SteamWorld Heist II: Bigger Maps, More Tactics, Same Steampunk Soul
- Jane Dillinger
- Dec 26, 2025
- 5 min read
Set sail into rust, robotic pirates, and cannon fire. After nine long years, SteamWorld Heist returns—and it doesn’t just dust off its old gears. It rebuilds the whole machine and sends it roaring across the open sea.
A nautical adventure full of steam-powered pirates is hard to ignore if you have even a soft spot for steampunk. At the very least, it zooms past your field of vision with a hiss of pressure valves. Captain Quincy Leeway and his crew are setting sail!
Being the child of a legend is rarely easy—especially when that legend is Krakenbane, and the world mostly forgot she ever had a son. Quincy is trying to make a name for himself on what remains of the planet, a shattered fragment of Earth whose destruction opened the very first SteamWorld Heist. Not exactly the most forgiving starting point.
The world itself is crowded with robots of all kinds. Steam-powered Steambots. Dieselbots, running on heavier fuel and heavier ideology. And Rattlers, who replaced metal with bones and rattle ominously wherever they go. None of these factions are particularly friendly with one another—and tensions are rising fast.
Dieselbots have decided that their steam-powered predecessors are obsolete and should be wiped out entirely. To make things worse, the water has become contaminated, causing Steambots to suffer from a corrosive illness known simply as Rust. Captain Leeway's job is to uncover the source of the pollution and restore hope that Steambots might survive without literally falling apart.
That would be easier if Quincy hadn’t lost an arm, commanded a crew of exactly two Steambots, and had his submarine confiscated—and partially dismantled—by the Dieselbot navy. The early mission to reclaim the ship works as a neat introduction, not just to the crew members themselves, but also to the game’s core combat mechanics.
Tactics Under Pressure
At its heart, SteamWorld Heist II remains a turn-based 2D tactical platformer. Combat unfolds in carefully measured turns, just like in the original, but the sequel adds new layers and flexibility. After all, nine years is a long time to sit still.
As Captain Leeway rebuilds his crew, he recruits new Steambots—but they no longer arrive with fixed roles. Instead, the game introduces six classes that can be freely assigned. Some bots naturally lean toward certain professions, but nothing is permanent. Switching class is as simple as equipping a different weapon: sniper rifles, shotguns, rocket launchers, or even a good old-fashioned hammer.
The real twist comes later. At higher levels, certain abilities can carry over from previous classes, allowing for hybrid builds that feel surprisingly personal. It’s a system that rewards experimentation and turns your crew into more than just disposable units.
Another major change is the semi-open world map, navigated in real time. Missions are no longer selected from a list; instead, they emerge from where Leeway’s submarine physically travels. And the sea is anything but empty. Dieselbot naval ships patrol the waters, leading to real-time naval encounters that require attention not just to your crew, but to the submarine itself.
Early on, the submarine can’t even dive due to the damage it sustained at the beginning of the story. That’s why Quincy sends his Steambots on missions not just for loot, but also to rescue other mechanical survivors. One of them is Edna, a technician who helps upgrade and maintain the submarine—and occasionally bypass security systems during certain missions. Gather a few spare parts, and you’re ready to sail again… once you decide where to go.
The Great Water Crisis drives the story across regions connected by endless ocean. It begins in the sunny Caribbea, but it quickly becomes clear that the frozen northern reaches of Arctica hold crucial answers as well. Wherever you go, fighting is inevitable—not just for loot and experience points, but for Quincy’s chance to finally step out of his mother’s long shadow.
Battles Where Every Screw Counts
Combat is the clear centerpiece of SteamWorld Heist II. Missions usually begin with Steambots breaching a fortress or facility, opening a door, and instantly realizing they’ve interrupted something important. An enemy patrol. A group of rattling pirates. A very sensitive alarm system. Often all three.
Each Steambot has two action points per turn, which can be spent on movement, shooting, or class-specific abilities. They sprint between cover, hide behind barrels, reload weapons, fire shots—or loudly curse (yes, that’s a real ability, and Judy’s version quickly became a personal favorite). Using a primary weapon, whether ranged or melee, always ends the turn, forcing players to think several steps ahead.
And they’ll need to. Even on story difficulty, missions grow increasingly demanding. One bad decision can send the entire operation collapsing into a pile of bolts and spare parts.
Each mission also limits how many Steambots you can deploy, making preparation just as important as execution. Choosing the right crew, weapons, and accessories matters—yes, including hats, even if they’re mostly cosmetic.
A returning mechanic from the first game allows certain weapons to ricochet shots off walls, bounce through space, and take out enemies from unexpected angles. Most weapons don’t offer a visible trajectory guide, leaving players to estimate the perfect shot. With some weapons, that estimation borders on cruelty. I’m looking at you, rocket launcher.
Failure isn’t overly punishing. A destroyed bot can be rebuilt at the end of the day and still earns some experience, even if the mission itself wasn’t completed.
Smart crew management also allows multiple missions to be completed in a single day. More missions mean more loot—and better rewards at day’s end, which always concludes in a seaside tavern. Each region has its own, with unique bartenders and patrons eager to talk about how deeply the Great Water Crisis has affected their lives.
What’s Left After the Smoke Clears
SteamWorld Heist II arrived nearly nine years after the original, which first launched on the Nintendo 3DS before expanding to PC, PlayStation 4, Wii U, and the then-new Nintendo Switch. The sequel follows suit, releasing on multiple platforms—and this year (2025), it also received a physical Nintendo Switch edition with a cartridge.
The progress since the first game is immediately noticeable. Visuals are more detailed, and the developers finally implemented ideas that didn’t fit before, such as the naval world map and a deeper character customization system.
Playtime has grown substantially as well. Completing all quests can take over 35 hours, and individual missions tend to grow longer as the story progresses. So be careful with that familiar promise of “just one more mission.” It doesn’t work. This game is quietly addictive. You’ve been warned.
One final highlight deserves special mention: the soundtrack. Once again composed by Steam Powered Giraffe, the band also makes a cameo appearance in the game. Early on, players encounter a lone musician in one of the first taverns, lamenting that the rest of his band has gone missing. After completing a quest to rescue kidnapped Steambots, the band reunites and performs a full concert. The robotic musicians look suspiciously similar to their real-world counterparts—and it’s a delightful touch.
In the end, SteamWorld Heist II delivers addictive gameplay, a tactical system with real depth, flexible class and weapon customization, real-time naval exploration, a fantastic soundtrack, clever humor, and a stylish steampunk world with subtle environmental themes.
The only real drawback? Even story mode doesn’t guarantee success. But then again—what kind of tactical game would that be if it did?
⚙️ Verdict: 84 cogs out of 100, with only minor rust
Developer: Thunderful Development
Publisher: Thunderful
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
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