SteamWorld Heist
A turn-based tactics shooter with manual aiming and trick shots.
SteamWorld Heist is a turn-based tactics shooter video game developed and published by Image & Form. It is the third installment of the SteamWorld series and the sequel to SteamWorld Dig. The game has the player control Captain Piper Faraday, a smuggler and occasional pirate, as she recruits a ragtag team of robots and sets out on a space adventure. The objective is to board, loot, and shoot through enemy spaceships. The game is notable for replacing random hit percentages with manual aiming, a design choice that distinguishes it from genre staples like XCOM.
Quick Facts
- Title
- SteamWorld Heist
- Developer
- Image & Form
- Platforms
- Nintendo 3DS, Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Stadia
- Composer
- Steam Powered Giraffe, Johannes Hedberg
- Series
- SteamWorld
- Genre
- Turn-based tactics, action-adventure
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
SteamWorld Heist is set in a spacefaring world of robots. Captain Piper Faraday leads a crew aboard her ship. Initially harassed by the Scrappers, a bandit faction bullying locals, Piper unites the scattered Steambots to fight back. As the crew pushes the Scrappers out of the "Outskirts," they encounter the Royalist Space Force, a powerful militaristic faction led by the Red Queen, who taxes the poor Steambots heavily. While conflict escalates with the Royalists, a far greater threat emerges: the Vectron, an ancient, hive-mind race of energetic robots (first seen in SteamWorld Dig) that seek to assimilate or destroy all other life. Piper discovers that the Royalists and Scrappers are ill-equipped to stop the Vectron. She must journey into Deep Space, recruiting a diverse crew of specialists—including the former Royalist Sea Brass, the circus strongman Ivanski, and the cryptic Fen (via DLC)—to infiltrate the Vectron flagship. In the climax, the crew destroys the Vectron hive mind, saving robotkind from assimilation.
Reader's Guide
SteamWorld Heist is a side-scrolling turn-based strategy game that emphasizes skill over chance. Players command a squad of robots through procedurally generated levels on enemy spaceships. The core combat mechanic removes random hit percentages; instead, players manually aim their characters' weapons. Successful attacks depend on the player's ability to line up shots, utilizing the environment to bounce bullets off surfaces ("trick shots") to bypass enemy shields and cover. Crew members belong to different classes, such as Vanguards, Sharpshooters, Assault, and Heavies. Weapons range from handguns and SMGs to rocket launchers. The primary objective in missions is often to loot the enemy ship. Players collect "swag" bags containing water (currency), new weapons, and utility items. A signature feature is Hats; players can shoot hats off enemies' heads and collect them to customize their crew's appearance. The game offers multiple difficulty settings that can be changed between missions. Completing the game unlocks "New Game+," allowing players to restart with their gathered hats and experience. The game's soundtrack was composed and performed by the real-life steam-punk band Steam Powered Giraffe, who appear in the game as robot troubadours found in bars. A downloadable content pack titled "The Outsider" introduced a new playable character, Fen, who uses a lightning gun that can pierce enemies, along with new missions, weapons, and hats.
Did You Know?
- The game was released on Google's cloud gaming service Stadia on March 10, 2020.
- A sequel, SteamWorld Heist II, was released on August 8, 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SteamWorld Heist?
SteamWorld Heist is a turn-based tactics shooter created and published by Image & Form, and it serves as the third entry in the SteamWorld franchise. Players guide Captain Piper Faraday, a smuggler who assembles a crew of robots to raid and loot hostile vessels in space.
How does SteamWorld Heist's combat differ from games like XCOM?
Rather than using random hit percentages to determine whether an attack lands, the game gives players a manual aiming system where they physically line up each shot. This also opens the door for trick shots, putting direct control over accuracy in the player's hands.
Who is the protagonist and what is the main objective?
You play as Captain Piper Faraday, a smuggler and occasional pirate who recruits a ragtag team of robots for a spacefaring adventure. The core loop involves boarding enemy spaceships, stealing their cargo, and shooting through hostile forces to escape.
When and on what platform did SteamWorld Heist first launch?
The game debuted on December 10, 2015, with the Nintendo 3DS as its initial platform. Image & Form handled both development and publication of the title.
How does SteamWorld Heist connect to the rest of the SteamWorld series?
It is the third installment in the franchise and functions as a direct sequel to SteamWorld Dig. While the earlier title centered on underground mining, Heist shifts the setting into space and focuses on ship-boarding and looting.
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