Steam Marines

About

Steam Marines is a single player tactical role playing game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by WorthlessBums and was released on September 24, 2014. It received neutral reviews from players.

Steam Marines is a squad based Roguelike set on a steampunk spaceship. It features tactical play focused on positioning and careful use of resources. Built to keep you on your toes as you progress through the decks of your besieged ship while clearing enemies and trying to reach each level's elevator.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

49%

Audience ScoreBased on 277 reviews

gameplay14 positive mentions

music4 negative mentions

Challenging and rewarding turn-based tactical roguelike with a squad of four marines, requiring careful planning and positioning.
High replayability due to procedural level generation, random enemy placement, and varied classes and abilities.
Strong old-school pixel art aesthetic and atmospheric sound design that complements the gameplay experience.

Numerous technical issues including frequent crashes, bugs, and graphical glitches, especially on newer Windows versions.
Clunky, unintuitive interface and control scheme with poor tutorial coverage leading to a steep learning curve.
Procedurally generated maps often have disconnected or doorless rooms requiring wall destruction, which disrupts flow and immersion.

gameplay
84 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
72%
11%
The gameplay is a slow, tactical, turn-based roguelike with squad management, reminiscent of XCOM and Space Hulk, offering satisfying strategic depth once mechanics are learned. However, it is often criticized for clunky controls, unclear tutorials, repetitiveness, and some bugs, leading to a steep learning curve and a somewhat uninspired, slow-paced experience. Despite these flaws, players who enjoy methodical, tile-based strategy and retro aesthetics may find it rewarding over time.
- “The actual game mechanics are centered around counting tiles your enemies will move next turn, staying out of their way, and guarding to shoot them when they advance.”
- “What is fun about this game is that each scenario is completely random, so each start is almost like a fresh new start... Details like paying attention to ammo, doors with bombs, or learning when it's worth breaking down a wall instead of using doors can mean the difference between life and death. Game rules must be well learned, since reloading means using all action points for that marine. Firing at enemies is interesting since you can only shoot in straight lines (except the grenadier who can cause collateral damage). Guard mode can be very useful if your marine is positioned in the correct line of fire. Essentially, you spend the first hour learning how to play and dying many times, but after understanding the gameplay, it is definitely fun!”
- “There are a lot of gameplay mechanics reminiscent of the XCOM series in that every unit has a limited number of action points to use for moving, attacking, healing, etc. Once you use all your points, the computer takes its turn moving the enemies in the same fashion.”
- “The gameplay feels far too one-dimensional for a turn-based rogue-like title.”
- “Gameplay is ok in general, but there are enough reasons to look the other way to spend your time on.”
- “Many of the poor gameplay elements, admitted to by the dev, were supposed to be changed before launch.”
graphics
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
58%
16%
The game's graphics are characterized by a retro 8-bit to 16-bit pixel art style that some find aesthetically pleasing and thematically fitting, contributing to its brooding, dark atmosphere. However, numerous users highlight issues such as confusing visuals, graphical glitches, alignment problems, and lack of visual clarity that sometimes hinder gameplay and immersion. While the art style has charm and nostalgia, the graphics are often seen as below average, with limited variety and occasional bugs affecting the overall experience.
- “Great art style.”
- “Nice pixel-art style graphics and a well-chosen score set the mood for this broody journey through a spaceship taken over by killer robots!”
- “As many have said, imagine a hotchpotch of Laser Squad (or XCOM), Space Hulk, and Bomberman, all wrapped up in a lovely pixel steampunk aesthetic.”
- “It has terrible graphics: sometimes I'm not sure what I'm looking at, while occasionally I have difficulties with reading the text.”
- “Total awful graphics, I can't even see what my units are doing.”
- “Graphics don't lend themselves towards differentiating items and terrain.”
music
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
61%
22%
The music in the game receives mixed feedback, with some players finding the main menu and soundtrack catchy and atmospheric, while others criticize it as repetitive, minimalistic, or even absent at times. Many tend to mute the in-game music in favor of their own, indicating it doesn't strongly enhance the overall experience.
- “The main menu music is very catchy.”
- “I still hum the soundtrack every time I think of this game.”
- “The game is accompanied by minimalistic/ambient music that adds to the survival/isolation experience.”
- “Sound and music are wholeheartedly terrible.”
- “Often the music stops working entirely, leaving you in silence, only the 8bit 'pew-pew' noises of your guns remain.”
- “There is no music, no variety; the tutorial does not prepare you for the amount of missing information in the game.”
stability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is plagued by numerous bugs, glitches, and crashes that often disrupt gameplay, with issues like buggy controls and camera problems frequently reported. While some reviewers acknowledge minor graphical or sound glitches as manageable, the overall stability is poor, though some note that being in beta may explain these problems.
- “Though Steam Marines was always a buggy mess not worth investing in.”
- “That's exactly what he did, leaving tons of game-breaking bugs and glitches.”
- “After the release, the game still features numerous bugs, glitches, and even crashes.”
story
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The story aspect is generally seen as minimal or virtually non-existent, with some users noting an interesting backstory or improved narrative in certain parts, but overall the gameplay tends to overshadow the lack of a strong storyline. Missions can be unclear, and bosses are often considered uninteresting.
- “Interesting backstory and world.”
- “Try halfway it’s very similar but seems to have dropped the complete randomness for a better storyline and a much more enjoyable play.”
- “If you are looking for story it seems that's all you're getting, but the gameplay is so engrossing you'll forget that pretty quickly!”
- “There is no story at all.”
- “Story is virtually non-existent, and the bosses aren't very interesting, either.”
- “Not much story as far as I've seen, but the gameplay is fairly solid.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game excels in creating a dark, eerie atmosphere reminiscent of classic strategy roguelikes and the original board game, enhanced by slow, tension-building audio effects and 8-bit pixel art. This immersive ambiance effectively captures the feeling of a derelict spaceship, although some players might consider alternative titles for a similar experience.
- “Overall, the game is very atmospheric.”
- “The audio adds to the atmosphere with dark, slow, and eerie effects that remind you of X-COM.”
- “It creates an opposing atmosphere and builds the tension very well.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a unique and clever sense of humor, combining quirky, funny elements like collectible items with a dark, gallows humor tone. Its humor adds charm and lightness to the challenging, tactical gameplay, enhancing the overall experience without detracting from its strategic depth.
- “Awesome little rogue-like steampunk with a kick of humor.”
- “The result is an at times funny, challenging, thrilling and re-playable team-based tactics game that is perfect for short gaming sessions.”
- “It's got lovely pixel graphics and a very appropriate sense of gallows humor, but more importantly, it's a textbook example of classic turn-based design, applying the very best lessons from Sid Meier, to a small but very clever roguelike.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
20%
20%
Replayability in the game is mixed: while the lack of variety in items, characters, and enemies can lead to boredom after a few playthroughs, the procedurally generated levels and environmental destruction offer considerable replay value, especially for short, tactical sessions. The randomness and ability to carve unique paths keep the experience fresh and engaging over multiple hours.
- “The procedurally-generated levels, combined with the ability to completely demolish walls and carve out your own path, give this game a great deal of replayability.”
- “Randomly generated levels provide endless replayability to perfect and level up your squad.”
- “The result is an at times funny, challenging, thrilling and replayable team-based tactics game that is perfect for short gaming sessions.”
- “Even after only a couple of playthroughs, you will probably be bored of the repetition (even if you are trying to go to different parts of the ship after the commander deck) - the lack of item, character, and enemy variety further impairs replayability.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game is described as a tedious and boring slog, involving repetitive tasks like opening rooms and waiting for enemies. However, some players note that significant grind time isn't necessary to complete the game.
- “It's a boring slog through levels, tediously opening rooms and waiting for enemies to come to you.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users perceive the monetization as overly aggressive, likening it to a Kickstarter cash grab and suggesting the developers focus more on advertising revenue.
- “Looks like another Kickstarter cash grab to me.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
50%
The game's optimization is continually improving, with ongoing updates enhancing performance and adding new animations. However, some players find the end-of-level scoring harsh, especially when playing cautiously despite successful completion.
- “Developer continues to improve performance and enhance the game with new features and animations.”
- “At the end of every level, you're rated on your performance. If you're a careful player like me, you might often end with a negative score even if all your marines survived the level.”
- “At the end of every level, you're rated on your performance, and if you're a careful player like me, you'll most likely end with a negative score even if all your marines survived the level.”