Dying Breed

About

Dying Breed is a single player real-time strategy game. It was developed by Sarnayer and was released on October 7, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Dying Breed, A first generation Pixel-Art Real Time Strategy Game set in an alternative time-line. Where World War 2 ends in 1951 with Nuclear Holocaust. After 40 years of relative peace a New Powerful source of Energy start emerging from Underground. An evil MasterMind called Ubik is the first to understand the True power of this new source named Substance D. Two factions and neutrals will fight …

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+10

Skip User Reviews

68%

Audience ScoreBased on 134 reviews

story9 positive mentions

stability5 negative mentions

Dying Breed is a fantastic homage to classic RTS games, capturing the essence of Command & Conquer with its fast-paced gameplay and nostalgic FMV cutscenes.
The game features a unique blend of humor and retro aesthetics, making it a fun experience for fans of the genre.
The developers are passionate and responsive, actively working on improvements and updates based on player feedback.

The game suffers from significant balance issues, with units feeling overpowered or underpowered, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
Pathfinding and controls are clunky, causing units to get stuck and making it difficult to manage troops effectively during battles.
As an Early Access title, the game is still rough around the edges, with numerous bugs and performance issues that detract from the overall experience.

story
65 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
78%
8%
The game's story is described as a mix of superficial and humorous cutscenes, reminiscent of classic Command & Conquer, but often feels unfinished and lacking depth. Players appreciate the nostalgic elements and the engaging, albeit chaotic, narrative set in an alternate apocalyptic timeline, but many express frustration with bugs and mission design that detracts from the overall experience. While the storytelling has potential, it currently suffers from balance issues and a lack of coherent progression, leaving players hoping for future improvements.
- “Overall, there are many things that can be improved in the future, but this game has great potential: a good nostalgia trip, a lot of funny bits, good music, and an interesting story - a recipe for a casual/relaxing session after a tiresome working day.”
- “The cinematics and storytelling are also very good with that cyberpunk, post-apocalyptic spirit.”
- “The plot is so comic book villain evil and tongue-in-cheek, while I normally would disregard that as extremely cheesy, it does capture the whole simplistic 90's US-centered overly confident action hero geopolitical vibe perfectly.”
- “It feels very much like an unfinished project, and I don't think you can even beat it yet since many missions are still unfinished.”
- “The existing missions aren't balanced or that well coded.”
- “I was looking forward to playing a modern rendition of classic C&C games, but instead I'm met with unbearably low quality FMVs, poor storytelling, and a woman yelling 'I'm Frank' within the first cutscene.”
music
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
32%
10%
The music in the game has received largely positive feedback, with many players praising its nostalgic resemblance to classic Command & Conquer soundtracks. Reviewers noted that the soundtrack enhances the gameplay experience, providing an adrenaline rush during missions and effectively capturing the retro aesthetic. While some mentioned a few tracks may not stand out, the overall consensus is that the music is a strong aspect of the game, contributing to its charm and atmosphere.
- “The unit/structure designs are awesome and the soundtrack really ties the atmosphere together, takes me back to my childhood in all the right ways.”
- “Dying Breed perfectly channels the golden era of Command & Conquer with its fast-paced battles, chaotic base-building, and a punchy retro soundtrack that hits all the right notes.”
- “Nostalgic vibe and superb music.”
- “Everything from the unit damage balance to the overall appearance—it tries to capture that 90s feel with FMV on green screen, MIDI soundtracks and so on, but it still looks and feels awful.”
- “So the theme is there, what about the music?”
- “A soundtrack that f***s.”
gameplay
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
67%
11%
The gameplay of this game is heavily inspired by classic RTS titles like Command & Conquer, featuring well-designed missions and nostalgic elements, but it suffers from significant issues such as slow unit speeds, poor pathfinding, and balancing problems. While some players appreciate the throwback to traditional mechanics and the game's aesthetic, many criticize its execution, noting that it feels unpolished and less enjoyable than expected, especially in its current alpha state. Overall, the gameplay shows potential but requires substantial improvements to enhance playability and balance.
- “Dying Breed is a brilliant throwback to classic RTS gameplay.”
- “Really well designed missions, fun gameplay, and tons of really nice touches like the unit voice lines and building selection sounds.”
- “A good tribute to the old Command & Conquer 1 (Tiberium Dawn), overall it captures the feeling and mechanics of that RTS, with a lot of easter eggs and even the jank of C&C, while the developer is active and working to improve and fix the issues.”
- “Gameplay is very very slow, unit speed, harvester speed, vehicles in general.”
- “The game is in an extremely early state where basic RTS mechanics don't work properly.”
- “Gameplay and pathfinding is jank, honestly feels worse than C&C 1.”
humor
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
94%
17%
The humor in the game is a standout feature, with many players praising its self-aware, nostalgic charm reminiscent of '90s classics. The cutscenes and unit quotes are particularly noted for their hilarity, often eliciting genuine laughter, though some find the humor to be a parody of parodies that can become annoying. Overall, the game's quirky sound effects and voice acting contribute to its comedic appeal, making it a fun and lighthearted experience despite some areas needing improvement.
- “The cutscenes are especially hilarious, adding a fun layer to the gameplay.”
- “The FMVs are delightfully self-aware, adding humor and personality to every mission.”
- “When watching the intro video for the first time, I was literally rolling over the desk laughing.”
- “The problem with them is that the original ones were a parody of cliché tropes, but these are a parody of the parody, making them not funny but rather annoying.”
- “The humor feels forced and relies too heavily on outdated jokes that fall flat.”
- “Instead of clever wit, the game resorts to cheap gags that quickly lose their charm.”
graphics
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
47%
20%
The graphics of the game are praised for their retro aesthetic and attention to detail, evoking nostalgia for classic RTS titles while featuring vibrant pixel art and engaging animations. However, some users express dissatisfaction with the user interface and report bugs that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the visuals are a strong draw for players, though they may not fully align with gameplay expectations.
- “Art style and details are awesome.”
- “I've been playing RTS games for the better part of 26 years... this game sent me right back to the start with the level design, graphics, cutscenes, and music. This game is a true love letter to classic RTS games with its own unique take on the formula.”
- “Pixel graphics are easy to parse and look excellent with tons of little animations to give them character, accompanied by lots of spoken dialogue.”
- “I recommend watching a few videos of the game beforehand to see if you're comfortable with the graphics.”
- “I'm a fan of the graphics, but not the GUI; it feels sloppy.”
- “Unfortunately, those are missing too, even though the graphics for them seem to exist.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been widely criticized for its instability, with numerous reports of bugs that hinder gameplay, such as units failing to build or attack. Many players feel that the game is not ready for release, citing frustrating issues that detract from the overall experience.
- “The game is so buggy that if you are playing it, you are just wasting your time.”
- “I like the aesthetic, but some units are pointless and this game is not ready at all. It's very buggy; at one point, I just couldn't build units and everyone stopped attacking for some unknown reason.”
- “It's buggy, first off.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
33%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its nostalgic design and soundtrack, effectively evoking the classic 90s RTS experience. However, some users note that the sound quality detracts from the overall immersion, with certain audio elements feeling out of place. Despite these criticisms, the overall ambiance is considered enjoyable and reminiscent of beloved titles from the era.
- “The unit and structure designs are awesome, and the soundtrack really ties the atmosphere together, taking me back to my childhood in all the right ways.”
- “The game is very enjoyable and brings us back to the atmosphere of classic 90s RTS games, which is incredible.”
- “I sincerely wish for this game to succeed as the idea itself and the implicit humor concepts both deserve praise, as well as the nostalgic atmosphere of 90's Westwood classics.”
- “First of all, I sincerely wish for this game to succeed as the idea itself and the implicit humor concepts both deserve praise, as well as the nostalgic atmosphere of 90's Westwood classics. However, it requires attention to a lot of details. I shall skip combat and balance as it was fairly described by others here, and I will highlight the game sounds as the most obvious area that lacks quality and improvement. They do not blend naturally with units, sounding like WhatsApp voice messages, and various notification sounds. While hovering, it would be nice to add a short description of the units. Also, attacking an enemy unit that you just decided to attack doesn't cancel an existing order for a commando unit to blow up an enemy building.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and slow, largely due to the disproportionately small units relative to the map size, which makes every movement feel drawn out and laborious.
- “The game is just tediously slow; the units are way too small for the size of the maps, and you really understand what I mean when you have to watch every single step they take.”
- “Grinding feels like an endless chore, with little reward for the time invested.”
- “The repetitive nature of grinding makes the game feel more like a job than a fun experience.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is described as deeply impactful, with some players expressing feelings of heartbreak, leading to a reluctance to recommend it at this time.
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy is perceived as exploitative, with users labeling it a "cash grab" that prioritizes profit over player experience.
- “Right now, it's just a cash grab.”