The year was 1929: it was the height of the roaring 20s, and the economy had never been better! However, with every rise comes an inevitable fall. On October 23rd, a small dip in the stock market was quickly overshadowed when a massive alien appeared over the Statue of Liberty and decimated the city’s population. Five years later, things have only gotten worse. Colossal monsters roam America, and there’s only one thing keeping the American dream alive: man-made mechs called Steele Soldiers, piloted by only the best of the best are sent to eradicate the Oddity menace America faces.
Capitalism will win, so stand on top. Soldiers of Steele (SoS) serves as a satire of capitalism and how humans become commodities, and how war brings out the worst traits of humanity as everyone tries to survive. Dark humor is used to enforce how ridiculous the situation is, especially through the lens of the elite “winners” like Mr. Rivet.
SoS operates on a d6 dice pool system, and gives both your character and mech unique sets of attributes to determine the size of your dice pools. Outcomes are determined with a series of contested rolls and difficulty thresholds, adding and taking away dice from your pool to represent advantages and disadvantages agreed upon by the Director. Rolls of at least 4 are counted as successes, and rolls of 6 "explode" - adding another die to your check and potentially leading to victory in situations that seemed rather dire at first. In this way, our protagonists can gain a real fighting chance against the Oddity menace!
The real bread-and-butter of the game itself involves maintaining both your mech and your group's company. Each mech starts out as one of six distinct frames, ranging from the physical might of the Bruiser, to the long-range specialization of the Artillery. Despite this humble start, soon enough you'll find that no two mechs are alike. After purchasing unique modules, hunting down sponsorships, and designing your own weapons, each one will grow to fulfil it's own role within the group. Companies serve as the home base for the crew, and can be similarly outfitted with upgrades, style, and personal affects to improve it's effectiveness and public image. Between missions, this is where most of the magic will happen.
First and foremost, Soldiers of Steele is a game about telling unique stories in a dark but charming world. Allow yourself to get immersed in the comings and goings of the old world, and you'll find yourself willing to die to protect it. Good luck soldier, you're going to need it.