Skip to main content

SteamWorld Heist

Imagine & Form proved themselves to be formidable developers with the release of SteamWorld Dig, but SteamWorld Heist just takes it to another level in so many ways. It’s simple yet ambitious with a presentation as charming as its execution.
SteamWorld Heist Game Cover
89%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
grinding, monetization
94% User Score Based on 3,663 reviews
Critic Score 85%Based on 26 reviews

Platforms

Nintendo SwitchPlaystation 5Playstation 4XboxSteam DeckiPhoneWindowsPlayStationPlaystation VitaLinuxXbox Series X|SPCWii UNintendo 3dsMac OSPhoneWiiXbox OneiPadMobile Platform
Buy Nowfrom $0.38
Buy NowGet on Steam €1.04
SteamWorld Heist Game Cover

About

SteamWorld Heist is a single player role playing shooter game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Image & Form Games and was released on June 7, 2016. It received positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

SteamWorld Heist is a single-player Science Fiction Turn Based Strategy game with a sensational story and splendid gameplay, featuring outstanding visuals and music. As Captain Piper Faraday, you'll recruit a crew of steam-driven robots, board and loot enemy spaceships, and upgrade your robots with unique abilities and weapons in a very replayable game with a unique atmosphere and lots of grinding. Join the adventure in the vast frontier and collect stylish hats!

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
SteamWorld Heist screenshot
SteamWorld Heist screenshot
SteamWorld Heist screenshot
SteamWorld Heist screenshot
SteamWorld Heist screenshot
SteamWorld Heist screenshot
SteamWorld Heist screenshot
SteamWorld Heist screenshot
SteamWorld Heist screenshot
SteamWorld Heist screenshot
Skip User Reviews

94%
Audience ScoreBased on 3,663 reviews
story311 positive mentions
grinding124 negative mentions
  • Engaging turn-based combat that allows for skill-based aiming and ricochet shots, making each encounter feel rewarding.
  • Charming art style and humorous dialogue, with a vibrant steampunk aesthetic that enhances the overall experience.
  • Diverse cast of characters with unique abilities and weapons, providing varied strategies and playstyles.
  • Repetitive gameplay due to similar mission structures and procedural generation, which can lead to a lack of variety over time.
  • Harsh penalties for failing missions, including significant loss of in-game currency, which can discourage experimentation and exploration.
  • Limited inventory space and a cumbersome item management system that can hinder gameplay and progression.
  • story
    1,471 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of *SteamWorld Heist* is generally described as light and entertaining, featuring a quirky narrative that follows Captain Piper Faraday and her crew of steambots on a quest for treasure in a post-apocalyptic world. While the plot is not particularly deep or complex, it is filled with humor and charm, making it enjoyable enough to complement the gameplay. Many players appreciate the character interactions and dialogue, though some feel the story can feel repetitive and lacks significant emotional depth, serving primarily as a backdrop for the tactical gameplay.

    • “Set in a post-apocalyptic world where steam-powered robots roam, players take on the role of Captain Piper as she leads her crew on a quest for treasure and survival.”
    • “The story is straightforward, the dialogue can bring a small chuckle to you every now and then, nothing amazing but good enough to help motivate you to keep playing.”
    • “The story, though colorful and filled with charm, leans more on atmosphere and character banter than deep narrative development.”
    • “Dialogue sequences and text-based exchanges deliver the necessary exposition but never rise to the level of emotional storytelling found in more character-driven RPGs.”
    • “The story is very basic and goes by rather fast, isn't as elaborate as SteamWorld Dig was.”
  • gameplay
    1,153 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "SteamWorld Heist" is characterized by its unique blend of turn-based strategy and skill-based shooting mechanics, allowing players to manually aim and execute ricochet shots for tactical advantage. While many players appreciate the engaging and polished mechanics, some find the gameplay repetitive over time, particularly due to the procedural generation of levels and a lack of depth in character abilities. Overall, the game is praised for its fun, accessible gameplay, vibrant art style, and humorous narrative, making it a solid choice for fans of the genre.

    • “Its unique gameplay mechanics and engaging art style make it a standout title in the strategy genre.”
    • “The gameplay invites you to replay missions to get perfect stars to unlock more stuff and upgrade your crew.”
    • “The gameplay is a mix of turn-based tactics with a skill-based aiming system.”
    • “I threw seven hours at it, hoping something would click, but I just didn't feel much depth to the gameplay and it felt samey throughout.”
    • “Looks great, but the gameplay gets repetitive very quickly.”
    • “Gameplay is mostly skill-based unlike normal turn-based strategy games (see: xcom).”
  • music
    867 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in "SteamWorld Heist" has received widespread acclaim, particularly for its catchy and thematic soundtrack composed by the band Steam Powered Giraffe, which perfectly complements the game's steampunk aesthetic. While many players enjoy the lively tunes, especially those featured in bars and after boss battles, some have noted that the combat music can become repetitive over time. Overall, the soundtrack enhances the game's charm and atmosphere, making it a standout feature for many players.

    • “Adding to the experience is a memorable soundtrack composed and performed by the band Steam Powered Giraffe, whose musical style fits perfectly with the game’s mechanical frontier aesthetic.”
    • “The music is fantastic and the design is amazing.”
    • “The soundtrack is simply gorgeous; I listen to it even during work.”
    • “The music is pretty bad compared to the other SteamWorld titles.”
    • “The battle theme song is always the same 1 cycle repeat song.”
    • “The music can get a bit old quickly, and the character noises/grunts as well.”
  • graphics
    548 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "SteamWorld Heist" are widely praised for their charming and vibrant steampunk aesthetic, featuring beautifully crafted hand-drawn visuals that bring the game's mechanical world to life. Reviewers highlight the unique art style, smooth animations, and colorful character designs, which contribute to an immersive and engaging experience. While the graphics are not hyper-realistic, they are consistently appealing and well-executed, enhancing the overall enjoyment of the game.

    • “The visuals are beautifully crafted, with a steampunk aesthetic that is both vibrant and detailed, making the world feel alive and engaging.”
    • “The signature hand-drawn art style, vibrant color palette, and smooth animation bring a sense of life and personality to its mechanical cast.”
    • “The graphics are stylish and give the game character but also show detail well.”
    • “From a technical perspective, the game lacks 3D graphics while holding a AAA price point.”
    • “The graphics are not state of the art, but clearly enough for this type of game.”
    • “I am so angry at this for tricking me into buying it by having an art style, theme, and - on paper - mechanics that all are right up my alley.”
  • humor
    197 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its charm and cleverness, featuring witty dialogue, funny character interactions, and a whimsical tone that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the light-hearted, quirky humor intertwined with the game's steampunk aesthetic, as well as the amusing obsession with hats and the unique personalities of the robot characters. While some found the humor to be hit-or-miss, the majority agree that it adds a delightful layer to the gameplay, making it engaging and enjoyable.

    • “The narrative is filled with humor and charm, providing a light-hearted backdrop to the action while exploring themes of adventure and camaraderie.”
    • “The game’s humor is subtle but effective, balancing self-awareness with genuine charm.”
    • “The writing is funny, with characters well fit to their jokes and responses (like sitcom writing).”
    • “It has those meme references that are supposed to be funny, but they really aren't my kind of humor.”
    • “The jokes feel forced and often fall flat, lacking any real wit or charm.”
    • “I found the humor to be overly juvenile, making it hard to take the game seriously.”
  • grinding
    126 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with many players finding it repetitive and tedious, particularly when leveling up characters or farming for gear and achievements. While some enjoy the grind as a means to explore character diversity and strategies, others feel it detracts from the overall experience, making gameplay feel like a slog, especially on higher difficulties. Overall, the grinding can be fun for those who appreciate it, but it often becomes a necessary chore that hampers immersion and enjoyment.

    • “Haven't had so much fun in a long time! Not boring, no grinding, fast leveling, and a bunch of skills.”
    • “The game is repetitive because the ricochet mechanic is fun at first, but you get used to it after a couple of hours. Then it's just a matter of grinding these dull procedurally generated levels with not enough new things thrown into the mix to justify this game's length.”
    • “A secondary issue is that there are many characters with unique skill sets, but grinding them up to make them useful felt like a slog.”
    • “The game is really more about grinding levels you've already completed to farm resources/equipment to beat that level you're stuck on.”
  • replayability
    117 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's replayability is generally viewed as high, primarily due to its procedurally generated missions and diverse difficulty levels, which encourage players to return for new challenges and experiences. While some players find the linear story and repetitive elements limit replay value, many appreciate the unique character abilities and the option to replay missions for collectibles and higher scores. Overall, the combination of randomization and varied gameplay mechanics contributes to a solid replayability factor, appealing to both casual and dedicated players.

    • “With procedurally generated missions and a variety of difficulty levels, SteamWorld Heist offers high replay value, encouraging players to return for new challenges.”
    • “The interplay of mechanical design and player execution keeps the gameplay dynamic, and the option to replay missions for higher scores or collectible hats adds a playful layer of replayability.”
    • “The different characters and the procedurally generated missions create a nice replayability.”
    • “The story is linear, short, and unexciting, so there is not much replayability, aside from a New Game+ option.”
    • “My only critique is that replayability is somewhat low, given that the procedurally generated levels still manage to start feeling a bit samey by the end of the campaign.”
    • “However, after the second playthrough, replayability is about over... but I rarely play an entire game through twice, so just that the second playthrough was as addicting as the first makes this game well worth it!”
  • atmosphere
    71 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its rich steampunk aesthetic, detailed environments, and engaging soundtrack, which collectively create an immersive experience. Reviewers highlight the charming character interactions and humorous tone, noting that the atmosphere often takes precedence over deep narrative development. Overall, the game's visual style, music, and design choices contribute significantly to its enjoyable and memorable atmosphere.

    • “The environments—ranging from rusted cargo holds to gleaming corporate cruisers—exude steampunk atmosphere and intricate detail despite their compact scale.”
    • “The atmosphere, music, and overall design choices are strong, and the underlying gameplay is solid.”
    • “SteamWorld Heist is an absolutely brilliant amalgamation: it has the atmosphere of Firefly, the gameplay of simplified XCOM, the hand-drawn graphics of a wonderful cartoon, and the unmistakable music of 'Steam Powered Giraffe' integrated brilliantly within the game's scenery.”
    • “The story, though colorful and filled with charm, leans more on atmosphere and character banter than deep narrative development.”
    • “Not the story itself but how it's told and the atmosphere is really outta space literally.”
    • “The game’s soundtrack features some very catchy tunes which only add to the game’s sci-fi atmosphere.”
  • optimization
    26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is highly praised for its optimization, running smoothly on various platforms, including low-end devices like a Steam Deck and Windows tablets, without any noticeable performance issues or bugs. Players appreciate the seamless gameplay experience, with no frame rate drops, and commend the game's ability to maintain performance even with lower graphics settings. Overall, the optimization contributes positively to the gameplay, allowing for enjoyable mechanics and strategic depth without technical hindrances.

    • “Very well optimized and worth the sticker price.”
    • “I played this game entirely on my Steam Deck and the game ran flawlessly, without any bugs or performance issues.”
    • “Just an amazing game, it is optimized perfectly; I never saw a 1 FPS drop, even if I lock it at 60.”
    • “It's a fairly short game though, and once you've beaten the last boss, you've pretty well explored the game's mechanics and have found optimized strategies for the various character combinations.”
    • “The 'optimization problem' ran through my head and the patterns go over and over, and it loses its appeal.”
    • “After a few hours of gameplay, a very interesting alarm system appears, similar to the alarm system of Invisible Inc., in which after a determined number of turns, more enemies or turrets appear, requiring time optimization.”
  • character development
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in "Heist" is generally viewed as lacking depth, with many reviewers noting that while the character designs are charming and unique, the interactions and story elements are minimal. Players appreciate the distinct gameplay styles and abilities of the characters, but the overall narrative and character growth are considered simplistic and underwhelming. Despite this, the game's art direction and humor are praised, contributing to an enjoyable experience.

    • “I still love the character designs and I think it's really cool how they have vastly different gameplay styles within the same series.”
    • “The character development is fun and makes a difference; once you've picked your favorites, they just get stronger the more you use them.”
    • “Like other SteamWorld games, Heist is packed full of distinctive character designs, polished gameplay, and wholesome, quirky humor.”
    • “The story is barely there, and there's not much character development of any kind.”
    • “There's not really anything in the way of plot or character development.”
    • “Like other SteamWorld games, there's not much in terms of character development.”
  • emotional
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while it lacks deep storytelling and character development, players find themselves unexpectedly attached to quirky elements, such as a robot in a sombrero. The gameplay is primarily focused on fun and lightheartedness, with moments of emotional impact, like the heartbreak of losing a character, but overall, the narrative and world feel bland and underdeveloped. Despite this, the game successfully delivers a wholesome experience that keeps players engaged.

    • “Play it, laugh, then wonder why you’re emotionally attached to a robot wearing a sombrero.”
    • “All of these elements combined made me feel like I was a space pirate, leading my crew into hit-and-run battles, raiding and looting enemy ships, and then escaping to fight another day.”
    • “Heartbreaking when your robot explodes.”
    • “Because if you can get past the lack of depth and boring story, then you have a fun little time-waster on your hands, and I mean that with a lot of sincerity.”
  • stability
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's stability is generally strong, with most players reporting a smooth experience and minimal bugs or glitches. While a few minor issues have been noted, such as hitbox inaccuracies and freezing when alt-tabbing, these do not significantly impact gameplay. The game runs particularly well on the Steam Deck, further enhancing its stability.

    • “Runs great on the Steam Deck in desktop mode.”
    • “The game is bug free.”
    • “Graphics are pretty and polished, gameplay is smooth (I have encountered no glitches or bugs in my completed game) and the difficulty is adjustable at any point in the game.”
    • “Not much, except when I alt+tab, I have to restart the game as it freezes.”
    • “A few players have reported minor bugs and glitches, though these are generally not game-breaking.”
    • “As for bugs/glitches, I didn't see any; perhaps sometimes the hit boxes weren't all that great.”
  • monetization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's monetization model is praised for being user-friendly and free of excessive microtransactions, allowing players to enjoy a wealth of loot without feeling pressured to spend additional money. Overall, it is seen as inventive and fun, focusing on player experience rather than profit extraction.

    • “Oh, and yeah, there is a lot of loot - no microtransactions required.”
    • “The released an update announcement for this game that's actually an advertisement for a blog for a different game.”
    • “Inventive, fun, and user-friendly, not trying to squeeze you out of your hard-earned cash with ridiculous amounts of microtransactions.”
Skip Critic Reviews

85%Critics’ scoreBased on 34 critic reviews
Skip Game Offers

Buy SteamWorld Heist

16h Median play time
14h Average play time
13h Main story
21h Completionist
10-20h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 33 analyzed playthroughs
Skip Videos

Videos

Skip Games Like SteamWorld Heist

Games Like SteamWorld Heist

SteamWorld Heist II Image
87%1.4kreviews

SteamWorld Heist II

2024Role Playing
Nintendo SwitchPlaystation 5Playstation 4+10
Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus Image
88%10.1kreviews

Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus

2018Tactical Role Playing
Nintendo SwitchPlaystation 4Xbox+13
SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech Image
84%1.9kreviews

SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech

2019Role Playing
Nintendo SwitchLinuxPC+3
Halfway Image
70%1.2kreviews

Halfway

2014Role Playing
LinuxPCMac OS+1
Druidstone: The Secret of the Menhir Forest Image
81%1kreviews

Druidstone: The Secret of the Menhir Forest

2019Tactical Role Playing
PCWindows
More games like SteamWorld Heist
Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

SteamWorld Heist is a role playing shooter game with science fiction theme.

SteamWorld Heist is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Steam Deck and others.

The main story can be completed in around 13 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 21 hours to finish. On average players spend around 14 hours playing SteamWorld Heist.

SteamWorld Heist was released on June 7, 2016.

SteamWorld Heist was developed by Image & Form Games.

SteamWorld Heist has received very positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

SteamWorld Heist is a single player game.

Similar games include SteamWorld Heist II, Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus, SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech, Halfway, Druidstone: The Secret of the Menhir Forest and others.