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Dying Breed

Dying Breed Game Cover
68%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music
Most mentioned negative aspects:stability, atmosphere
68% User Score Based on 155 reviews

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Dying Breed Game Cover

About Dying Breed

Dying Breed is a single player tactical real-time strategy game with post-apocalyptic, violence and science fiction themes. 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 …

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Dying Breed screenshot
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Dying Breed screenshot
Dying Breed screenshot
Dying Breed screenshot
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Reviews

68%Audience ScoreBased on 155 reviews
story11 positive mentions
stability6 negative mentions
  • Strong nostalgic appeal for fans of classic 90s RTS games, especially Command & Conquer, with a genuine love and homage to the original titles.
  • Engaging and fun gameplay that captures the spirit of old school RTS, with amusing FMV cutscenes and a fitting soundtrack.
  • Active and responsive developers showing passion and commitment to improving the game, regularly fixing bugs and taking player feedback onboard.
  • Severe pathfinding issues causing units and harvesters to get stuck, impacting gameplay flow and enjoyment.
  • Balance problems where units are either too fragile or too powerful, leading to frustrating combat and economy mechanics.
  • Lack of important features yet such as skirmish and multiplayer modes, along with slow game and scroll speeds and a minimal options menu.

  • story

    70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    16% positive mentions, 78% neutral mentions, 6% negative mentions

    The story offers a nostalgic, tongue-in-cheek, and somewhat cheesy tribute to classic RTS games with humorous FMVs and a comic book villain vibe, though some find it simplistic or underdeveloped. Mission narratives are supported by clear briefings and varied objectives, but the storytelling sometimes lacks depth and polish, with missing voice cues and uneven mission design. Overall, while the plot and presentation have charm and potential, many feel the story feels unfinished or superficial, leaving room for future improvements.

    • “Overall the vibes are fantastic, the acting, themes, and story are basically what you'd expect for the game they're trying to make.”
    • “The cinematics and storytelling are also very good with that cyberpunk, post-apocalyptic spirit.”
    • “The plot is basically an alternate apocalyptic timeline where the world was destroyed by nuclear weapons by the Axis powers after World War II stretched an extra couple of years.”
    • “At the same time in the missions there are no sound bits for important things, why not make a 'get to the choppa' line in the first mission, why not tell me about the artillery instead of just showing me a short ingame text in the corner of the screen.”
    • “The story is kinda bad too, from the trailers I thought we fight these creatures and maybe some rebels or cultists helping them.”
    • “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 story telling and a woman yelling 'I'm Frank' within the first cutscene.”

  • music

    34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    56% positive mentions, 35% neutral mentions, 9% negative mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its nostalgic, retro-inspired soundtrack that effectively captures the classic Command & Conquer vibe and enhances the atmosphere with adrenaline-pumping and memorable tracks. While overall well-produced and fitting the gameplay, some users note limited variety and repetitive sequences with no shuffle options. Nevertheless, the soundtrack strongly contributes to the game's charm and is considered a standout feature.

    • “I've been playing RTS games for the better part of 26 years. I began playing them when I was only 5 years old and I've gotta say that this game sent me right back to the start with the level design, graphics, cutscenes, and music. This game is a true blue love letter to classic RTS games with its own unique take on the formula, and I highly recommend it to anyone who shares the same love as I do.”
    • “The game is visually beautiful, the music is extraordinary, the sounds are original and fun, and I liked it even more knowing that they are all made by the same voice actor.”
    • “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.”
    • “Every single level starts with the exact same song and plays them in the exact same order.”
    • “There are zero options to shuffle or randomize the 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.”

  • gameplay

    32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    19% positive mentions, 72% neutral mentions, 9% negative mentions

    The gameplay is a nostalgic throwback to classic RTS titles like Command & Conquer, featuring straightforward mechanics and mission design, including praised subterranean levels. However, it suffers from slow pacing, unbalanced combat, janky unit pathfinding, and some poorly executed mechanics that hinder playability. Despite these issues, ongoing developer support and the authentic retro feel provide hope for future improvements.

    • “If you're tired of modern super hi-spec yet highly dumbed down new releases, this'll take you back to when gameplay was key.”
    • “Gameplay is pretty straightforward, the addition of subterranean levels is absolutely gold and reminded me of Warcraft 1. It really impressed me, making the no base/commando missions so interesting.”
    • “Dying Breed is a brilliant throwback to classic RTS gameplay.”
    • “After giving it a test drive, I was immediately disappointed by how shallow and linear the gameplay felt.”
    • “Gameplay and pathfinding is jank, honestly feels worse than C&C 1.”
    • “The game is in an extremely early state where basic RTS mechanics don't work properly.”

  • humor

    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    95% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 5% negative mentions

    The game's humor is widely appreciated for its self-aware, nostalgic '90s vibe and parody of classic RTS tropes, often causing players to laugh at its exaggerated voice acting, quirky sound effects, and funny cutscenes. While some find the humor charming and a highlight that adds personality and a casual, relaxing atmosphere, others feel it borders on annoying by parodying an original parody. Overall, the comedic elements, especially the FMVs and character voices, contribute significantly to the game's unique charm and appeal.

    • “I’ve been playing for a couple of hours since I bought it, and what I can tell is that the best thing about Dying Breed is its sense of humor and that pure ‘90s vibe that oozes from every pixel.”
    • “The FMVs are delightfully self-aware, adding humor and personality to every mission.”
    • “+ unit quotes and overall sound effects are cherry on top, so freaking funny - when I heard those mouth sounds for the first time I almost fell from my chair from laughing - I hope you can keep those or at least make an option to be able to choose them (if those are placeholders and other sounds are planned for launch).”
    • “The problem with them is, the original ones were a parody on cliché tropes, these are the parody on the parody, making them not funny but rather annoying.”

  • graphics

    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    33% positive mentions, 50% neutral mentions, 17% negative mentions

    The graphics are praised for their nostalgic early 90s, retro RTS charm with detailed pixel art and animations that capture classic Command & Conquer aesthetics, appealing strongly to longtime genre fans. However, some users note that the visuals feel unfinished, with buggy unit behavior, a sloppy GUI, and sluggish movement detracting from the experience. Overall, while the art style and world-building are highly appreciated, the technical polish and certain design elements still need improvement.

    • “Has the early 90s charm in the art style, the FMVs are somehow cheesier but it is clear the devs are having a lot of fun with this, and I am all for it.”
    • “I've been playing RTS games for the better part of 26 years. I began playing them when I was only 5 years old, and I've gotta say that this game sent me right back to the start with the level design, graphics, cutscenes, and music :) This game is a true blue love letter to classic RTS games with its own unique take on the formula and I highly recommend it to anyone who shares the same love as I do.”
    • “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 get the old school graphics thing but they could be better (I know it's not finished but maybe an option to make it look better?) A scroll speed option would be great as it is too slow.”
    • “I'm a fan of the graphics, but not the GUI, it feels sloppy.”
    • “- I appreciate the artwork in vehicles but their movement is awful.”

  • stability

    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    The game suffers from significant stability and balance issues, including inconsistent damage mechanics and frequent bugs that impair gameplay, such as unit-building glitches and unresponsive enemy behavior. Many users find it frustrating and feel the game is not yet polished or ready for proper play.

    • “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—very buggy. At one point, I just couldn't build units and everyone stopped attacking for some unknown reason.”
    • “There are some major problems: the damage seems weird. Shooting artillery into a bunch of infantry kills exactly one person, maybe. Meanwhile, two machine gun buggies have no problems chewing through two half-damaged tanks and an artillery. The damage buff on enemies seems insane.”

  • atmosphere

    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, -100% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    The atmosphere of the game effectively captures the nostalgic feel of classic 90s RTS titles, enhanced by impressive unit designs and a fitting soundtrack that resonates with longtime fans. However, some audio elements, such as unit sounds and notifications, feel unnatural and detract from immersion, indicating room for improvement in sound quality and integration.

    • “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 the classic 90s RTS, 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. The game sounds are the most obvious area that lacks quality and improvement, as they do not blend naturally, with units sounding like WhatsApp voice messages and various notification sounds.”
    • “It would be nice to add units' short descriptions while hovering.”
    • “Attacking an enemy unit that you just decided to attack doesn't cancel an existing order for a commando unit to blow an enemy building.”

  • optimization

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 100% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game's optimization is generally praised for smooth performance, ensuring a stable and responsive experience across devices.

  • emotional

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    Users find the emotional experience of the game to be deeply impactful but ultimately disappointing, leading to a sense of heartbreak and reluctance to recommend it at this time.

  • monetization

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    The monetization is widely viewed as overly aggressive and primarily focused on extracting money rather than providing value.

    • “Right now, it's just a cash grab.”

  • grinding

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    Grinding in the game is considered tedious and slow, exacerbated by the units' small size on large maps, making progress feel painstakingly slow and frustrating.

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Play Times

12h Median play time
8h Average play time
1-15h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Dying Breed is a tactical real-time strategy game with post-apocalyptic, violence and science fiction themes. Common tags for Dying Breed include indie, 2d, 2.5d, pixel graphics, war and others.

Dying Breed is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and Linux.

On average players spend around 8 hours playing Dying Breed.

Dying Breed was released on October 7, 2025.

Dying Breed was developed by Sarnayer.

Dying Breed has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked Dying Breed for its story but disliked it for its stability.

Dying Breed is a single player game.