Kriegsfront Tactics
Set in an alternate 1970s timeline where mechs turned the tide of a Southeast Asian conflict, Kriegsfront Tactics is a procedural turn-based tactics RPG that tells the story of a mecha squad on a mission deep in enemy territory.
I don't know what surprises me more: the sheer amount of quality indie titles that release practically every day, or the fact that I have been enjoying them far more than AAA titles lately. Now, you're probably thinking I'm slow on the uptake of just how good indie games are. And you'd be right. But with the ever-increasing bloat of many AAA games, there's something refreshing about shorter, more diverse indie titles. As I have mentioned previously, I have also branched out into other genres I previously wouldn't have tried. And that's where Toge Production’s Kriegsfront Tactics joins us for this conversation.
Kriegsfront Tactics takes the tactical RPG framework made famous by the likes of XCOM and Front Mission and plants it squarely in a gritty Southeast Asian-inspired conflict. Instead of futuristic space marines or fantasy knights, you’re commanding hulking dieselpunk mechs through humid jungles, rain-soaked villages, and battle-scarred outposts. Each turn feels deliberate: move a unit, manage cover, decide whether to risk overheating your weapons, and weigh every trade-off, knowing the wrong call could leave your squad exposed.
What sets Kriegsfront apart is its atmosphere. The mechs aren’t sleek machines of the future—they’re heavy, industrial war machines, patched together with visible wear and rust. Environments feel grounded, with terrain that demands smart positioning and ambushes that can turn the tide in an instant. There’s a sense of weight and grit in every move, whether you’re stomping across rice fields or taking cover in dense undergrowth.
During my time with the game, it became clear how important squad composition and customisation will be. Pilots bring different skills to the table, and their bond with you as you command them can affect morale. Managing not just the machines, but the humans inside them, adds an emotional layer to the strategic play. It’s not just about winning the fight, it’s about keeping your squad alive long enough to make it home.
Kriegsfront Tactics feels like a love letter to classic mech tactics with a fresh, grounded twist. If the full release delivers on its promise of tactical depth, squad management, and narrative tension, this could be a standout title for fans of the genre.
Combat itself is tense, deliberate, and brutal. Weapons overheat if you get greedy, and line of sight is often broken by thick foliage or half-ruined structures. More than once I miscalculated, firing off a burst I thought would end the fight, only to leave my mech exposed and overheating. That mistake cost me one of my pilots, and the loss stung. Not just mechanically, but narratively. The game takes care to make the pilots feel human, not just interchangeable stats. Watching their portrait grey out on the squad screen was a gut punch that stuck with me long after the mission ended.
What I really enjoyed, though, was how the game doesn’t force you to play recklessly. Careful positioning and patience are rewarded. I remember one mission where I set up a perfect crossfire: two mechs pinning an enemy squad in a narrow chokepoint, while my scout flanked through the underbrush for a clean finish. Pulling it off felt immensely satisfying; like a hard-fought tactical victory rather than just numbers on a screen.
Outside of combat, there’s a lot to manage. Customisation isn’t just a cosmetic touch; tweaking loadouts and balancing armor against mobility makes all the difference once you’re on the ground. My squad’s survival often depended on those small pre-mission choices, and I could feel the weight of them every time I deployed.
I've said it already, but it stuck with me so much that I have to say it again: more than anything, Kriegsfront Tactics nails its atmosphere. The rain-slick jungles, the muddy rice fields, the way the world feels worn and lived-in, it all contributes to a sense of place that’s rare in tactics games. I never felt like I was moving pieces on a board; I felt like I was commanding a desperate squad in a war that wasn’t going to let anyone walk away clean.
From my time with it so far, Kriegsfront Tactics feels like the kind of tactics game that respects your time, your decisions, and your mistakes. It demands thought, patience, and a willingness to adapt, but rewards all three with some of the most gripping squad-level combat I’ve ever experienced. Having this as my first squad-based tactical shooter in the vein of XCOM has been a real eye-opener of the genre for me. If the full release carries this tension throughout, it could easily carve out a spot as a modern tactics classic.
If you’re a fan of XCOM, Front Mission, or just love the idea of mechs grinding through the mud in a grounded, atmospheric war story, Kriegsfront Tactics is absolutely one to keep an eye on. There's a prologue demo on Steam, and I recommend you give it a shot!
I've enjoyed the time I've spent with Kriegsfront Tactics so far. I played the demo on PC and encountered no issues with it. I didn't attempt to run it on Steam Deck as a game like this should be experienced on a full PC.
There's currently no release date for Kriegsfront Tactics yet, but it's coming to Steam sometime in the future. The devs also uploaded a trailer on their YouTube confirming a console release at some point. But until then, Have You Heard Of This?
I created this website as I feel the state of the games industry and games reporting as a whole has gotten overly negative and full of clickbait. While I understand both of these are a great way to generate engagement, it’s a detriment to those gamers (like myself) that are just trying to enjoy games and not have to worry about the negativity of the current state of the gaming industry. I want a space where gamers can come for unbiased news that doesn’t rely on clickbait or rumours with a dash of humour and have the opportunity to share their passion for games.
