Flash Game Review: Steambirds Survival

Steambirds: Survival is a flash game that sort of falls into the turn-based strategy genre, but makes a few innovations to the formula. Based on the original Steambirds, it uses the same basic gameplay, like how you move and attack and use special abilities, but you only control one airplane, and you can buy new ones with the in-game cash that you earn from playing, or with the game's microtransactions system. Players are to survive as many waves as possible before being shot down.

There's something of a plot, but nothing too deep. As you defeat more and more waves, text in the background informs you of the lives you've saved and communities you've evacuated.


Steambirds: Survival, along with the rest of the Steambirds series, is a highly tactical game. Before you end each turn, you really have to think of what'll happen to you afterwards. You're only in control of one unit, so that one unit is infinitely important. Unlockable airplanes make for brilliant and unconventional strategies, like rushing an enemy, and pulling back at the last minute while dropping a deadly barrage of bombs.

The Bunni and PandaPoet are my favourite two airplanes to fly, primarily because you can blow up half a wave of enemies without a singlle shot fired.

You're almost always at a disadvantage when it comes to raw firepower. To aid you in overcoming this disadvantage, the game includes several different powerups that you can acquire and use over the course of the game. Each airplane starts off with a few of them, and others can be picked up from downed enemies. They offer an expanded variety of possible tactics, like letting loose poison gas that damages enemies and jams their guns, so that on your next turn you can do a u-turn and blast them to pieces while their defenceless.

Steambirds: Survival is,  as far as anyone can tell, unwinnable. All you can do is shoot down unending waves of increasingly difficult and numerous enemies until you die. Then you're taken to the page where you can buy new planes with your newly earned points, and restart. The inspiring messages they show you each wave must have some end though, so perhaps you can "win".

All in all, Steambirds: Survival is a great game. It's alternate-history steampunk atmosphere is perfect, and it always keeps you thinking. They're making a multiplayer Steambirds game soon, so stay tuned for details. This is definitely a series to keep a close eye on.

Score: 9.5/10


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