Iron Harvest
A dieselpunk RTS set in an alternate 1920s Europe.
Iron Harvest is a real-time strategy game made by King Art Games and released by Deep Silver. It puts players in command of mecha, infantry, and hero units within a dieselpunk alternate history. The Windows version came out on September 1, 2020, with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions following on October 26, 2021.
The gameplay involves controlling mechs, foot soldiers, and special hero characters. The game includes more than twenty missions, with separate single-player storylines for each of the three main factions. Multiplayer and skirmish modes are also available.
The setting takes place in the 1920+ alternate history universe created by Polish artist Jakub Różalski, first popularized through the board game *Scythe*. This universe draws inspiration from the Polish–Soviet War of 1919–1921, and the game’s theme is often described as "dieselpunk mecha." The story centers on a conflict between three nations in Central and Eastern Europe—Polania, Rusviet, and Saxony (based on Poland, the Soviet Union/Russian Empire, and Imperial Germany)—set in the 1920s after World War I. The Operation Eagle DLC, released in May 2021, adds a fourth playable nation: Usonia, based on the United States.
**Polania Campaign** Young Anna Kos lives with her scientist father Piotr in Polania, which is occupied by the Rusviet army after a truce with Saxony ended the Great War. Anna’s older brother Janek was killed in the war. Rusviet troops raid Anna’s village searching for Piotr, whose prosthetic arm can disable mechs. Colonel Lev Zubov captures Piotr, intending to force him to access Nikola Tesla’s Factory. Anna recruits fighters from the Polanian Resistance to rescue her father, joined by her uncle Lech, the Resistance leader. They arrive too late—Piotr is mortally wounded after Zubov steals his arm. Before dying, Piotr tells Anna to warn his colleague Heinrich Steinmetz in Kolno. Seeking revenge, Anna joins Lech to spearhead a relief train into Kolno, where she discovers the Resistance has brought weapons to arm locals. Lech plans an armed uprising to provoke a Rusviet purge, uniting Polania against the occupation. Anna objects and knocks him out when he tries to martyr her. She meets Heinrich, helps evacuate civilians via airship, and stays behind with Lech to cover the escape.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Iron Harvest
- Developer
- King Art Games
- Publisher
- Deep Silver
- Director
- Jan Theysen
- Designer
- Maximilian Kiese
- Programmer
- Philipp Kolhoff
- Writer
- Jan Theysen · Jesse Abbott · Elliott Verbiest · Jakub Różalski
- Artist
- Jakub Różalski · Stefan Obst
- Composer
- Kai Rosenkranz · Julian Strzoda
- Engine
- Unity
- Platforms
- Windows · PlayStation 5 · Xbox Series X/S
- Released
- Microsoft Windows / September 1, 2020 · PS5, Xbox Series X/S / October 26, 2021
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The game is set in the 1920+ alternate history universe created by Polish artist Jakub Różalski, popularized by the board game Scythe. The 1920+ universe is inspired by the Polish–Soviet War of 1919–1921, and the game's theme has been described as 'dieselpunk mecha'. The story focuses on conflict between three nations in Central and Eastern Europe — Polania, Rusviet, and Saxony (based respectively on Poland, the Soviet Union/Russian Empire, and Imperial Germany) — occurring sometime in the 1920s in the aftermath of World War I. The Operation Eagle DLC, released in May 2021, adds another playable nation, Usonia (based on the United States).
The plot unfolds across multiple campaigns. The Polania campaign follows young Anna Kos, who seeks to rescue her scientist father Piotr from Colonel Lev Zubov of the Rusviet army. The Rusviet campaign reveals that Anna's brother Janek, thought dead, was turned into a cyborg by Zubov using Tesla technology. The Saxony campaign follows Gunter von Duisburg, a Saxonian officer who uncovers a conspiracy by the secret faction Fenris. Additional campaigns cover the Rusviet Revolution and the Usonian intervention in Arabia.
Reader's Guide
Iron Harvest stands as a notable entry in the real-time strategy genre of the 2020s, bringing a dieselpunk aesthetic to the battlefield. The game features over twenty missions across separate single-player storylines for each of the three main factions, with additional content via the Operation Eagle DLC. Its setting, drawn from Jakub Różalski's 1920+ universe, offers a distinct alternate history grounded in the Polish–Soviet War. The narrative weaves together the fates of characters from Polania, Rusviet, and Saxony, culminating in a united front against the shadowy Fenris organization. The game includes both multiplayer and skirmish modes, extending its replayability beyond the single-player campaigns. Its release on Windows in 2020 and on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in 2021 brought the mecha-and-infantry combat to a broad audience. The story's themes of war, occupation, and resistance, along with the inclusion of hero units and giant mechs, define its place in the RTS landscape of the decade.
Did You Know?
- The Operation Eagle DLC, released in May 2021, adds Usonia as a playable nation.
- The story involves a secret faction called Fenris that seeks to restart the war.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Iron Harvest?
Iron Harvest is a real-time strategy game in which you direct mechs, infantry squads, and special hero units across the battlefield. It was developed by King Art Games and published by Deep Silver.
When and where was Iron Harvest released?
The Windows version launched on September 1, 2020, and the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S editions followed on October 26, 2021. No other platforms received the title.
What is the setting of Iron Harvest?
The game is set in an alternate 1920s Europe where colossal mechanical entities called Harvesters are devastating human settlements. The dieselpunk visual and narrative direction draws on the concept art of Jakub Różalski.
How many factions and storylines are in Iron Harvest?
Three main factions are playable, and each has its own dedicated single-player campaign. Together the three storylines span more than twenty missions.
What game modes does Iron Harvest include?
In addition to the three faction-specific story campaigns, the game offers multiplayer and free-for-all skirmish modes. Every mode lets you build armies from mechs, foot soldiers, and hero characters.
More in Real-Time Strategy Games of the 2020s 1-19
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