Sand

Sand is a cooperative shooting game where you work in a team to create and pilot a huge mechanical walking base on a vast deserted planet. You explore the land to search for resources to upgrade your base and delve deeper into the wilds that hide a complex political mystery. It stands out not only for the unusual pre-WW1 political setting but also for the epic battles between customisable walking tanks.

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Sand is set in an alternative future where the First World War never happened and the Austro-Hungarian Empire rules a large part of the galaxy. You play a scavenger travelling the dilapidated planet, investigating a complex plot of racial and historical injustices. Play involves traversing the world with a team of other players to find scrap and valuable resources you can use to construct your Trampler - a huge walking tank that doubles as your base. You customise its layout, choosing where to place guns, sleeping quarters, engines, and more, then use it to move across the huge deserts between abandoned settlements.

Along the way, you encounter computer-controlled enemies and teams of other players with their own Tramplers. You can choose to fight them with your mech's armaments or board them to kill the crew and search for valuables inside. Communicating your strategy with your teammates and each taking on the different roles (navigator, gunner, spotter) is essential for success. Do this well and you can strategically fortify your Trampler with components from defeated enemies.

The result is a game that offers both a novel political mystery of surprising depth and meaning and a grand adventure like a pirate adventure on a desert sea. Gradually upgrading your Trampler as your team uncovers the tale of the planet's past and defeats opponents takes excellent strategy and planning, and offers an engaging and fun experience.

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Our examiner, Ben Kendall, first checked Sand 4 weeks ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 4 weeks ago.