We’ve all scrolled through Steam, dazzled by the thousands of games vying for our attention and our wallets. It’s in these digital aisles that you often find the most compelling gems, especially when they’re offered at a can’t-miss price. Enter Shardpunk: Verminfall, a tactical RPG that throws you into a grim, steampunk-tinged post-apocalypse and has captured the hearts of an impressive 93% of its players.
But forget everything you know about being a chosen one. In this game, you’ve already lost. The capital has fallen, and your goal is no longer to save it, but to escape it with your life.
A Desperate Exodus Through a Fallen City
Developed by Clockwork Pile, Shardpunk redefines the stakes. You aren’t a super-soldier; you’re a survivor, battered and desperate. Your mission is to guide a small band of refugees through the infested ruins, managing their health, sanity, and precious ammunition. The game masterfully blends turn-based tactical combat with resource management, creating a constant, palpable tension.
You’ll scour procedurally generated sectors for other survivors to bolster your ranks and scavenge for every last bullet and medkit. But be warned: resources are finite. The further you push towards escape, the more scarce supplies become, forcing you to make agonizing choices about every engagement and every path.
Your Greatest Enemy? An Army of Evolved Rats
If the concept of a post-apocalyptic threat conjures images of zombies or mutants, Shardpunk has a surprise for you. The primary enemy you'll face is a horrifyingly adaptive swarm of rats. These aren't your average sewer-dwellers; they are a relentless horde that grows stronger and more varied as you progress. From basic scurriers to brutish brutes and toxic sludgers, you must constantly adapt your tactics to survive the vermin tide.
This is where the game truly shines. Every move on the grid-based maps matters. Positioning, overwatch, and clever use of your team's unique abilities—from the soldier’s grenades to the medic’s healing—are the difference between a narrow escape and a grisly end. Every choice has consequences, and in Shardpunk, mistakes are rarely forgiven.
If this gritty fight for survival sounds like your kind of challenge, you can find the game directly on its official Steam store page.
Praise and Pitfalls: What Players Are Saying
With a 'Very Positive' rating on Steam, it's clear Shardpunk resonates with many. Players consistently praise its compelling atmosphere and charming pixel art style, which brings its diesel-punk ruins and grotesque rodents to life with surprising detail.
However, no game is perfect, and the community has been vocal about a few key flaws. Some players find the core gameplay loop can become repetitive, noting that a successful run often demands a consistently slow, defensive, and cautious approach that may not suit everyone. Others have pointed out a perceived imbalance between characters and a desire for more variety in the enemy types beyond the evolving rat packs.
Is Shardpunk: Verminfall Worth Your Time?
The consensus? If you're a fan of tense, tactical games like XCOM or Darkest Dungeon, and its specific premise intrigues you, Shardpunk is an undeniable hidden gem. The strategic depth and the constant threat of permadeath create a thrilling, high-stakes experience.
And there’s never been a better time to see for yourself. For a limited time, until December 3, Shardpunk: Verminfall is available on Steam for just $5.59—a steep discount for a game that offers a brutal, satisfying, and unique take on the tactical RPG genre. It’s a small price to pay for a desperate chance to escape the capital.
