Earth vs Mars is Warhammer 40k Dawn of War developer Relic's spin on turn-based tactics, and you can try it for free

Between Warhammer 40k Dawn of War, Company of Heroes, Homeworld, and even Age of Empires 4, Relic Entertainment has proved itself a stalwart of some of the best strategy games on PC. Its newest project is something a little more compact and experimental, coming from a small in-house team within the studio, yet it's already rocketed onto my must-play list as a loving tribute to one of my all-time favorites. This is Earth vs Mars, which has just launched on Steam, and it's got a free demo you can try today.

Earth vs Mars is the first game from Relic Labs, the developer's new label for more experimental titles made by "a small team of passionate Relicans" in a shorter timeframe. The studio says it's eager to pay homage to some of its favorites "while adding a Relic twist," and this turn-based strategy game immediately calls the mighty Advance Wars to mind, from its square-grid battlefields to the opposing unit pop-ups that appear to blast each other when you unleash attacks. While we've had some other notable attempts to fill this gap in the market, such as Wargroove, I've been desperately craving more, so I'm already on board.

In case the name didn't give it away, we're dealing with a full-scale Martian invasion here, and that means it's time to get experimental, courtesy of a morally questionable secret weapon known as the Splice-O-Tron. The aliens, you see, are supplementing their high-tech war machines and elite warriors by abducting our people and animals and turning them into horrifying hybrids, so it's only fair that we do the same.

That's right, just line up some definitely willing 'volunteers' and fuse them with various creatures to build a supersoldier army capable of defending Earth. Take a leaf out of Spider-Man's book with a human-rhino warrior capable of devastating the enemy frontline, or mix together cheetah and fly DNA to develop a lightning-fast, airborne bomber that rains acid from the skies.

Through the course of the Earth vs Mars campaign, which includes more than 30 missions, you'll unlock numerous weird and wonderful creations and upgrades, along with powerful, commander-specific abilities to help turn the tide in your favor. Then there's the ability to battle the AI in challenge or skirmish modes with custom map support, along with online multiplayer that lets you take control of either side.

As a smaller, more experimental project, Earth vs Mars isn't a visual spectacle that'll blow you away, although it certainly evokes the classic Advance Wars style that I'm looking for. There's plenty of polish, however, including full voiceover, and it comes in at a very reasonable price. If you need a little more convincing, you can always try the demo first and experience the early acts of its campaign.

Earth vs Mars is out now on Steam, with a 10% launch discount meaning you'll pay $13.49 / £10.79 until Wednesday November 12, or $14.99 / £11.99 after. Find it right here and prepare to test the limits of the human body in ways you'd never imagined.

Alternatively, take a look through more of the best war games in 2025, or explore our pick of the best indie games for many other hits from smaller teams.

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