Into the Breach

94%
Game Brain Score Based on 11,085 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • replayability
Into the Breach Game Cover
“Into the Breach hones its inventive mech-on-kaiju battles to perfection.”
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Into the Breach is a turn-based strategy game where players defend Earth from an alien invasion. Command powerful mechs to protect cities and defeat the Vek threat in this tactical battlefield. Each decision matters as failed missions can result in global consequences, and only the most strategic pilots will ensure humanity's survival.

  • PC
  • Cloud
  • NVIDIA GeForce NOW
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

94%
Audience ScoreBased on 11,085 reviews
gameplay683 positive mentions
grinding74 negative mentions
  • gameplay1,938 mentions

    The gameplay of "Into the Breach" is characterized by its simple yet deep mechanics, allowing for strategic depth and tactical decision-making reminiscent of chess. Players control squads of mechs in turn-based combat, where each move is crucial, and the game emphasizes positioning and environmental interactions over randomness. While the core gameplay loop is engaging and addictive, some players note a potential for repetitiveness and a desire for more content variety as they unlock different mech squads and abilities.

    • “The gameplay is simple, but with a lot of hidden depth and very addictive.”
    • “The core gameplay offers a variety of tactical mechanics which players must constantly use to survive each mission.”
    • “The mechanics are simple, yet deep with varied weapon types, map events, biomes, enemies and status effects which lead to interesting strategies and give you that amazing buzz you get when you figure out a plan that helps get you that victory.”
    • “It's ridiculously boring, looks horrible, and has no compelling narrative to make you want to slog through this terrible gameplay.”
    • “Six years and 2.5 hours played later... I am just one person, and I know I'm in the minority here, but I just can't properly express how lacking in soul, gameplay, tactics, strategy, and completely lacking in fun this game actually is.”
    • “The gameplay loop is real... repetitive.”
  • story1,156 mentions

    The story in "Into the Breach" is minimal and primarily serves as a backdrop for the gameplay, which revolves around time-traveling mech pilots defending against alien threats across various missions. While some players appreciate the intriguing premise and the way the narrative ties into the mechanics, many find the lack of depth, character development, and variety in mission types disappointing. Overall, the game is more focused on strategic gameplay than on delivering a compelling story, leading to mixed feelings about its narrative elements.

    • “A deep and fun strategy game with the perfect amount of story and writing to get you through.”
    • “The story seems simple enough, until you start to peel back the layers and reveal something larger!”
    • “The story is serviceable for a roguelike, but the story does a great job in explaining the game mechanics of time line travel and the reset turn button.”
    • “Absolutely no progression or story to speak of.”
    • “The story, characters, dialogues, and even upgrades become just a nuisance you will quickly close when you load the same map over and over again, trying to make sense of it all and expecting some actual strategy.”
    • “The game's lack of a captivating story or immersive elements further contributed to the low replay value.”
  • replayability1,074 mentions

    The game "Into the Breach" is widely praised for its high replayability, attributed to its diverse mech squads, unlockable content, and procedurally generated levels that keep each playthrough fresh. While many players find it engaging and addictive, some note that it may not reach the same level of replayability as its predecessor, "FTL," due to a more limited variety in scenarios and a less dynamic gameplay experience. Overall, it offers a satisfying blend of strategy and challenge that encourages repeated play.

    • “A tactics game with infinite replayability.”
    • “Completing a game unlocks additional mech squads, each offering a new combination of skills, making the game highly replayable.”
    • “The different squads all have their own unique playstyles, creating endless replayability.”
    • “I can say it simply loses its luster once you're past the honeymoon phase as it has fairly minimal replayability.”
    • “Limited replay value: due to the lack of significant improvements and the absence of variety in playing different squads, subsequent runs with the same squad felt repetitive and lacked freshness.”
    • “The game's lack of a captivating story or immersive elements further contributed to the low replay value.”
  • music671 mentions

    The music in "Into the Breach" has received widespread acclaim, particularly for its engaging and atmospheric soundtrack composed by Ben Prunty, which many players find enhances the overall gaming experience. While some reviews note that the music can become repetitive over time, the majority highlight its ability to complement the game's strategic gameplay and immersive visuals. Overall, the soundtrack is often described as a standout feature, with many players expressing a desire to listen to it outside of the game itself.

    • “The music is amazing, one of the few games I prefer to listen to the soundtrack rather than other music.”
    • “The atmosphere is great, the art style has a lot of substance, the music is amazing, and the gameplay is terrific.”
    • “The soundtrack is absolutely godlike, especially the desert island tracks.”
    • “The music is generic as is the music.”
    • “The music is the same but not as impactful.”
    • “The soundtrack is muted and ambient compared to the same composer's stunning work on FTL.”
  • graphics632 mentions

    The graphics of "Into the Breach" are characterized by a charming pixel art style that effectively complements its gameplay, evoking nostalgia for classic games while maintaining clarity and readability. Reviewers appreciate the minimalist aesthetic, which enhances focus on strategy rather than visual complexity, and praise the polished execution of the visuals alongside a fitting soundtrack. While some players may find the graphics simplistic or outdated, many agree that they serve the game's mechanics well and contribute to an engaging overall experience.

    • “The pixel graphics are beautiful, the music fits the mood, and the characters' personalities make me smile.”
    • “The graphics are simple but really polished, the soundtrack is atmospheric, and the whole package reminds me of the best DOS games from the early 90s like Syndicate.”
    • “The art style is charming, and manages to pull a great look while not adding too much clutter to the screen.”
    • “Im going to assume Windows 11 isn't supported yet, menus are glitched and slow to respond, half of the graphics do not appear and I'm left with white outs and some colored shapes.”
    • “The graphics are minimalistic, helping you focus on the game itself; the soundtrack is kick-ass and fits the mood of the game perfectly, the attacks feel satisfying in their simplicity and effect, which rarely happens in most turn-based combats where you can send up to 10 seconds watching an attack play out.”
    • “The graphics are easy to digest, an important factor for new players, but intricate.”
  • grinding80 mentions

    The reviews indicate that grinding in the game is often perceived as tedious, time-consuming, and sometimes punishing, particularly when it comes to unlocking new squads and achievements. While some players appreciate the depth and strategy involved, many find the grind detracts from the overall enjoyment, leading to a repetitive experience that can feel like a chore. However, a few players note that the game can be engaging without excessive grinding, depending on individual play styles and goals.

    • “This game actively encourages gaining achievements, but there's no grinding involved.”
    • “It has many challenges to complete which are interesting and not too grindy.”
    • “A bit grindy sometimes.”
    • “Boring, tedious, painful.”
    • “Unlocking new squads is tedious.”
    • “The only gripe I have is the amount of grinding and niche achievements you need to complete for more points to unlock mech squads.”
  • atmosphere70 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its authenticity, depth, and immersive qualities, with many reviewers highlighting the exceptional music, art style, and world-building that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the unique personalities of characters and the emotional weight of gameplay moments, creating a compelling backdrop for strategic challenges. While some note that the atmosphere may not reach the heights of similar titles like FTL, it remains a strong aspect that contributes significantly to the game's appeal.

    • “The atmosphere is great, the art style has a lot of substance, the music is amazing, and the gameplay is terrific.”
    • “This game oozes atmosphere, is expertly crafted with terrific writing and the mechanics are tight.”
    • “The soundtrack is amazing and the atmosphere is just fantastic.”
    • “But after a while, much of the atmosphere became background noise as I focused on solving puzzles and challenges.”
    • “First off, I'll start by reaffirming a few of my initial concerns: I still think the game lacks the atmosphere to the same level as FTL.”
    • “Also, the game really fails on story, atmosphere, and motivation for me.”
  • emotional39 mentions

    The emotional aspect of "Into the Breach" elicits mixed responses from players. While some appreciate the game's ability to evoke feelings of triumph and frustration through its challenging gameplay and tactical depth, others find the lack of a compelling narrative and character backstories limits emotional investment. Overall, players experience a range of emotions, from feeling like tactical geniuses to grappling with the absence of deeper emotional connections to the game's characters and story.

    • “Something I found very effective is the unseen citizens you're saving actually having emotional reactions to humanize them; very smart.”
    • “Seeing a building get taken out and the number of casualties made me feel more emotion than most games do with 30+ hour storylines.”
    • “Not only do each of the pilots and island leaders have their own personalities imparted through snippets of combat dialogue, but the world has deep lore, the implications of which are rather disturbing to contemplate, and no matter how many times I finish the game I am never prepared for the emotional impact of my team's sendoff.”
    • “The story was incredibly boring and failed to evoke any emotional response.”
    • “I found the narrative to be dull, lacking the depth needed to connect with the characters.”
    • “The emotional impact was nonexistent; I felt nothing throughout the entire experience.”
  • optimization29 mentions

    The game's optimization is highly praised, with users noting its smooth performance across various systems, including lower-end PCs. Players appreciate the strategic depth that comes from optimizing moves and resources, which is central to the gameplay experience, while the clean UI and quick load times enhance overall enjoyment. The focus on tactical optimization creates a challenging yet rewarding environment, making it feel well-balanced and engaging without significant performance issues.

    • “Soo much optimization with different weapons and mech combinations to try out...”
    • “Each turn becomes a challenge of optimization to eliminate threats by killing enemies or denying incoming damage.”
    • “If I really buckle down and plan everything out perfectly, I can usually pull off a win, but doing so pretty much always requires relying on the same few optimized routines instead of branching out and really exploring; if you go in wanting to use the coolest abilities and set up the coolest combos, you're gonna get punished hard.”
    • “Anything that can be optimized by doing a search across all possible moves is not very compelling and that's the main gameplay loop you'll find yourself doing.”
    • “It's much more of a puzzle/optimization game than anything else; each turn offers a number of problems that you have to figure out how to solve as efficiently as possible.”
  • humor28 mentions

    The humor in the game is a standout feature, with players enjoying its subtle and often unexpected comedic moments, such as funny dialogue from characters and amusing gameplay scenarios. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to blend humor with challenging mechanics, creating a lighthearted atmosphere even in difficult situations. Overall, the humor enhances the experience, making it engaging and entertaining throughout extended play sessions.

    • “The story is fitting and subtly hilarious; sometimes I think the humor is the game's strongest point, not to detract from all the other things it does so well.”
    • “Even after 40+ hours of gameplay, I actually had fun going for all those achievements because, just when I thought I had it all figured out, some funny unexpected situation happened that kept reeling me in.”
    • “You can make some seriously hilarious teams and combos.”
  • stability17 mentions

    The game's stability is generally praised, particularly on platforms like PC and Steam Deck, where many users report smooth performance and minimal bugs. However, some players have experienced significant issues, including frequent crashes and freezes during gameplay, indicating that while the game is mostly stable, there are notable exceptions that affect the experience for certain users. Overall, the game is seen as well-made with a few stability concerns that need addressing.

    • “Runs great on PC or Steam Deck; it's perfect for quick, on-the-go sessions.”
    • “Bug free, 30 hours of gaming, no bugs whatsoever.”
    • “Its rare that I 100% a game, but this one compelled me to do so; runs great on my cobbled together creaky PC too!”
    • “Game freezes on enemy turn often.”
    • “I want to like the game; it's a fun little turn-based game, but it crashes every turn I take and freezes for about 30 seconds, then works again.”
    • “Great game, but too buggy to play quite yet (missing HP bars, random blocks of color blocking UI, panels popping under other panels).”
  • monetization16 mentions

    The game is praised for its lack of microtransactions and in-game purchases, offering a refreshing experience in an era dominated by monetization strategies. Players appreciate the focus on gameplay and fun rather than corporate profit motives, expressing a desire for potential DLC that adds value rather than exploiting players. Overall, the absence of monetization elements enhances the game's appeal and enjoyment.

    • “This is what a game should feel like: lots of fun, gameplay, strategy, and weapons, but no in-game monetization stuff.”
    • “In an age of games as a service and microtransactions, a solid game with proper ambition and complementary design is refreshing.”
    • “They manage to provide players with a sense of pride and accomplishment without microtransactions.”
    • “In an age of games as a service & microtransactions, a solid game with proper ambition & complementary design is refreshing.”
    • “That said, I wouldn't mind buying DLC for this game if they do plan to release some in the future since that would actually be additional content instead of 'you have to pay for content that we already developed for on release but we want more money so here's a scummy cash grab excuse.'”
    • “It's fun to play and for a moment it will take you back to a time when there were no microtransactions & loot boxes.”
  • character development5 mentions

    Character development in this game is largely minimal, with many reviewers noting a lack of story progression and depth. While there are RPG-like elements and varied mech squads that enhance replayability, the focus remains on gameplay mechanics rather than character growth or narrative. Players seeking rich character arcs may find this aspect disappointing.

    • “With the added bonus of RPG-like character development and a varied set of alternative mech squads, this addictive rogue-lite puzzle game offers a high degree of replayability.”
    • “The only real downside is that there isn’t much of a story or any kind of character development.”
    • “Progression and character development may be the weakest part.”
    • “Definitely worth the money if you are motivated by those types of incentives, but be forewarned that there is essentially no additional story or character development after your first run.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

80% average critic score

Buy Into the Breach

Play time

24hMedian play time
60hAverage play time
6hMain story
49hCompletionist
10-61hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 101 analyzed playthroughs

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