily focused on positioning units but also features a beacon system that allows players to direct the movement of their army. In PvP especially,Mechabellumtasks players with reading their opponent and countering their moves to create the perfect combination of units. For fans of auto battlers looking for a more strategic, PvP-focused experience,Mechabellumis one of the best choices.
Developed by Subset Games, the developers behindthe indie strategyhitFTL: Faster Than Light,Into The Breachis a turn-based tactics rogue-like with puzzle elements that is unique for giving players access to an abundance of information that allows them to make informed decisions about each and every move. The game also allows players to undo moves and even reset their entire turn, further encouraging experimentation to puzzle out the most efficient turn.
Into The Breachis perfect for fans of mechs and turn-based tactics, with a plethora of mech squads to unlock that each have their unique move-sets to encourage different playstyles. Because of the sheer amount of variety in the game’s mechs, equipment, and pilots,Into The Breachhas an extreme amount of replay value that’s hard to find elsewhere.
