As a rule, we’re sceptical of Kickstarter projects. Far too many don’t pan out, no matter how interesting they may initially appear. But Iron Harvest is both interesting and looks pretty certain to happen – not only is it fully funded, it’s almost trebled its goal of $450,000.
Iron Harvest is set in an alternate, ‘dieselpunk’ 1920s. Engine-powered mechs were powerful weapons in the Great War and are now part of everyday life, though another conflict is brewing as secret forces work to destabilise Europe once again. There are three playable factions, based on real countries, but with a twist: the Polania Republic, Rusviet, and the Saxony Empire. Each has their own campaign, which will feed into an over-arching story. Think Warcraft III.
Developers King Art Games have spoken about their philosophy: tactics and planning should be more important than actions-per-minute, so levels tend to be sandboxes with many different approaches, including stealth (though almost everything is destructible if you like explosions). Cover and armour mechanics are both important, and units can level up twice, gaining new abilities and making them more valuable.
The devs take their inspiration from many places, including Company of Heroes, Command and Conquer: Red Alert and Generals, StarCraft I and II, Dawn of War I and II, and a major survey of their own community, with feedback from 15,000 RTS fans.
Iron Harvest is due for release in December next year. If you’d like to give the project another boost, its Kickstarter is live for another two days.