There are a lot of games centred on World War II, but precious few of them have mechs. I know I know, historical accuracy etc and so forth, I like my videogames to have more fighting robots. Alt-history roguelike Grit and Valor – 1949 imagines the Second World War as if it became a dieselpunk battle of steel, and it’s playable right this second.
Taking place in small, isolated battlefields, Grit and Valor – 1949 pits your platoons against Axis forces. Rounds of the strategy game require a hearty blend of risk-taking and careful thought and consideration, because one wrong step, and things will take a turn for the worst in a way you might not recover from.
There are some heavy shades of XCOM, mixed with time-travel roguelike Into the Breach, which also used gigantic metal suits, and chilly RTS Frostpunk. Those are excellent company for any project, and Grit and Valor captures the essence of the two while still feeling distinctly itself through a nice cel-shaded aesthetic and historic visual elements.
You’ll take your firepower across four distinct regions in the upcoming PC game. Each of these fronts presents particular challenges you need to be wary of, so your playstyle will need consistently evolution for you to stay ahead. Of course, loss is inherent to this kind of experience, the big thing you try to avoid is suffering a truly gutting defeat that requires a top down re-evaluation of your methods so far. We’ve all been there, and this sounds like no exception so far.
It’s the first of four productions by Megabit Publishing. The other are quite different, ranging from vibrant crafting game Lou’s Lagoon to multiplayer game Thick as Thieves. That they all stand so apart is a testament to the indie publisher’s MO, and with any luck, Grit and Valor will be a bright start for the company’s library.
Grit and Valor – 1949 has a demo on Steam now, with the full release coming March 26, 2025. Once you’re done checking out that vertical slice, peruse our lists of the best FPS games and best 4X games for other ways to exercise your brain while we wait for more.
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