If you’ve been itching to play a new fantasy strategy game, Broken Alliance is here to answer the call. With some of the most expressive and detailed pixel art I’ve ever seen in all my years writing about videogames, it’s finally arrived via Steam Early Access. Borrowing from the old-school strategy games that defined the genre while integrating some more recent ideas, Broken Alliance is easily one of the most promising games on Valve’s platform right now. If you’re unsure, you can try the game for free before diving in.
Broken Alliance is inspired by the turn-based strategy games of old. Developer Placeholder Gameworks draws direct inspiration from King’s Bounty, Age of Wonders, and Heroes of Might and Magic, but adds a distinctive twist: deckbuilding. So while the vibrant artstyle and presentation evoke the elegant simplicity of the classics, there are lots of modern design sensibilities sprinkled throughout Broken Alliance.
The world of Eol is dying. So it’s up to you to expand your kingdom, strengthen your army, and make choices that influence the fate of the land. Placeholder Gameworks says that the short, heavily replayable story means all your choices can matter, while the deckbuilding integration means your battle decisions always need to be made on the fly.
Broken Alliance is all about choice, and that starts with picking a faction. While there’s only one in early access so far, you’ll soon be able to choose between the nature-loving Paradise, the traditionalist Anchorage, the technological Forge, or the fanatical Phobos. When you’re not battling, you need to explore the world of Eol, meeting plenty of unique characters from these factions and taking your champions on their own personal quests.
Broken Alliance has also been doing quite well on Steam since it launched. Despite the small number of reviews, it’s currently sitting at a 90% positive user rating. “The world building is really good and the graphics are gorgeous and immersive. I’m looking forward to playing more,” one player writes. “Very solid foundations for the game,” adds another.
Placeholder Gameworks previously made Death and Taxes, where you play as the Grim Reaper stuck in a dead-end office job. This short narrative-based game also enticed players, with it garnering a ‘very positive’ Steam rating from over 6,000 reviews. Broken Alliance might be different in presentation, but the wide narrative approach is already going down well.
Broken Alliance is out now in Steam Early Access, and there’s also a demo from last year that you can try for yourself. Keep in mind that Placeholder Gameworks says some issues in the demo have been fixed with early access. Just head right here.
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