There is something appealing about the aesthetic known as steampunk, which is the visual look of retro-futuristic technology of industrial age of the late 1800s. Plenty of games are famous for their steampunk settings and styles, such asBioShock Infiniteor even much of the technology seen in theWarCraftfranchise. As cool and fascinating at steampunk is, it still remains a niche subgenre that is often overshadowed by more famous genres such as high fantasy or pure sci-fi.
As a result, many steampunk games are left in the dirt with little chance to shine, or only take the spotlight before fading into obscurity. They range from big budget games that flopped, to indie titles that made a brief but big splash upon release. More often than not, they are also fused with another genre to create something distinct and refreshing.
10The Order: 1886
This game was one of the PS4 era’s most disappointing flops. It had so much going for it, but it also wasted a lot of its potential. The concept is genius: a secret order of officials hunt down werewolves in 1886 England. It’s clear that the developers had a unique vision with its dark and atmospheric London with steampunk elements.
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However,The Order: 1886suffers from an extremely short campaign that feels more like the first third of a full story. With that said, the combat features tight controls, genuinely horrific enemies that putmany werewolf moviesto shame, and lore that deserved more expansion.
9Guns Of Icarus: Online
Guns Of Icarus: Onlinetakes the idea ofa naval combat multiplayer gamein the same vein asSea Of ThievesandBlackwakeand puts it in a steampunk setting. Instead of ships on the ocean seas, players battle each other on rival airships with cannons, grapple hook launchers, turrets, and more.
With tons of upgrades, airships, and visually stunning aerial maps,Guns Of Icarus: Onlinepresents an addictive multiplayer experience.
8Riven: The Sequel To Myst
Mystis one of the most famous point-and-click adventure games of all time, and has received a ridiculous number of sequels and remakes. As a result, many forget thatMysthad a sequel in the form ofRiven: The Sequel To Myst.Rivenis basically more of what madeMystso famous: a mysterious story with plenty of puzzles to solve.
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With modern ports to systems like Steam, players will no longer have to keep swapping discs constantly. Like its precursor,Rivenfeatures the steampunk areas and puzzles, but doubles down on the technological aspect.
City simulation gamessuch asSimCityandCities: Skylineare fun, but sometimes the contemporary setting can get a little drab. That’s whereDream Engines: Nomad Citiescomes in, delivering a post-apocalyptic city experience with steampunk technology to make things a bit more refreshing.
Players can create flying cities straight out ofBioShock: Infinitethat are operated via factories and different forms of automation.
However, there’s more than building cities in this game. The player also has to worry about nightmarish enemies known as Dream Plagues. Though it is still in early access,Dream Enginesis proof that city simulators are still alive and strong.
6Alice: Madness Returns
Many are familiar with theAlice In Wonderlandstory, but this is far from a children’s fairytale.Alice: Madness Returnsembraces the twisted and macabre undertones of the original Lewis Carroll books and dials it up to the max. Everything in Wonderland is much darker, scarier, and bloodier than most versions.
Of course, Wonderland is known for its surreal fantasy elements, but this game also introduces steampunk elements with more industrial aspects within the dream-like world as well asthe real world of Victorian England. Mixing combat, puzzles, and horror together,Alice: Madness Returnsis a cult gem that doesn’t get nearly as much recognition as it deserves.
5Sunless Sea
Mixing steampunk Victorian erawith Lovecraftian Eldritch horrors,Sunless Seahas the player controlling a steamship and exploring an underground ocean to upgrade and progress through the story. The Lovecraftian elements come from the massive monsters that threaten the player, and add a horror aspect to the game.
The gameplay mixes exploration with roguelike gameplay to create a tension-filled experience which is further expanded upon in its sequel:Sunless Skies. As a result, anybody that still needs a steampunk fix afterSunless Seacan hop right into the sequel to enjoy more.
4Skies Of Arcadia
Sadly, in a world whereFinal Fantasyovershadows most other JRPGs,Skies Of Arcadiapractically disappeared under that shadow. It doesn’t help that it was exclusive to the GameCube and the Sega Dreamcast, two consoles that struggled to keep up with the titans that were the original Xbox and the PlayStation 2.
Over the years,Skies Of Arcadiahas gained a reputation as one of the most overlooked JRPG gems and easilyone of the best titles for the Dreamcast. It features sky pirates in airships going on an adventure across a mystical/steampunk world fighting a tyrannical empire. The RPG elements are fun yet challenging, and the characters are unique.
3Machinarium
Simplistic yet effective,Machinariumis a puzzle game that tells the story about a little robot named Josef in a steampunk world trying to stop a Brotherhood and saving his girlfriend. It’s a darker game with some depressing elements that are balanced out with a silly yet beautiful art style.
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The entire world is made of metal and powered by steam, making it the perfect title for this list. Machinarium was an award-winning indie title, but after its initial success, it faded into obscurity with most gamers seeming to forget about it.
2Blood Omen 2
Part of the Legacy Of Kain franchise,Blood Omen 2has Kain awakening in an industrial city within Nosgoth similar to Victorian-era London. Though it is not really a focus of the story, the more steampunk setting still brings a lot of flavor to this sequel that continues to show why the Legacy Of Kain series is so iconic.
Most fans tend to think of the Soul Reaver games but Blood Omen 2 is still a worthwhile entry in the franchise that brings hack-and-slash gameplay along with plenty of vampiric abilities. As a result, not only is it a unique steampunk game, but it makes forone of the best vampire games.
1Zork: Grand Inquisitor
Steampunk is a central part of the story in this point-and-click adventure title. In this game, magic has been outlawed and replaced with automation via steampunk-esque technology. The player has to fight the Grand Inquisition to restore magic.
Zork: Grand Inquisitormixes 3D animation with live-action FMV for a fantasy game that brings a lot of comedy, as it parodies a variety of fantasy stories fromThe Lord of the RingstoDungeons & Dragons. The puzzles, characters, and visuals are still a delight to play with so many celebrity guest stars bringing the laughs. There is also plenty of difficulty in the gameplay to balance with the fun family adventure.
