Mechabellum is an auto-battler game that features epic battles on the colonized battlegrounds of Far-Away. This land can only be saved from alien automatons by anticipating and one-upping their moves. Players can enjoy watching the battle unfold with cinematic bombs exploding, shrapnel flying, and lasers blasting.

Developed by Game River, this strategy game brings to mind the grid-based warfare mechanics of similar battler games, such as Sid Meier’s Civilization VI and Stellaris. However, this batter is without turn-based combat tactics. Instead, rivals ready their units, place them strategically on the field, and release them simultaneously for uncontrolled mayhem, whereby the team left standing wins.

What’s it about?

In this auto-chess game, players command an army of mechs on Far-Away, a newly colonized planet. They must customize their units and reinforce them before placing them strategically on the battlefield. As both sides have the same reinforcement options, players must anticipate their rivals’ choices to succeed.

What’s special about it?

This auto-battler impresses with its variety of mechs, upgrades, and aircraft, which can be as nimble or massive as players need them to be. They can also choose a combination of terrestrial and air mechs for synergy, such as crawler bots, tanks, anti-unit bots, and light aircraft.

Gameplay modes

Mechabellum offers a single-player mode where you can battle against AI opponents, providing an excellent opportunity to practice and experiment with different skill combinations before facing real players. However, the downside lies in the matchmaking system, which often pairs players with much stronger opponents. This imbalance can make it challenging to enjoy the game and progress at a reasonable pace.

Key changes in Patch 1.0

Mechabellum 1.0 introduces competitive seasons, resetting combat power and Insight every three months. However, medals, credits, and season points carry over based on your previous season's performance. Additionally, the Friends List has been expanded, increasing the maximum number of friends from 100 to 300. This update makes it easier for players to stay connected and interact with more friends in the game.

The patch allows players to hide their Matchmaking Rating (MMR), creating a more relaxed experience for those who prefer not to show their rank. In-game communication has also been improved with the addition of inappropriate content filtering. Players can now select from different filtering levels—no filtering, filtering, or strict filtering—allowing them to personalize their chat experience and avoid offensive content.

In addition, the update brings notable improvements to both visuals and performance. The Training Base map has been visually enhanced, offering a more immersive experience. Performance optimization has also reduced memory usage, ensuring smoother gameplay and faster load times. These improvements make the game more accessible, especially for players on lower-end systems, providing a better overall experience without sacrificing quality.

One-up your rivals

While Mechabellum is reminiscent of games like Age of Empires, it doesn’t bring much new to the table. However, this mech auto-battler still manages to tick a few boxes, particularly in terms of its storyline, theme, and graphics. With competitive seasons, an expanded Friends List, and enhanced performance, it provides a more dynamic gaming experience. It offers solid gameplay that appeals to fans of the genre.