Deal | Steam: “Praise the gameplay god” – highly rated tactics game free to play for a limited time
In Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus, players step into the role of Magos Dominus Faustinius, a high-ranking tech-priest leading an Adeptus Mechanicus expedition to the distant Necron world of Silva Tenebris. Their mission: recover ancient, long-lost technology and confront a deadly, awakening threat. As the machine-worshipping priests of Mars, they face a profound conflict – how much of their humanity can they sacrifice in their pursuit of knowledge and power? The choices you make throughout the campaign will shape the story’s outcome and determine the fate of your crew.
Mechanicus features turn-based tactical combat that may remind players of XCOM, yet it introduces its own distinct mechanics. You command a squad of tech-priests, each customizable with a variety of implants, weapons and abilities. Every encounter plays like a strategic game of chess, where careful positioning, efficient use of action points and management of "cognition" – a resource earned through specific actions that fuels extra moves and attacks – are key to success. Beyond the battlefield, you’ll explore the depths of Necron tombs in isometric, text-driven missions. These segments offer unique events, valuable rewards or dangerous traps. According to GameStar, this exploration element evokes the feel of classic board games like StarQuest or HeroQuest.
Reviews: Deep tactical combat, but underwhelming AI
The German gaming magazine GameStar reviewed Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus and praised its tactically challenging combat, highlighting the unique cognition point system as a refreshing twist that sets it apart from genre heavyweights like XCOM. The editors were so impressed that they titled their review “Praise be to the gameplay god.” The game offers deep customization through flexible skill trees, allowing for highly personalized unit builds. With multiple playstyles and three different endings, there's genuine replay value. The narrative is well-crafted, the characters feel authentic and the atmosphere captures the grim, dystopian essence of the Warhammer 40K universe.
However, Mechanicus isn’t without its flaws. The game’s AI can behave erratically, and as powerful weapons and abilities become available, battles may start to feel unchallenging. The campaign also suffers from limited mission variety and a relatively short playtime – around 30 hours including side quests, according to GOG. Some reviewers also missed a base-building element, a feature common in other tactical titles. Despite these shortcomings, the game received a solid 79/100 from GameStar. This sentiment is echoed on Metacritic, where it holds a Metascore of 78 and a User Score of 7.9. On Steam, however, the reception is much more enthusiastic, with 92% of over 10,000 user reviews rating it positively.
Free weekend on Steam
Developed by Bulwark Studios and published by Kasedo Games, Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus launched in November 2018 and is usually priced at around $30 on Steam. Right now, players can try the turn-based tactics game for free until May 26 as part of a limited-time offer. If you're hooked and want more, the full version is available at a steep 80% discount – just $6 – until May 29. According to SteamDB, discounts of this magnitude are rare, with the last similar offer appearing in fall 2024. The only time the game was ever cheaper was during the last Winter Sale, when it dropped by 88%.
Disclaimer: Notebookcheck is not responsible for price changes carried out by retailers. The discounted price or deal mentioned in this item was available at the time of writing and may be subject to time restrictions and/or limited unit availability.
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