Into the Breach

On the surface it might look simple, but that apparent simplicity is what makes it so addicting. The limited possibilities of what might happen allows the player, and forces the player as you get further into the game, to think many steps ahead. In that regard it's much like chess, where pieces only have one "move" each, but the game as a whole is strategically very deep. It's not as story-heavy as FTL, and I didn't find myself getting attached to my crews in the same way, but the gameplay aspect of it has much more going on than FTL ever did.

Any Linux users waiting for the native Linux version should just dive in right now. I can say that it runs so perfect in Linux with Wine that it feels like a native game. And the GOG version is better for running games in Wine. I am enjoying the game a ton, and prefer it over FTL mainly because it is turn based. But both games are excellent of course. Turn based strategy with RPG elements are perfect in this release.

When I picked up ItB I was sick, a nasty flu. While I was dreaming in bed, the small cartoon figures became pulverizing robots and nightmarish aliens. I couldn’t sleep well. A chaotic struggle between mech and Vek went on in my head. Two blows and half a block of buildings collapsed together with a burned down gigantic hornet. It kept repeating over and over again. There was no control. And while the feeling of putting down monsters felt good, I was robbed of sleep and felt powerless. The time my fever broke, I know how to smash the ugly alien faces against mountains and drown the xenos in the ocean. Over time, I learned how the monsters (roughly) act, which will (likely) spawn, how to place mechs to deal considerable damage this turn, and avoid being an easy lunch next turn. I learned what is "acceptable collateral damage". But most of all, I got the hang of using aliens against their own kind. Having a 3 damage smash is often less effective than a 1 damage push. The knockback disengages an alien from eating a train, and may set it up to eat or being eaten by another Vek. In ItB you will be able to (almost) fully control the game, while still keeping the challenge fresh by throwing unexpected surprises in your direction. The gameplay is less FTL-like exploring, instead focuses on “perfect knowledge”. You interrupt Vek mid-turn and exactly see how your actions play out. A poor decision will result in a serious set-back, but rarely in immediate defeat. The game is very well streamlined. ItB borrows mechanics from FTL (dev's former game). A game lasts 1 to 3 hours, earning you a new team of mechs or nothing at all. You control a handful of sprites on a limited grid. You go through a few zones, each in a handful of battles. You gather random stuff to equip your mechs, making each playthrough unique. The only downsides to the game are that it is relatively small, and there is hardly any persistency between playthroughs... except your knowledge of the game.

Have u played slay the Spire? is a roguelite with cards, this is a rogueli---ke? but is like chess U can see what every enemy is gonna do and you have to act against it to nulify or reduce damage. If u haven't tried, this is a must have

Love this game. Simple concept and rules but complex interactions and strategies combined with procedurly created missions make it engeding and fun for a long time. I would give it 5 but story part is laking. In FTL you met different aliens, quests, characters every run. In Into the Breach you always have 4 islands, always same 4 managers, same dialogs. True, missions are always different but after first run you never read anything just skip to the fight asap.