Medieval contraption builder Besiege looks splendid

The incredible death machine

Word of Besiege has gotten to me slowly, but now that it’s here, I feel obligated to pass the message on. This is a physics-driven medieval puzzle game about building killer contraptions, like this ingenious windmill on wheels, to lay waste to castles, soldiers, and livestock alike.

The creation process looks intuitive enough — you’re snapping pieces together, essentially — and I dig the basic concept. But what has me most on board with Besiege, I think, is the art direction. The tilt-shifty, “miniatures” look fits so well with this theme. Gorgeous work.

There’s a playable alpha build (Windows, Mac, Linux) available. It’s $6.99 and currently includes 15 campaign levels, Sandbox Mode, and a time-dilation dial for slow motion (also super slow-mo).

Given the game’s structure, I imagine it’ll be suitably enjoyable in this content-incomplete state. But if you’d rather wait, that’s a fine choice too. Besiege is already approved for Steam.

Two people are making this game. Two.