Steampunk Games

[Cowabungaa]

(No Bioshock, it's scary and it's more Art Deco than Steampunk).

Why can't steampunk have horror in it? Mixing up of genres and seeing what sticks keeps things fresh.

It's too advanced to be steampunk, simple as that.

The best steampunk game out there is Arcanum, which has already been mentioned. The combat is kinda crap, the graphics were already dated when it released in 2001 (1999's Planescape: Torment looks way better) but by the gods the world is HUMONGOUS with the kind of freedom you don't find in any of today's RPG's. Not to mention the excellent story.

 

[Swny Nerdgasm]

Can someone tell me what steam punk means?

For the most part Steampunk is a genre of Speculative fiction built, on the most part, on the premise of "What If". As in what if we lived an era or world where steam power is still widely used ? usually based inthe 19th century, and for some reason in Victorian era Britain ? but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, often featuring futuristic technology as the people of this historical period would have envisioned it to look like, i.e. based on a Victorian perspective on fashion, culture, architectural style, art, etc. This technology may include fictional machines like those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, or real technological developments like the computer, but occurring at an earlier date. and usually involving a metric shit ton of pipes, gears and an overall sepia tone.

Prominent examples of the genre are Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling, Steamboy, The Adventures of Brisco County Jr, and the music of Abney Park (mostly their last two albums).

 

[qazmatoz]

Can someone explain the significance of adding -punk to a word to define a genre? I've been hearing terms like cyberpunk and steampunk all my life without really understanding why they're called that, or at least how the term punk comes into play.

 

[Swny Nerdgasm]

(No Bioshock, it's scary and it's more Art Deco than Steampunk).

Why can't steampunk have horror in it? Mixing up of genres and seeing what sticks keeps things fresh.

It's too advanced to be steampunk, simple as that.

The best steampunk game out there is Arcanum, which has already been mentioned. The combat is kinda crap, the graphics were already dated when it released in 2001 (1999's Planescape: Torment looks way better) but by the gods the world is HUMONGOUS with the kind of freedom you don't find in any of today's RPG's. Not to mention the excellent story.

Wasn't arguing the fact that it wasn't steampunk, but the fact that the OP discounted it because it was "scary".

 

[qazmatoz]

Only one that I ever played and enjoyed was Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura, it's a few years old but it still a fun game, you can probably find it on Amazon

Arcanum. great game and dare I say it. You're freaking right! You've discovered what is possibly the only steampunk game in existence.

Not a flawless game by any means. Combat system so finnicky that you wonder how it got through playtesting. Certain overpowered magical abilities due to being able to cast as fast as you can click. Bugs up the whazoo. Terrible animation.

BUT

That didn't stop me playing it through almost 3 times, just because the setting, the characters and the character generation system is such good fun.
I actually saw it for sale the other day in an (australian) EB games. Somebody decided to do another run of it for some reason.

Is guns of icarus any good btw?

To be honest, I have yet to play it. It's on my massive list of many things to play. I looked it up and I was interested enough that I bought it when the steam sale was on, but other than that, I couldn't tell you.
It looks original (or it did until "Aeroshock" was announced anyway).
Also, to the guy who said Dark Void and Damnation were steampunk, no... just no.
They were retrofuturism.

I just go with what reviews and stuff tell me since I'm really kinda ignorant on the whole steampunk thing. Blame Unskippable, not me.

 

[Vie]

Can someone explain the significance of adding -punk to a word to define a genre? I've been hearing terms like cyberpunk and steampunk all my life without really understanding why they're called that, or at least how the term punk comes into play.

Basically it indicates that its got a Dystopian feel to it, think Bladerunnder for Cyberpunk. True Steampunk is actually high tech things from steam age technology forming the background to a dark story. However these days its become a generalised term for any advanced tech from steam age technology, although I maintain a lot of what is called Steampunk is just gearpunk.

Gearpunk being to steampunk what Twighlight is to Dracula.

 

[Squilookle]

*Crimson Skies tops my list(For believable Zeppelin combat and great dogfighting go PC, for mechanical worms and spider tanks go xbox)

*Bioshock Infinite may yet be horror based but so far the world looks more 'alive' and vibrant than Rapture did. Think Laputa and you're there.

*Rise of Legends, An RTS where one faction uses all kinds of stuff derived from the designs of Da Vinci

*Turning Point: Fall of Liberty- supposed to be a pretty crap game but it's New York getting invaded by Nazi Zeppelins.

*Speaking of Nazi Zeppelins you're best open would game for steampunking is The Saboteur, though Scrapland has a certain 'Iron Giant' vibe to it.

Metal Arms, Glitch in the System is also a Roboty, oldish vibe game, probably not what you're after though.

That's all I can think of at the moment.

Oh, and Codename Eagle. Think Battlefield, but with updated WW1 vehicles and weapons like machine guns and gas launchers. Also actually has a singleplayer which can be pretty fun at times.

 

[Swny Nerdgasm]

Can someone explain the significance of adding -punk to a word to define a genre? I've been hearing terms like cyberpunk and steampunk all my life without really understanding why they're called that, or at least how the term punk comes into play.

Cyberpunk was called cyberpunk because of the mixing of high tech and low life prevalent in it's early works. The punk appellation came from the way early punks in England were against the whole status quo, in early cyberpunk works it was mostly the fringe of society that was paid attention to, ie; the "punks"

Steampunk had the punk added onto it cause it was viewed as a derivative of cyberpunk, just as Clockpunk, Dieselpunk, and Biopunk

 

[qazmatoz]

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Alright thanks to both of you, I think I might just have to give steampunk an honest try now. Really, I'd been getting kinda worn out by "steampunk" stuff popping up seemingly everywhere. They've even got a steampunk pack for The Sims now.

 

[Squilookle]

Can't believe I forgot Myst and Thief!

 

[alrekr]

Renosance of Fate is steampunk, I think its got a diffrent name in the US, I think the other name for it is End of Eternity

 

[qazmatoz]

They've even got a steampunk pack for The Sims now.

*orgasms blood violently everywhere*
What's it called?

Well it's nothing really cool like an expansion pack, but they've got 3 downloadable sets on the sims online store. 2 item packs and a clothing pack.

Spoiler

http://www.thesims3.com/globalSearchResult.html?description=steampunk&searchCategory=store&sortParam=&assetStatus=&officialItemValue=&featuredItemOnly=

 

[DayDark]

Isn't Thief a steampunk game series?

Only one that I ever played and enjoyed was Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura, it's a few years old but it still a fun game, you can probably find it on Amazon.

GOG.com, Why buy it from amazon when you can buy and install in an instant. This is where I bought it.

 

[Swny Nerdgasm]

Isn't Thief a steampunk game series?

Only one that I ever played and enjoyed was Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura, it's a few years old but it still a fun game, you can probably find it on Amazon.

GOG.com, Why buy it from amazon when you can buy and install in an instant. This is where I bought it.

I like having the disc... does that mean there's something wrong with me?

 

[Daedalus1942]

Only one that I ever played and enjoyed was Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura, it's a few years old but it still a fun game, you can probably find it on Amazon

Arcanum. great game and dare I say it. You're freaking right! You've discovered what is possibly the only steampunk game in existence.

Not a flawless game by any means. Combat system so finnicky that you wonder how it got through playtesting. Certain overpowered magical abilities due to being able to cast as fast as you can click. Bugs up the whazoo. Terrible animation.

BUT

That didn't stop me playing it through almost 3 times, just because the setting, the characters and the character generation system is such good fun.
I actually saw it for sale the other day in an (australian) EB games. Somebody decided to do another run of it for some reason.

Is guns of icarus any good btw?

To be honest, I have yet to play it. It's on my massive list of many things to play. I looked it up and I was interested enough that I bought it when the steam sale was on, but other than that, I couldn't tell you.
It looks original (or it did until "Aeroshock" was announced anyway).
Also, to the guy who said Dark Void and Damnation were steampunk, no... just no.
They were retrofuturism.

arcanum is original, "aeroshock" by comparison is just a cheap rip off.

Good for you... but I was actually comparing Guns of Icarus to Bioshock Infinite, not anything to do with Arcanum really.
Also, how is Bioshock Infinite a cheap ripoff? Arcanum's a top down isometric view turn based rpg, whereas Bioshock is a first person shooter with very shallow rpg elements... What are you on, seriously?

 

[PurpleSky]

I noticed that there weren't that many popular Steampunk games out there, and the few I've known aren't really that good. So, what are some Steampunk games out there that I should consider trying? (No Bioshock, it's scary and it's more Art Deco than Steampunk).

The only Steampunk MMO I know of is broswer based,free to play, and alot of fun.

Remnants of Skystone.


It has 3 classes, one with a grapling hook,one with a steampack (jetpack) shown in video and a melee class with claws.