MENACE ▶ Trailer
MENACE screenshot 1MENACE screenshot 2
RPGSimulationStrategyTurn-Based StrategyTurn-Based TacticsTacticalGrand StrategyWar

498 playing

Peak in the last 24 hours: 976

Peak in the last 7 days: 1,209

MENACE Early Access Steam store

Game description

Lead a strike force against an alien threat in this turn-based tactical RPG from the developers of Battle Brothers. Answer distress calls across different worlds, train and equip infantry, deploy tanks and mechs, and plan and execute missions in detailed turn-based battles.

Basic info

DeveloperOverhype Studios
PublisherHooded Horse
PlatformsWindows
Steam DeckPlayable
Release dateFeb 5, 2026
Price

Prices by IsThereAnyDeal

Minimum specs

OSWindows® 10 (64-bit)
ProcessorIntel® Core™ i5-7600 (quad-core) or AMD® Ryzen™ 5 1500X (quad-core)
Memory8 GB
GraphicsNVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1050 Ti (4 GB) / AMD® Radeon™ RX 570 (4 GB)
Storage12 GB
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Review Analysis Score

Based on 455 reviews from the past 1 year

82.2/ 100
Top 50%

Steam rating: Very Positive (91%)

Review analysis summary (Reviewed Oct 25, 2026)

Turn based squad tactics with a wargame edge give MENACE a score of 82.2 from 455 analyzed reviews.

👍 Strengths

Gameplay ranks 445th of 1396 and comes up in 81% of analyzed reviews. 155 reviews praise the tactical depth, with varied squad compositions, specialized leaders, perk trees and gear that support many builds. 78 say they love it and find the core loop fun, and several call it a promising early access framework. 35 like the visuals, praising detailed models, lighting, particle effects and weapon design. Tech & Support ranks 24th of 1399, and some note frequent developer updates.

👎 Where it falls short

59 reviews raise balance problems, including enemy AI that seems to know hidden positions or flees constantly, squad leaders and equipment that feel obsolete or too strong, and turn limit objectives that some find unfair. 41 find the missions repetitive, with the same enemies and samey map layouts. 38 say key systems are poorly explained, with confusing line of sight and weapon range rules, a weak interface and thin onboarding for new players. Pricing & Fairness ranks 1108th of 1399, and some feel it is not worth the price yet.

Representative reviews Original reviews ↗

“varied squad compositions and specialized squad leaders add tactical depth” · 155 reviews
“incredibly promising and fun framework combining XCOM and tabletop wargame” · 78 reviews
“game is absolutely excellent in quality” · 35 reviews

How it holds up

−50+5

Controls, difficulty, progression and depth
Mentioned in 81% of reviews · Top 40% of the games we've analyzed

Strategy +2.94 · Depth of builds, tactics, and meaningful choices
Positive “varied squad compositions and specialized squad leaders add tactical depth” · 155 reviews
Negative “some perks feel like must-haves, limiting viable playstyle choices” · 14 reviews

Progression 27% · Difficulty 35% · Onboarding 22% · Freedom 8% · Controls & feel 16%

Plot, characters and the world
Mentioned in 37% of reviews · Bottom 20% of the games we've analyzed

Characters +1.69 · How memorable the characters and their relationships are
Positive “characters are great, mascot Rim and Pike uncle interactions excellent” · 9 reviews
Negative “allied AI units behave incompetently and frustratingly” · 5 reviews

Story 15% · World 18%

How much there is to do, variety and replay value
Mentioned in 45% of reviews · Bottom 50% of the games we've analyzed

Variety -0.94 · Fresh content and situations versus repetition
Negative “repetitive gameplay loop, blocky samey maps, lacks tactical depth” · 41 reviews
Positive “good variety of enemies and missions with solid writing and voice acting” · 1 review

Volume 29% · Replayability 7%

Graphics, art style, music and sound
Mentioned in 33% of reviews · Bottom 40% of the games we've analyzed

Visuals +2.71 · Graphics, art style, and animation
Positive “game is absolutely excellent in quality” · 35 reviews
Negative “visuals are poor, enemies unclear in buildings, graphics look bad” · 4 reviews

Audio 22%

Playing with others, the community and servers

Not enough data — only 3% of reviews mention this.

Playing together +1.71 · Fun of playing with friends, teammates, or rivals

Community 0% · Servers & Connection 0%

Pricing, cheaters, balance and matchmaking
Mentioned in 32% of reviews · Bottom 30% of the games we've analyzed

Balance -0.49 · Whether classes, weapons, and builds are evenly matched
Negative “AI cheats by knowing concealed unit positions and gun ranges.” · 59 reviews
Positive “squad-based balance and vehicles feel tactical and not overpowered” · 8 reviews

Anti-cheat 0% · Pricing 7% · Matchmaking 0%

Bugs, performance and developer support
Mentioned in 34% of reviews · Top 5% of the games we've analyzed

Developer support +0.58 · Updates, patches, and how devs respond to players
Positive “developers extremely responsive, polished and balanced updates” · 16 reviews
Negative “game will take minimum 3 more years to develop, fans will finish it” · 4 reviews

Stability 9% · Performance 6%

Grey means too few reviews mention it to trust. — means almost no reviews mention it.

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