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While the Steampunk aesthetic doesn’t get the same level of love that many others demand, it’s because it’s so damn hard to get right! Well, there are at least 15 titles on the Xbox Series X|S that nail the look so join us as we go through the very best of them.
#16 Lies of P
Platform: PC September 18, 2023
Release Date: PS4 PS5 Xbox One XSX|S September 19, 2023
Steam | PlayStation | Xbox
When you look at a game like Lies of P, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the aesthetic and the Soulslike combat. But there are other elements to consider. For example, the city of Krat is full of dark conspiracies and people who need help. It’ll be your job to unravel everything that’s going on in this place and attempt to provide “comfort” to those in need.
But therein lies the twist. Will you tell the truth and give them the honesty they desperately deserve? Or will you tell a lie and see if that makes things better?
It’s your choice what you do. Jump in and see what awaits!
#15 The Incredible Adventures Of Van Helsing
- Developer: NeoCoreGames
- Platform: Xbox 360, Xbox One
- Release Date: May 2013
There’s an unquantifiable variable in The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing that makes the game shine amongst the crowd of its peers. It has an ocean of engaging quests to engage with, a striking world to explore, tonnes of loot, and a deeply engaging endgame that can keep you at the keyboard for dozens of additional hours, even when it seems like the experience can and should be over.
#14 Call Of Cthulhu
- Developer: Cyanide
- Platform: Xbox One
- Release Date: Oct 2018
While the design of progression in Call Of Cthulu isn’t the game’s strength, there are many other aspects that are, namely it’s atmosphere and graphical prowess, and it’s these elements that the game leverages in some sensational ways that ensnare the player and keep them gripped despite the game’s weaknesses.
#13 Vaporum
- Developer: Fatbot Games
- Platform: Xbox One
- Release Date: Apr 2019
While the parallels to Bioshock will inevitably be drawn for Vaporum, it doesn’t take more another moment of inspection to realise that Vaporum actually is much more than just a wannabe Ken Levine title, and is in fact an excellent Steampunk Dungeon Crawler that demands your attention. There are some clear rough edges, but the core is solid and engaging at all times.
#12 They Are Billions
- Developer: Numantian Games
- Platform: Xbox One
- Release Date: Jun 2019
They Are Billions presents a Steampunk setting that merges with interesting aspects of RTS’, survival game systems, and tower defense in ways that few games have ever managed. While the story is water thin, and the structure of the missions are quite repetitive, there’s a core to They Are Billions that is uniquely its own.
#11 The Sinking City
- Developer: Frogwares
- Platform: Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
- Release Date: Jun 2019
If you have a fondness for all things H.P. Lovecraft then The Sinking City is already off to a solid start for you, then layer atop that a fascinating setting, and engaging investigative elements, and you’ve got a game that is worth exploring further. The game isn’t without its share of infuriating bugs that hamper the fun, but The Sinking City is a world worth pushing through those bugs to explore further.
#10 Deponia
- Developer: Daedalic Entertainment
- Platform: Xbox One
- Release Date: Dec 2016
Tonally Deponia upsets the apple cart for most of the Steampunk-styled games of this list. It features a quirky, and at times, laugh-a-minute point-and-click adventure plot that always keeps you hooked, and while the switch to consoles from its home was a bit lacklustre in terms of how it handled the controller, the game is, regardless one that should be checked out by all fans of the genre.
#9 Sunless Sea
- Developer: Failbetter Games
- Platform: Xbox One
- Release Date: Feb 2015
Born of a successful KickStarter campaign, Sunless Sea, an RPG x Roguelike hybrid gives players a beautiful and intriguing world to explore, and wears its ambition on its sleeve in doing so. It doesn’t hit every target, but it hits more than enough to win over players with its charm and systemic depth. These combine to make Sunless Sea a Steampunk world worth exploring further.
#8 Vampyr
- Developer: DontNot Entertainment
- Platform: Xbox One
- Release Date: Jun 2018
As if early 20th century Britain wasn’t already suffering enough, what with the Spanish flu, and streets corrupted by disease, fear, and violence, and then DontNod decides to add vampires on top of it all? The murky atmospheric streets of London are yours to seize control of in Vampyr, a game that while plagued by weak combat, and patchy execution of its superb plot. Don’t let those flaws deter you from what is another excellent experience.
#7 Frostpunk
- Developer: 11 Bit Studios
- Platform: Xbox One
- Release Date: Apr 2018
I mean, with a name like Frostpunk, you’d want to be delivering something cool to the Steampunk formula, and it absolutely does. Frostpunk is a hard as nails city builder where your every choice has an enormous impact on the citizens you’re tasked with looking after in a this winter wonderland. The stakes are huge and rarely do we see games of this genre take on these sorts of stakes and succeed – but Frostpunk most certainly does.
#6 Machinarium
- Developer: Amanita Design
- Platform: Xbox One
- Release Date: Oct 2009
The oldest game on this list, and one that has continued to be on the radar thanks to its ports from platform to platform, including the Xbox One. It has a unique audiovisual design, and some brilliant puzzles to crack. While the point-and-click systems don’t lead to the best player controls, the culmination of all other elements leads to something truly special.
#5 Deep Rock Galactic
- Developer: Ghost Ship Games
- Platform: Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
- Release Date: May 2020
In game’s such as Deep Rock Galactic, where looting and shooting is the key, it can be quite hard to get the title’s various character classes in sync, and cohabitating in a game without there being obviously overpowered or obviously preferred classes. Deep Rock Galactic executes the perfect landing, straddling the line perfectly, while the secondary objectives in each mission challenge players in all of the right ways.
#4 Steamworld Dig Series
- Developer: Image & Form
- Platform: Xbox 360, Xbox One
- Release Date: 2013-2017
Image & Form haven’t missed a beat with any of their Steamworld titles, however it’s their pair of Steamworld Dig titles that shine brightest. Dig deep and discover an incredibly crafted series of dungeons filled with puzzles and platforming challenges that test your grit and resourcefulness as you dig deeper and deeper to complete your primary objectives in each game.
#3 Dishonored Series
- Developer: Arkane Studios
- Platform: Xbox 360, Xbox One
- Release Date: 2012-2017
The immerse sim has sadly waned in prominence over the years, but Dishonored is one of the most recent attempts in the space, and certainly one of the very finest. Across three titles, the Dishonored franchise has continued to reinvent itself with fascinating powers, a fascinating cast of characters, and a richly detailed world and completely ensnaring Steampunk world that never ceases to impress.
#2 Dead Cells
- Developer: ConcernedApe
- Platform: PS4
- Release Date: Feb 2016
Is Stardew Valley the best game on this list? Nope, though it’s right up there, but what it is, is one of the the game that best fits the job description of this list. Stardew Valley has a beautiful game loop that constantly engages, but never demands anything too drastic of the player either allowing you to play your own way, and at your own pace. Kick back and enjoy the zen feeling as it washes over you, for years and years to come.
#1 Bioshock Infinite
- Developer: Irrational Games
- Platform: Xbox 360, Xbox One
- Release Date: Mar 2013
Following up from the undersea expanse that was Bioshock’s Rapture was always going to be a significant challenge, but taking to the clouds and the floating symbol of American ideals, Columbia, was the best possible follow-up. While more of an FPS than the suspenseful original title, the world is still equally richly detailed, and fascinating to explore. Far from the escort mission that it might appear to be at first, this adventure between Booker Dewitt, and Elizabeth is an experience that continues to age like fine wine, and a Steampunk experience you cannot afford to miss.
