Into the Breach is a turn-based strategy video game created and released by an independent studio called Subset Games. The studio is made up of Jay Ma and Matthew Davis. This is their second game, after FTL: Faster Than Light. The game includes writing by Chris Avellone and music written by Ben Prunty. It was first released for Microsoft Windows in February 2018, then for macOS and Nintendo Switch in August 2018, and for Linux in April 2020. A version for iOS and Android mobile devices was released by Netflix in July 2022.
Gameplay
Into the Breach is set in a distant future where humans fight against a group of giant monsters called the Vek. To defend against them, players control pilots who operate large machines called mechs. These mechs can be fitted with different weapons, armor, and tools. The game uses a turn-based system, which means players take turns making decisions to respond to enemy actions.
During battles, players control three mechs and must complete specific goals on each map within a limited number of turns. The main goal is usually to protect buildings that provide energy to power the mechs, though other tasks may also be given. If these buildings are damaged, the energy supply weakens. Each turn, the Vek move and attack. Players can see the direction of the Vek’s attacks and learn how many moves the Vek can make and how much health they have left. New Vek appear every turn, allowing players to move their mechs and use weapons to defeat enemies, block attacks, or protect buildings. Mechs can only take so much damage before they stop working, but players can let a mech rest for a turn to fix some damage. Any battle damage is fully repaired between maps. Pilots who defeat Vek earn experience points, which unlock new abilities. The game’s strategy is similar to chess, focusing on controlling positions and making smart choices rather than overpowering enemies. Battles take place on an 8×8 grid, like a chessboard.
Like the game FTL, Into the Breach is divided into islands with different scenarios to complete. These scenarios are randomly generated each time, based on preset maps. After finishing the first island, players choose which next islands to protect. Each island has unique conditions that affect battles, with harder challenges offering greater rewards. If a player fails a scenario—by losing all three mechs, running out of energy, or failing to protect a target—they can restart the game from the beginning, keeping their experience and skills to help them improve. Reviewers have compared the game to Pacific Rim and Edge of Tomorrow because of its time-travel features. As players complete tasks, they gain permanent upgrades, such as new pilots or mech designs.
Development
Into the Breach was created by Ma and Davis after the success of their game FTL. They tried many ideas for a new game, including one based on a grid system, which had become popular again in the video game industry because of a game called XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012). However, they needed a unique feature to make their game stand out. This idea came from movies like Man of Steel and Pacific Rim, where characters saved the world even after cities were destroyed. Ma said that the game would focus on showing the damage caused by battles, making it important for players to protect buildings and structures, not just win.
The game included changes to the environment as battles progressed, such as mountains being destroyed, forests burning, and buildings collapsing. To highlight this, the game used a system where mechs relied on power from buildings. If buildings were destroyed, mechs might lose power, forcing players to choose between short-term advantages or protecting more buildings. The story, written by Avellone, reminded players that people were hiding inside buildings, adding emotional weight when those buildings were destroyed.
Unlike XCOM, where battles could take an hour to finish, Subset Games wanted each battle to be shorter. They used a limited number of turns and made it easier to predict enemy movements to speed up gameplay. They also designed situations that required players to create new strategies quickly, which they hoped players would use later in the game.
Development of Into the Breach began in mid-2015, after Subset Games finished work on FTL. This gave them the financial stability to start the new project. The game was announced in February 2017 and was expected to release on Windows, macOS, and Linux, though not all platforms would get the game at the same time. At the time of the announcement, Subset Games said the game was still far from completion, as they had only shown early ideas and art. A preview in November 2017 suggested the game was nearly finished except for art and balance issues, and it was released on February 27, 2018.
Subset Games worked with other people and companies, including Isla Schanuel for community management, Power Up Audio for music, and Polina Hristova for art help. Ben Prunty, who made the music for FTL, also composed the soundtrack for Into the Breach. He and Subset wanted music that was not typical for strategy games, and they were inspired by a version of Hans Zimmer’s "Mombasa" by 2Cellos. Prunty added guitar riffs to the music, creating a theme that appeared throughout the game. He also decided that music would only play after players finished placing mechs on a map.
The Windows version of Into the Breach was released on February 27, 2018. The macOS version came out on August 9, 2018, and the Nintendo Switch version followed on August 28, 2018. A Linux version was released on April 20, 2020.
An update called the Advanced Edition was released on July 19, 2022, for PC and Switch versions. It added new squads, pilots, enemies, and a harder difficulty level. A mobile version for iOS and Android was also released the same day by Netflix.
Reception
Into the Breach received positive reviews when it was released. It has a score of 90 out of 100 on Metacritic, a website that collects reviews, and was the best-reviewed PC game of 2018. Critics praised the game's simple but strategic gameplay, high difficulty, art style, and soundtrack. Editors from Popular Mechanics called it the best video game of 2018, stating that it offers a fresh approach to turn-based strategy games and represents a new and creative way to develop the genre. The game was also a runner-up for "Best Debut" and "Best Game of the Year" in Giant Bomb's 2018 Game of the Year Awards.