Special Tactics

Special Tactics

Released Apr 2016

ST brings the most intense, tactical-action experience to Steam. Select your custom loadout, plan out strategies and accomplish your objectives. Addictive Survival mode and unrivaled multiplayer including Squads (1 vs 1, 2 vs 2, 2 vs 1)

83% positive · 132 reviews
Done
All announced content has been released
Medium confidence
Done
All announced content has been released
Medium confidence

Where to get it

Free on Steam

Evaluation

Special Tactics launched on April 26, 2016 and received a series of updates and content additions in the months surrounding launch, including new maps, campaign missions, equipment, weapons, and gameplay systems. After launch, the developer remained active through 2019, shipping a feature update on September 30, 2019 that added balance changes, a new legendary weapon, and a free MP demo mode. The developer's note in that post mentioned returning after health issues and invited player feedback for future updates, but no specific content was announced. The most recent developer communication on record is a bug fix posted on May 23, 2021, which addressed a Survival mode crash. Since May 23, 2021 — over five years ago — there have been no further posts, announcements, roadmaps, or DLC listings of any kind. There are no unreleased DLC entries on the store, no season pass, and no outstanding content commitments. The game's store description reflects a complete feature set with no mention of upcoming additions. The sustained silence since May 23, 2021 and the absence of any announced future content indicate that development has concluded. The game launched as a free-to-play title and appears to have shipped as a finished product with periodic updates that have now ceased.
Evidence
Developer returned after health issues and shipped a balance/feature update including a new legendary weapon and free MP demo. Invited player ideas for future updates but announced no specific content.
news post · Sep 30, 2019 source ambiguous
medium
Final pre-launch content drop: Survival Hostage Rescue mode, final campaign missions, and a new map (ST_HOME).
news post · Apr 15, 2016 source content shipped
medium

Media

Details

Publisher
Beast Mode Games
Achievements
10
Platform
Windows
Controller
—
Steam Deck
Unsupported
Players
Single-player · Multiplayer · Co-op · PvP

About this game

ST brings the most intense, tactical-action experience to Steam through killer gameplay, streamlined controls and carefully crafted maps. Select your custom loadout, plan out strategies and accomplish your objectives. Earn gold and trophies to unlock custom weapons and attachments! MULTIPLAYER, SURVIVAL...TACTICS FOR ALL.

ST is very accessible but with immense, tactical depth:

- Finely tuned and innovative combat system
- Combat system is designed from the ground up to allow many types of engagements and tactics
- Offensive and defensive balance such that pros and cons for both
- Promotes peeking and intelligence gathering
- Carefully designed and tuned "time to kill" and damage model
- Complex underlying code and tracking to expose the most simple and intuitive combat interface to player

- Simultaneous Turn-Based Tactical-Action
- Epic 1 vs 1 PvP
- Create Squads of 2 with your friends for 2 vs 1 or 2 vs 2
- Create Custom Match Rules with your friends (ie Snipers-only, hardcore mode, etc.)
- Addictive Survival Mode
- 7 Maps: Construct, HQ, Rail, Rush, Gallery, Iceworld, Fall
- 5 main classes: Sniper, Shotgun, Assault, SMG, Shield
- Custom Weapons and Attachments
- 6 Equipment: Smoke, Frag, Flash, Fire/Incendiary, Sonar Detector, Throwing Axe
- 4 Boosters: Armor, Range, Damage, Speed
- Carefully Designed Maps
- Collect trophies to rank up from Recruit->Masters
- Replay Analysis System
- Innovative Controls
- Custom Engine Built from the Ground Up

Epic 1 vs 1, 2 vs 1 and 2 vs 2 PvP
- Select your specific weapons for each class (i.e. Silenced AK47 for Assault, AWP for Sniper)
- Pick 4 soldier classes (i.e. 2 Snipers + 2 SMGs)
- Either plant the bomb or defuse
- Each match is done over a real-time connection with 50 secs per turn (simultaneous)

Addictive Survival Mode
- The bomb is planted in a random location each round
- Based on the location of the bomb, pick 4 soldier classes
- Defuse the bomb before it blows up while encountering enemies
- Complete the round challenge (i.e. use all Shields or kill 2 enemies with one sniper shot) for 2X points
- Each round enemies are smarter and higher in number
- Your run ends when you fail to defuse the bomb

5 main classes: Sniper, Shotgun, Assault, SMG, Shield

- Assault: Medium range, slow movement, large field of view, weak damage
- SMG: short range, fast movement, large field of view, high damage
- Shotgun: very short range, fast movement, large field of view, very high damage, splash damage
- Sniper: very long range, slow movement, narrow field of view, very high damage, splash damage
- Shield: fast movement, 50 degrees of coverage, can melee

Custom Weapons and Attachments

- Each weapon has its own strengths and weakness
- Silencers hide your position when firing but have decreased damage and/or range
- Foregrips allow for higher fire rate but slower time to first shot
- Sights allow for longer range but smaller field of view
- Weapons are unlocked through Gold earned through Multiplayer and Survival


4 Boosters: Armor, Range, Damage, Speed
- Select one booster per turn to give to a soldier... Choose wisely

6 Equipment: Smoke, Frag, Flash, Fire/Incendiary, Sonar Detector, Throwing Axe
- You get 2 each per game in which any soldier can throw them
- Smoke can change the battlefield in significant ways by blocking line of sight
- Flash can blind and stun multiple soldiers
- Frags are used for focused splash damage
- Fire can slow and block movement paths
- Sonar can detect enemies within a radius through walls
- Throwing Axe requires precision aim but is very lethal

Carefully Designed Maps (more coming!)
- STO_CONSTRUCT, STO_HQ, STO_RAIL, STO_RUSH, STO_GALLERY, FY_ICEWORLD, STO_FALL, STO_HOME

Collect trophies to rank up from Recruit->Masters

Innovative Controls
- Controls and soldier combat AI built around Focus Points
- Setting a Focus Point when moving a soldier will have him aim down sight and move slowly while rotating around the point vs sprinting
- Using Focus Points you can peek around corners without committing:
- Focus Points open up complex tactics with simple controls such as strafing, throwing grenades around corners, moving one way while looking another way, back pedaling etc.
Last evaluated Jun 27, 2026
Something about this evaluation looks wrong Report illegal or harmful content