Besiege (video game)
Medieval siege engine sandbox with extensive player creativity.
Besiege is a sandbox game from Spiderling Studios where players build vehicles and contraptions, set in a medieval fantasy world. It launched on Windows, macOS, and Linux in February 2020, following a five-year early access period. A version for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S arrived in February 2022, and ports for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Switch followed on December 12, 2024. An expansion called The Splintered Sea was announced in April 2024. Critics have widely praised the game for the extensive experimentation it allows.
Players can construct a huge variety of machines using basic wooden blocks and wheels, plus more advanced parts like cannons, bombs, hot-air balloons, and mechanical components. Later updates added timers, logic gates, and proximity detectors for automated inputs. Beyond a freeform sandbox mode, there is a single-player campaign with 55 levels spread across four themed islands. Each level has a unique goal, from solving puzzles with magical artifacts to fighting medieval soldiers or destroying buildings.
A December 2017 update introduced a level editor for custom maps and multiplayer features, letting players pit their creations against each other or destroy one another’s buildings. This led to community-run tournaments similar to the TV show *BattleBots*. The game also supports modding through Steam Workshop, where players can share vehicles, maps, custom skins, and minor gameplay tweaks.
The game first entered early access on January 28, 2015, for Linux, macOS, and Windows, and officially released on February 18, 2020. The Xbox version features a reworked interface, a photo mode, and a separate Workshop for sharing creations, and includes both multiplayer and a level editor. A mobile port for iOS and Android came out on November 18, 2025.
Spiderling Studios announced *Besiege: The Splintered Sea* on April 9, 2024, with a release date of May 24. It adds water physics and buoyancy, ten new maritime levels, and blocks for building sailboats or submarines. As of 2024, no other DLC has been announced.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Besiege
- Developer
- Spiderling Studios
- Director
- Marco Marino · Matt Woolven
- Designer
- Daniel Schmidt
- Programmer
- Stefan Winjker · Andreas R. Westerberg · Eamon Woortman
- Composer
- Franck Zaragoza
- Engine
- Unity
- Platforms
- Linux · macOS · Microsoft Windows · Xbox One · Xbox Series X/S · PlayStation 4 · PlayStation 5 · Nintendo Switch · iOS · Android
- Released
- Linux, Mac, Windows · 18 February 2020 · Xbox One, Series X/S · 10 February 2022 · PS4, PS5, Switch · 12 December 2024
- Genre
- Sandbox
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer (PC)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Besiege allows the player to build various vehicles and contraptions within a medieval fantasy setting with few limitations beyond a player's own skill and creativity. Basic components include wooden blocks and different types of wheels, with further options including complex mechanical components, cannons, bombs, stones, or hot-air balloons. Later updates introduced components such as timers, logic gates, or proximity detectors to automatically simulate player inputs. In addition to an open-ended sandbox mode, the game features a single-player campaign with 55 levels spread over four themed islands, each with unique environments and objectives ranging from puzzles to combat encounters.
Reader's Guide
Besiege's significance lies in its open-ended vehicle-building mechanics and strong community support. The game's early access phase lasted five years, during which updates added a level editor (December 2017) and multiplayer capabilities, allowing players to pit creations against each other or destroy buildings. Players developed systems to run tournaments similar to the television show BattleBots. Besiege also supports modding through Steam Workshop, where players can share vehicles, maps, custom skins, and minor mechanic changes. The console version, released for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S in February 2022, features a reworked user interface, photo mode, and a different Workshop, but lacks the multiplayer and level editor functionality of the PC version. An expansion pack, The Splintered Sea, announced in April 2024, adds water physics and buoyancy mechanics with 10 new maritime levels. Another DLC, The Broken Beyond, announced in February 2026, will allow players to explore space and fight aliens. The game has collected about 50,000 reviews on Steam, with more than 95% positive.
Did You Know?
- Besiege was in early access for five years before its full release in February 2020.
- A console version for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S was released in February 2022, but lacks multiplayer and level editor functionality.
- The Broken Beyond DLC, announced in February 2026, will feature space exploration and alien enemies.
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