SteamWorld Heist II
A turn-based tactics sequel with submarine exploration and a job system.
SteamWorld Heist II is a turn-based tactics shooter from 2024, developed and published by Thunderful. It marks the seventh game in the SteamWorld series and follows up on 2015's SteamWorld Heist. The title launched in August 2024 on Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and Series S.
Like its predecessor, the game plays as a side-scrolling turn-based tactics title. Players assemble a mismatched crew of Steambots to sail the ocean and find the cause of a mysterious poisoning. Each character gets two action points per turn, which they can spend on shooting, moving, or using special abilities. Positioning matters—hiding behind cover boosts defense. When attacking, players manually aim all firearms and can bounce bullets and grenades off walls for ricochet trick shots. A new job system lets players specialize their characters; swapping a weapon automatically changes the character's job. At launch, there are six jobs, including the Reapers (who can shoot twice if the first shot kills an enemy) and the Boomers (explosives experts). Some job skills remain usable even after switching jobs, but they must first be unlocked by spending cogs—a currency earned through mission completion.
Between missions, players can directly pilot the submarine and explore an ocean overworld. The ship can be fitted with various weapons that fire automatically at approaching hostile enemies. Unlike ground combat, naval battles happen in real time. In the overworld, players can access missions, collect scraps and resources, and visit taverns. At taverns, they can buy and upgrade gear and abilities for squad members, recruit new characters, and let returning crew rest. As players progress, their reputation grows, allowing them to upgrade the submarine and reach previously blocked areas.
The game takes place in the far future on a post-apocalyptic Earth. Humans have devolved into subterranean beings called Shiners, and their sentient robotic creations now live on the surface. Chronologically, this is the last game in the series, set after the destruction of Earth by a runaway fusion reaction at the end of Dig 2 and Build. The planet has split into shards, which still provide clean water to power Steambots—the least advanced robots. The Steambots are ruled by the more advanced but largely corrupt Dieselbots.
Quick Facts
- Title
- SteamWorld Heist II
- Developer
- Thunderful Development
- Publisher
- Thunderful
- Director
- Brjann Sigurgeirsson
- Producer
- Petter Magnusson
- Artist
- Brandt Andrist
- Series
- SteamWorld
- Composer
- Steam Powered Giraffe
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows · Nintendo Switch · PlayStation 4 · PlayStation 5 · Xbox One · Xbox Series X/S
- Genre
- Turn-based tactics
- Released
- August 8, 2024
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Set on a far-future, post-apocalyptic Earth, the game takes place after the destruction of the planet by a runaway fusion reaction. The Earth has split into shards that provide clean water to power Steambots, the least advanced robots, who are ruled by the more advanced but corrupt Dieselbots. The story begins a couple decades after SteamWorld Heist, following pirate captain Quincy Leeway as he recovers his submarine from the Royal Navy and seeks to solve a water contamination crisis causing a disease called Rust, while escaping the shadow of his legendary mother, Krakenbane.
Leeway's journey takes him from Caribbea to Arctica, where he confronts a cult called the Rattlers and eventually discovers the source of the toxin: the mechanical body of the Kraken. After betrayal by a disguised agent of the Atomics, a deep-sea race seeking revenge, Leeway must rescue his crew and stop the Kraken from annihilating the shard. With help from his mother and the protagonist of the previous game, Piper Faraday, Leeway defeats the Kraken and resolves the water crisis, allowing peaceful Atomics to live alongside Steambots.
Reader's Guide
SteamWorld Heist II builds on its predecessor's side-scrolling turn-based tactics by introducing a job system that lets players specialize characters by equipping different weapons. Six jobs are available at launch, including the Reapers, who can shoot twice if a shot defeats an enemy, and the Boomers, demolition experts. Skills unlocked with cogs can remain usable even after changing jobs. Between missions, players commandeer a submarine to explore an ocean overworld in real-time, engaging in naval combat and visiting taverns to recruit, upgrade, and rest characters. The game's development began in 2020, with the team expanding character customization and adding the overworld system originally planned for the first game. The soundtrack was composed and performed by Steam Powered Giraffe, who also appear as NPCs in bars. The game received generally favorable reviews, with critics noting the flexible job system and the large overworld map packed with tactically deep missions.
Did You Know?
- The game's soundtrack was composed and recorded by the band Steam Powered Giraffe, who also created the soundtrack for the original SteamWorld Heist.
- Band members appear as NPCs in different bars throughout the game, performing songs and voicing their respective characters.
- The job system allows a character's equipped weapon to automatically determine their job, with six jobs available at launch.
- Development of SteamWorld Heist II started in 2020, and the overworld system was initially planned for the first game.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SteamWorld Heist II?
It is a 2024 turn-based tactics shooter developed and published by Thunderful, serving as the seventh installment in the SteamWorld franchise and the direct sequel to the 2015 original.
What platforms is SteamWorld Heist II available on?
The game launched on August 8, 2024, for Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
How does the turn-based combat work in SteamWorld Heist II?
The game uses a side-scrolling grid where each Steabot on your crew has two action points per turn to spend on moving, shooting, or using special abilities.
What is the main story of SteamWorld Heist II about?
You assemble a mismatched crew of Steambots and set sail across the ocean to track down the source of a mysterious poisoning that is threatening the world.
What new features does SteamWorld Heist II add over the first game?
On top of the core tactics-shooter loop, the sequel introduces submarine exploration segments and a job system that lets you customize your Steambots' roles.
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