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Menace - Gameplay Trailer

IbizaPocholo

IbizaPocholo

NeoGAFs Kent Brockman


Menace is an upcoming turn-based, tactical RPG where you'll be commanding forces, tanks, and mechs in tactical battles. Your decisions matter in this character driven game, as the individual backstories and combinations will create unique experiences in each run.
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Here's your look at turn-based battle gameplay from Menace in this latest trailer for the upcoming turn-based tactical RPG from the developers of Battle Brothers. In Menace, lead a strike force against an alien threat. Answer distress calls across different worlds, train and equip infantry, deploy tanks and mechs, and plan and execute missions in detailed turn-based battles. This new trailer for Menace showcases updated graphics, new units, vehicles, and off-map abilities. Menace will be available on PC (Steam and Epic Games Store) in 2025.
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MENACE Demo Coming in September

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Article:
Hey MENACE fans! Hooded Horse team here.

As Jan and Paul make their way back home after an eventful Gamescom, we wanted to share the promised updates on MENACE in their stead.

While at Gamescom, Jan & Paul gave press and content creators some hands-on time with MENACE. Expect to see some new information and footage from those sessions in the coming weeks.

And we know that you all are eager to get your hands on the game as well. So we're excited to share that the development team will be releasing a demo of the game in late September!

For the sake of transparency, we'd also like to confirm that MENACE will not be released in Q3 of this year as originally planned. We'll have a more detailed community update to share in early September regarding the new release timeline, so keep an eye out for that.

Thank you all for your ongoing support of the game and the team, and for your patience as they make MENACE the best it can be. We look forward to hearing all of your thoughts on the upcoming demo!

– The Hooded Horse Team


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First a recently released cinematic teaser:



Then a fresh preview/impressions article from Gamescom 2025:
www.gamesradar.com

Menace is an XCOM-Warhammer hybrid that makes turn-based strategy feel like an immersive sim, and for the first time in my life I'm playing a game that seems made for me

Gamescom 2025 | From the publisher behind Manor Lords comes a long-awaited substitute for playing XCOM 2 over and over again
www.gamesradar.com www.gamesradar.com

Menace is an XCOM-Warhammer hybrid that makes turn-based strategy feel like an immersive sim, and for the first time in my life I'm playing a game that seems made for me

Gamescom 2025 | From the publisher behind Manor Lords (and the developers of Battle Brothers ) comes a long-awaited substitute for playing XCOM 2 over and over again.

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The demo I play opens up at a deployment screen, where my squad leaders can be kitted out and customized. I can spend manpower – a resource from the ship – to attach more squaddies (essentially hitpoints) to each character, but developer Overhype Studios warns me that going overboard could leave me with dangerous shortages in the future if I take heavy casualties. Likewise, I can choose to equip squads with higher-tier armor and specialist weapons like missile launchers and light machine guns, but there's a limit to how much can be spent on one mission – meaning you need to carefully pick and choose how your resources are allocated.

As part of that outfitting, I pair my squads with a light tank which in turn can be customized with different weapons. I'm glad I do – the next step is taking a look at the map we'll be fighting on, which is a large and fairly open desert. The goal is to capture two buildings, and my current intelligence level (which can be improved via the ship) gives me a rough outline of the expected opposition and their positions. Upon deploying, I can choose where to position my troops, and divide them to take each target simultaneously.
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"I'm even more surprised to find that Menace is – without hyperbole – my idea of the perfect strategy game, with the freedom on offer feeding back into that all-important feeling of creating your own narrative."​
But, as anyone who's played the likes of XCOM or Xenonauts will know, the best-laid plans only have a 99% chance of working. Within minutes, one squad on the left side of the map are caught out in the open and decimated by Outcasts – scrappy, low-level criminals. A suppression system means the survivors are pinned, lying prone on the ground while a second squad returns fire from the questionable cover of a wall.

Meanwhile, my right flank has gotten off to a much stronger start and has not only captured their target building but has attacked and killed the pirates – who are better equipped than the Outcasts – while they're still moving into position, freeing them up to help with the first objective. Here's where the tank comes in handy – besides the giant laser-spewing cannon decimating everything in sight, it can also be used to ferry troops, meaning help is fast on the way for the squads who barely made it out of deployment.
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The whole time, I'm grinning from ear to ear. This all feels like a living, breathing battlefield, every action an anecdote in the making. To capture that feeling of live combat, units continue to trade gunfire in the background even after their action ends, meaning the crackle and thumps of gunfire continue even as I deliberate over strategy.

Ultimately, the battle is won by calling in aerial support. First, one squaddie sends out a drone to peek on the other side of the building, revealing a bunch of pirates clustered behind cover. Next, I call in laser cannons – an aerial bombardment from our ship in space. This takes an entire turn to arrive, so you have to map out the targeted tiles using equal parts intelligence and foresight, but using a combination of a missile strike and laser strafe I manage to decimate a bunch of pirate squads who were previously at full-strength. It's a power trip and then some – one by one the few surviving pirates rout, as a morale system dictates how well and how long a unit will fight for. In this case, being served hot space death proves unpalatable, and they decide to scarper.

While my demo focused on the moments before and during a mission – less so the broader RPG and management elements that bringing law to the Wayback system requires – it's difficult to overstate just how right Menace gets everything I see. Overhype Studios provides so many tools for the player that Menace plays like an immersive sim in sheep's clothing, giving players so many tools and options to realize their own miniature narratives in missions.
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"Take it from me, a guy who used to write diary-style entries for his XCOM 2 Ironman campaign – Menace is shaping up to be the real deal, and if I could, I'd shake every strategy fan in sight until they were paying attention."​


And lastly an interview with the devs:
 
Given how much of my (dwindling) gaming time I'm still spending occasionally on Battle Brothers I'm getting irrationally hyped for this game.
 
No one has any legitimate right to be "disappointed" for the next game from the creators of Battle Brothers.
...It turns out to be a stinker compared to their previous work.
 
Apparently the demo that is being previewed by tons of youtubers right now will be available in days during the upcoming Steam NEXT Fest.
 
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I put a good 100+ hours into Battle Brothers, it was an excellent game. Not sure how I feel about this one, the setting does nothing for me either.. will try the demo
 
Sentenza said:
Apparently the demo that is being previewed by tons of youtubers right now will be available in days during the upcoming Steam NEXT Fest.
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Demo out tomorrow! 🕺

Article:
Hey folks, we're incredibly excited to announce that the MENACE demo is going live on September 29, 2025. Check out the release map below to see when the demo goes live for you in your region.

We're locking in the last updates and fixes as we head into the demo's launch. We know that releasing a demo means a flood of feedback and bug reports, which is why it's being released on a Monday. With the full team in place, we'll be ready to tackle issues, answer your questions on Discord, and most importantly, see all of you enjoy the demo.

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Menace gets a new trailer and an early access release date announcement. Watch the latest Menace trailer for this upcoming sci-fi turn-based tactics game. Menace will be available in PC Early Access on Steam, GOG, the Epic Games Store, and the Microsoft Store, and day one via PC Game Pass (Game Preview) on February 5, 2026. A demo is out now on Steam.

Lead a strike force of marines, misfits, and miscreants in the Wayback system, a lawless frontier far from the core worlds, beset by pirates, warlords, morally bankrupt corporations, and fractured local governments who struggle for dominance. Aboard the TCRN Impetus, players will lead an ensemble cast of colourful characters who will lead their forces, whether that's fielding mechs, tanks, or infantry squads.
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Talking about the upcoming early access release of Menace, a sci fi trpg, via early access of my own provided by the devs.
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  • 00:06 Menace is an upcoming sci-fi roguelike tactical RPG from Overhype Studios (Battle Brothers), published by Hooded Horse, marking a genre and setting shift for the studio.
  • 01:01 The game enters Early Access on February 5 and is expected to stay there for about a year, focusing on feedback and expanding core content.
  • 01:15 Early Access already includes all core systems, with plans to add more biomes, missions, events, and story content over time.
  • 01:56 Players command an elite Republic Marine unit sent to pacify a frontier system, cut off from external communication and facing multiple hostile factions.
  • 03:19 ️ Players choose difficulty, seed settings, Ironman/permadeath options, and four squad leaders, each with unique stats, roles, and abilities.
  • 04:12 Some squad leaders are specialized pilots, requiring vehicles or mechs to be usable, adding strategic considerations during squad selection.
  • 05:24 Squad leaders will develop personalities and relationships that can affect performance, morale, and long-term outcomes, with deeper systems planned later.
  • 05:37 ️ The system map serves as the hub, letting players select operations, manage ship upgrades, build modules, and interact with factions.
  • 06:33 ️ Ship upgrades provide passive bonuses and new capabilities, unlocked by earning faction trust through missions in their territories.
  • 07:16 ️ Squad leaders gain promotion points from missions, allowing them to unlock talents, perks, and improved combat effectiveness.
  • 07:42 All gear has a supply value, and missions impose supply limits, preventing fully maxed squads every time and encouraging loadout trade-offs.
  • 08:12 The black market allows bartering loot for weapons, armor, vehicles, replacements, and new hires, serving as the main equipment source.
  • 09:23 Operations consist of multiple back-to-back missions, with roguelike progression, buffs, and branching paths affecting the entire run.
  • 10:31 ️ Pre-mission intelligence reveals terrain, structures, and sometimes enemy positions, improving planning and tactical decisions.
  • 11:12 Combat uses squad-based action points, where leader stats, equipment, positioning, and abilities directly shape movement and accuracy.
  • 13:04 Morale is critical: breaking enemy morale can cause them to flee, instantly removing them without full elimination.
  • 13:32 Players can call in orbital support like missile strikes or strafing runs if the ship is equipped with the right armaments.
  • 14:01 Enemy factions behave differently: aliens rush aggressively with melee and biological weapons, while pirates use cover and human-like tactics.
  • 15:11 Overall impressions are positive: Menace shows strong foundations, but needs more content, story depth, and tutorial expansion during Early Access.
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Early access is launching today btw.

If somebody does an OT you have to pay tribute to Don't Be a Menace. (e.g., Meance Early Access |OT| - Don't Be a Menace to the Galaxy While Drinking your Juice on Mission)
 


Lead a strike force against an alien threat in this turn-based tactical RPG from the developers of Battle Brothers. Answer distress calls across different worlds, train and equip infantry, deploy tanks and mechs, and plan and execute missions in detailed turn-based battles.

MENACE is out now on Steam, EPIC, GOG, and the Microsoft Store!
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And on PC game pass.

edit: This is completely shit. I haven't played an RTS in a while, but this is surely the most confusing interface I've seen. I couldn't even get into a mission

You are using less than 70% of resources, are you sure you want to start?
Hell no, show me where the resources are!

You are deploying a vehicle with no weapon, are you sure?
No, show me how to add a weapon!

Screw this game, that's an uninstall from me.
 
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calistan said:
And on PC game pass.

edit: This is completely shit. I haven't played an RTS in a while, but this is surely the most confusing interface I've seen. I couldn't even get into a mission

You are using less than 70% of resources, are you sure you want to start?
Hell no, show me where the resources are!

You are deploying a vehicle with no weapon, are you sure?
No, show me how to add a weapon!

Screw this game, that's an uninstall from me.
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I'd normally call this an overreaction, but I was also baffled by how needlessly confusing it was to navigate through the demo.
And I was a sucker for their previous game, Battle Brothers, which makes the first impression even more lukewarm.

That said, this is NOT an RTS.
 
calistan said:
And on PC game pass.

edit: This is completely shit. I haven't played an RTS in a while, but this is surely the most confusing interface I've seen. I couldn't even get into a mission

You are using less than 70% of resources, are you sure you want to start?
Hell no, show me where the resources are!

You are deploying a vehicle with no weapon, are you sure?
No, show me how to add a weapon!

Screw this game, that's an uninstall from me.
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That was a quick tilt! ;)
 


Get a deep dive into squad management and operations in this new Menace overview video for the sci-fi tactical RPG. In Menace, answer distress calls across different worlds, train and equip infantry, deploy tanks and mechs, and plan and execute missions in detailed turn-based battles as you take on an alien threat.

Menace is available now in Early Access on PC (GOG, Epic Games Store, and Steam) and Xbox on PC.
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pudel said:
That was a quick tilt! ;)
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Honestly, it has the most inadequate tutorial mode ever. It lasts two minutes and shows you how to shoot at enemies and call in an airstrike. Then you get into the actual game and there's no further explanation.

What are resources? How do you equip your squad? Why could I only select three of the four soldiers? What is the vehicle for? How do I address the things it was warning me I hadn't done?

There doesn't appear to be a glossary or anything like that. I guess it really is early access.
 
calistan said:
Honestly, it has the most inadequate tutorial mode ever. It lasts two minutes and shows you how to shoot at enemies and call in an airstrike. Then you get into the actual game and there's no further explanation.

What are resources? How do you equip your squad? Why could I only select three of the four soldiers? What is the vehicle for? How do I address the things it was warning me I hadn't done?

There doesn't appear to be a glossary or anything like that. I guess it really is early access.
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Yeah, i watched a bit yesterday. AngryJoe was actually playing it but he seemed to figure out stuff on his own quite well. Game seems to be quite hard in general as well. Will keep an eye on it, because I still like what I see here. ;)
 
pudel said:
calistan calistan

Just watching this vid here. Explains very well the systems. There is quite a bit to consider.

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Damn, it actually looks really good. It's bizarre that absolutely none of that stuff seems to be explained in the game. The tutorial is just click on the ground to move, click on the enemy to attack. Off you go!

I should give it another chance, but I think I might wait until the full release.
 
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