SteamWorld Heist II

SteamWorld Heist II is a PC turn-based tactics adventure with a side-on combat perspective, manually aimed weapons, and a real-time submarine overworld. Steam and GOG list the game under the exact title SteamWorld Heist II, while the official website and some URLs use “SteamWorld Heist 2” as a styling variant. This is not a separate remaster or renamed edition. Developed by Thunderful Development and published by Thunderful Publishing, it follows Captain Quincy Leeway and his crew through the water crisis threatening the Great Sea.

The main appeal is direct control. You do not rely entirely on percentage-based hit rolls: you line up shots yourself, exploit the environment, and decide how much risk to accept before extracting with the loot.

Turn-Based Heists Built Around Trick Shots

Most missions take place in compact 2D environments filled with platforms, cover, ladders, hazards, enemies, and optional loot. Each Steambot acts during a turn, and success depends on positioning, movement economy, weapon range, and the order in which you activate your crew.

The signature system is free aiming. You can fire directly at exposed targets or bounce projectiles from walls, ceilings, platforms, and even other bots. This ricochet gunplay turns a seemingly blocked shot into a tactical opportunity, especially when an enemy is protected by cover or standing outside a normal firing angle.

Mission objectives vary between fighting through hostile locations, stealing valuable cargo, surviving enemy pressure, and reaching an extraction point. Optional loot creates a risk-and-reward decision: push deeper for better rewards, or leave before the encounter becomes difficult to control. The result is a tactical loop closer to a puzzle of angles and movement than a conventional cover shooter.

Players who enjoy the preparation and positioning of stealth-focused turn-based adventures like Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden will recognize the value of scouting and arranging a squad before committing to a fight, although SteamWorld Heist II puts much more emphasis on direct aiming and trick shots.

Jobs, Weapons, and Crew Builds

The sequel expands character progression through a weapon-driven job system. A crewmate’s active job is determined by the primary weapon they equip, so changing equipment can change the role they bring to a mission. Abilities learned through one job remain useful when that character moves into another, enabling cross-job builds instead of locking each bot into a permanent class.

The six named jobs support distinct tactical approaches:

• Snipers use precision weapons and projectile paths to control long sightlines.
• Flankers specialize in speed, shotguns, and aggressive looting.
• Brawlers bring armor, heavy melee power, and self-healing tools.
• Engineers provide healing, cover creation, combo setup, and extra shooting potential.
• Boomers focus on explosives and utility items that punish clustered enemies.
• Reapers gain additional offensive momentum after eliminating targets.

Because job abilities can remain available after a role change, crew design becomes a long-term optimization problem. You can train a durable frontline bot, then borrow support or mobility abilities from another job to create a specialist that suits a particular mission.

Thunderful also places substantial emphasis on equipment variety. The PC storefront describes more than 150 weapons, utility items, and ship upgrades, giving the loadout screen a meaningful role in mission planning rather than treating equipment as a simple linear reward track.

The Great Sea Overworld

Between heists, Captain Leeway navigates the Great Sea aboard a submarine. This overworld adds real-time exploration and naval encounters to the otherwise turn-based campaign, creating a second rhythm between carefully plotted interior battles.

Submarine travel is not a traditional fleet-management simulation. It is an exploration layer where you move between locations, discover hidden rewards, engage threats on the water, and decide which activities deserve your attention before returning to crew preparation and mission selection.

That structure broadens the campaign beyond a chain of isolated rooms. The story follows a water crisis that is corroding mechanical life, while factions such as the diesel-driven Royal Navy and the bone-obsessed Rattlers shape the threats encountered across the shard.

Content Model and Editions

SteamWorld Heist II is a paid single-player game, not a free-to-play title. The base purchase contains the campaign, crew progression, submarine exploration, naval encounters, equipment systems, and the full tactical mission structure.

Steam currently lists the SteamWorld Heist II Official Soundtrack as separate additional content and also offers bundles that combine the game with other SteamWorld releases. GOG lists the Windows version as a DRM-free purchase with an optional Galaxy client. No separate gameplay expansion is listed as part of the current PC storefront content reviewed for this guide, so buyers should distinguish the soundtrack and bundle options from a story DLC pass.

The campaign is designed around a substantial sequence of story and optional missions rather than procedural endless runs. Its replay value comes from trying different job combinations, improving mission execution, collecting equipment, and revisiting the tactical system at higher difficulty settings.

Who Should Play It?

SteamWorld Heist II suits players who want single-player tactics with more direct control than a standard XCOM-style accuracy system. It rewards people who enjoy measuring angles, experimenting with weapons, building flexible specialists, and turning an awkward battlefield into a chain of ricochet shots.

It is also a strong fit for players who prefer a lighter visual tone without sacrificing tactical decisions. The characters, factions, hats, and soundtrack by Steam Powered Giraffe give the campaign a playful identity, while the job system and enemy combinations provide enough mechanical structure for serious loadout planning.

Players seeking online multiplayer, competitive matches, or local co-op should look elsewhere. Storefront listings identify the PC edition as single-player only. The campaign can also feel less focused than the original if you prefer a compact mission-to-mission structure and have little interest in managing an overworld between battles.

PC Features, Controls, and Localization

On PC, the game supports keyboard-and-mouse play as well as controller input. Controller-focused updates include corrected button prompts, and the tactical interface works naturally with either direct mouse aiming or gamepad controls. Steam also lists Steam Cloud, achievements, trading cards, Family Sharing, and Remote Play features.

GOG provides the clearest alternative for players who want to avoid a mandatory launcher: its listing identifies the game as DRM-free, and the offline installer does not require GOG Galaxy. Galaxy remains optional for conveniences such as cloud synchronization and achievements.

Localization is broader than English-only indie releases. The PC storefronts list English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Ukrainian, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Japanese text support. English is the listed full-audio language, while the other supported languages provide interface and subtitle localization.

Players looking for another compact tactical game with severe consequences and careful turn planning may also enjoy procedural stealth tactics in Invisible, Inc. The comparison is strongest in the emphasis on positioning and decision-making, but SteamWorld Heist II is more focused on combat execution, loot, and projectile geometry.

Similar PC Games

There are few exact substitutes for SteamWorld Heist II because its combination of side-on battles, manual aiming, ricochets, and a nautical overworld is unusually specific. The closest comparisons are games that share at least one major pillar rather than simply matching its science-fiction or humorous tone.

Turn-based tactical card combat in Fights in Tight Spaces offers a similarly puzzle-like approach to positioning, sequencing, and making the most of a confined battlefield. Its combat is built around cards and hand-to-hand attacks rather than guns and ricochet paths, so it is a mechanical cousin rather than a direct replacement.

SteamWorld Heist II remains the better choice for players who want a handcrafted story campaign, recruitable Steambots, real-time naval exploration, and a flexible job system layered over direct tactical shooting.

SteamWorld Heist II FAQ

Is SteamWorld Heist II the current PC name?

Yes. Steam and GOG list the PC game as SteamWorld Heist II. The official SteamWorld website and some URLs use “SteamWorld Heist 2,” but this is a naming-style variation rather than a separate edition or rebrand.

Is SteamWorld Heist II multiplayer or co-op?

No. The PC storefront listings identify the game as single-player. Steam Remote Play features do not change the campaign into a dedicated online or local co-op mode.

What is the main gameplay loop?

You explore the Great Sea, select missions, configure your crew, enter side-on turn-based battles, manually aim weapons, collect loot, complete objectives, and return to upgrade jobs, abilities, equipment, and the submarine.

How does the job system work?

A crewmate’s job is linked to the weapon they equip. Snipers, Flankers, Brawlers, Engineers, Boomers, and Reapers each provide different weapons and abilities. Skills learned from one job can remain available after switching roles, allowing hybrid builds.

Does the PC version support controllers?

Yes. The PC edition supports controller play as well as keyboard and mouse input, with controller-aware prompts and updates addressing PC controller behavior.

Does SteamWorld Heist II have gameplay DLC?

The current PC storefront listings show the base game and a separate official soundtrack, along with bundles containing other SteamWorld titles. They do not list a separate story expansion or gameplay season pass for SteamWorld Heist II.