[Updated: This article has been updated to include additional video game titles on February of 2018.]
Steampunk is both an aesthetic and a subgenre of science fiction, and sometimes fantasy.
Fans of films like Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and books by China Mieville will be more than familiar with the setting, which has become somewhat popular in recent years despite maintaining the quality of a niche subgenre.
Video games, like books and movies alike, have adopted the aesthetic to create some of the best, and perhaps even the most memorable settings in video games to date.
As with our other lists, we’ve rounded up ten of the best, at least in our opinion, games with steampunk settings. Check out the video above or the list of games below for more details.
Guns of Icarus Online
Guns of Icarus Online is a steampunk-themed airship combat game that’s played in first person mode. Players choose one of three different classes, each of which allwos them access to different kind of tools to perform duties aboard a flying ship.
Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends
The follow-up to Rise of Nations, Rise of Legends takes place in a steampunk setting populated by all manner of industrious designs inspired by Leonardo da Vinci in a world where magic and technology co-exist.
Machinarium
Machinarium is a steampunk adventure game of the point-and-click variety. The goal of Machinarium is to solve a series of puzzles and brain teasers.
Valkyria Chronicles
Set in a steampunk setting and a story inspired by the second world war, Valkyria Chronicles is a turn-based strategy game of the highest caliber.
Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magick Obscura
Arcanum is regarded as one of the best RPGs of the early 2000s. Combining magic and steam-powered technology in a world inspired by Victorian-era England, the game is all about choices and consequences.
Final Fantasy 6
The sixth title in the beloved Final Fantasy series, FFVI is a classic RPG set in a fantasy world with technology to the equivalent level of the Second Industrial Revolution. True to the steampunk genre, the game focuses on a group of levels who seek to overthrow an imperial dictatorship.
Bioshock Infinite
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLHW78X1XeE
A contentious title, to be certain. Bioshock Infinite is a first-person shooter with a strong steampunk aesthetic. Taking place aboard the flying city of Columbia, players participate in a storyline set in an reality version of the 1910s.
Thief Series
The Thief series of games is classically set in a steampunk setting called The City, where players take on the role of Garrett, the master thief, who becomes embroiled in the political goings-on in the city.
Dishonored
Dishonored is set in the steampunk city setting of Dunwall, where whaling is very much the ‘in-thing’, much as it was in London during the 1800s. Players must take on the role of an assassin who vows to bring justice to the men who murdered the Empress.
Sunless Sea
A roguelike game at its heart, Sunless Sea came about following a popular Kickstarter campaign. Developed as a spinoff of the Fallen London setting, Sunless Sea puts players in the role of an Unterzee steamship captain who travels from port to port. The game features a strong focus on storytelling and is unlike any other roguelike out there.
SteamWorld Dig
SteamWorld Dig was developed by Image & Foam where the game plays out as an action-adventure platformer. Players take the role of a steam-powered robot who recently acquires a deed to an old abandoned mine. Your goal is to dig through the mine while solving a series of puzzles, taking down a variety of enemies and of course avoiding deadly traps.
The Order: 1886
Ready at Dawn released their PlayStation 4 exclusive, The Order: 1886 in February of 2015. This is an action-adventure title that has players taking the role of a knight who vows to protect the innocent from the world’s most hazardous threats. Players will be facing a number of enemies such as werewolves and vampires.
Gravity Rush
Originally released as a PlayStation Vita title, developers Project Siren released the action-adventure title on the PlayStation 4 just a few short years ago. The video game follows a woman named Kat who has the ability to control gravitation pull. Through the use of her power, Kat has sought out to help humans against a mysterious threat known as Nevi.
Fable 3
The third main installment of the Fable series, Fable 3 follows the created protagonist in a quest to overthrow the King of Albion. Playing out similar to the previous installments, this action role-playing video game would likely go best for those who have previously enjoyed Fable 2 as the story narrative follows the Fable 2 conclusion by fifty years.
