Strategy · September 5, 2018

Scythe: Digital Edition (2018)

trophy56 achievementsextension2 DLClocal_offer-55% current discountgroup100k–1M ownersrecommend3.1k recommendations
In an alternate reality in 1920s Europa, it's been several years since the 'Great War', but the ashes of the conflict are still hot and the war is entering a new phase. The first conflict saw the emergence of some incredible engines of war known as Mechs. Built by 'The Factory', an independent city-state which has since become the object of everyone's desire, these technological monstrosities roam the snowy landscapes of Europa. Be the hero of one of the five factions – Saxony Empire, Crimean Khanate, Rusviet Union, Polania Republic or Nordic Kingdom – and become the richest and most powerful nation in all of Europa during these dark times! To assure the victory of your people, you will need to explore and conquer new territories, enlist new recruits and deploy your forces by building formidable and terrifying combat Mechs. Replay history in a fictional past full of mechanical engines and technology, where each choice you make will be critical. Choose your battles with care, because in Scythe, victory is achieved with and for the people! Asymmetry: every player starts the game with different resources (energy, coins, keen combat sense, popularity…), a different starting location and a secret objective. The starting positions are specifically set to contribute to the uniqueness of every faction and the asymmetrical nature of the game. Strategy: Scythe offers players almost complete control over their fate. The only elements of chance apart from each player's individual secrete objective card are the Encounter cards, which players draw to interact with the citizens of newly explored lands. Combat is also handled by way of choice; no luck or chance is involved. Engine Building: Players can improve their construction abilities to become more efficient, build structures that improve their position on the map, enlist new recruits into their faction, activate mechs to dissuade opponents from invading and expand their borders to reap greater types and quantities of resources. This aspect creates a feeling of energy and progression over the course of the entire game. The order in which players get to develop their economy and technologies adds to the unique feel of every game, even when playing as the same faction several times.

Community Tag Signals

Tag weights reflect how many Steam users voted each descriptor — larger pills = stronger consensus.

  • Board Game · 237
  • Strategy · 215
  • Turn-Based · 208
  • Multiplayer · 199
  • 4X · 194
  • Tabletop · 185
  • Alternate History · 181
  • Mechs · 178
  • Hex Grid · 173
  • Turn-Based Strategy · 155
  • Sci-fi · 149
  • Steampunk · 145
  • World War I · 140
  • Singleplayer · 136
  • Historical · 134

Position in Strategy

MetricThis titleGenre position
Review volume3.6k Steam reviewsTop 70% in Strategy
Positive rating90% positiveGenre average: 84% — this title sits in top 39%
Engagement hours5 h averageTop 93% for session depth among Strategy

Peer Strategy titles

Comparable titles in the same genre and review-volume band — ranked by Steam positive percentage.

Localization Coverage

Interface / Subtitles (12)

  • English
  • French
  • Italian
  • German
  • Spanish - Spain
  • Polish
  • Simplified Chinese
  • Traditional Chinese
  • Portuguese - Brazil
  • Russian
  • Japanese
  • Korean

Strategy releases from 2018

9 Strategy titles launched in 2018 — top 6 by review volume.

Features & Capabilities

Multiplayer

  • Multi-player
  • PvP
  • Online PvP
  • Shared/Split Screen PvP

Community

  • Steam Achievements
  • Steam Trading Cards
  • Remote Play Together

Other

  • Single-player
  • Family Sharing

Press Quotes

“Evocative, clever and rewarding” PC Gamer “Runner-up Golden Geek Best Board Game App 2018” Board Game Geek “Scythe (...) is truly a brilliant 4X game.” Rubber Chicken Games

Reception Metrics

Steam community

90%Very Positive · 3.6k reviews

3.3k positive · 361 negative

Curator recommendations

3.1k

Engagement Profile

All-time avg

5h

short (5–15 hours)

Median

3h

Typical completion time

Achievements

56

Steam unlocks available

Release & Availability

Release dateSep 5, 2018
DeveloperThe Knights of Unity
Base price$8.99 -55%
DLC / Add-ons2 released
PlatformsWindows, macOS
Estimated owners100k–1M

Editions & Packages

  • Buy Scythe: Digital Edition