MicroProse has announced Steel Bounty, a new first-person mech simulation that immediately calls back to the angular, polygon-heavy era of 1990s PC and Amiga gaming. It’s currently in early development, but even at this stage it looks like the sort of game many of us would have happily sunk entire weekends into back in the mid-90s.
You’re a mercenary in mech
Steel Bounty puts players in charge of a mercenary company operating across a dynamic star system. Missions aren’t isolated skirmishes: outcomes feed back into a wider campaign, affecting the economy, opening up new contracts, and shifting the balance of power between factions. Alongside combat, players will be managing finances, resources, and personnel, recruiting and training pilots as they try to keep their outfit profitable.
On the battlefield, everything is experienced from first-person cockpit views, with interactive instrumentation designed to keep the player grounded inside their machine. Combat takes place in fully destructible environments, where the sheer scale of mech warfare can flatten cities and permanently reshape the terrain.
Build your own mech
Customization is a major focus. Players can design, build, trade, and fine-tune their mechs using a wide selection of parts and weapons, leaning into the kind of deep tinkering that older simulation fans will appreciate. It’s very much about preparation and planning as much as trigger-pulling.
MicroProse describes Steel Bounty as a blend of immersive cockpit combat and company management, and that balance feels very much in keeping with the publisher’s heritage. Founded in 1982, MicroProse built its reputation on detailed, systems-driven games like Gunship, Falcon, Grand Prix, and X-COM, and Steel Bounty definitely slots into that lineage.
Development is being handled by APOC, a London-based solo developer focused on immersive simulation design. More details are expected as development continues, but for now Steel Bounty already looks like a welcome throwback with modern ambitions — sharp-edged polygons and all.
I’ve already wishlisted Steel Bounty, and you probably should, too.
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Christian Cawley is the founder and editor of GamingRetro.co.uk, a website dedicated to classic and retro gaming. With over 20 years of experience writing for technology and gaming publications, he brings considerable expertise and a lifelong passion for interactive entertainment, particularly games from the 8-bit and 16-bit eras.
Christian has written for leading outlets including TechRadar, Computer Weekly, Linux Format, and MakeUseOf, where he also served as Deputy Editor.
When he’s not exploring vintage consoles or retro PCs, Christian enjoys building with LEGO, playing cigar box guitar, and experimenting in the kitchen.
