Strain Tactics
Released May 2017
Strain Tactics is a real-time-with-pause tactical game, where you command a squad of soldiers to liberate earth from an alien infestation. Using your helibase, deploy your custom squad and provide air support. Remember to keep your crew sane and motivated while staying clear of alien contamination!
85% positive · 240 reviews
Done
All announced content has been released
High confidence
Done
All announced content has been released
High confidence
Where to buy
Steam $14.99
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Evaluation
Strain Tactics launched on May 4, 2017 and received a steady stream of feature patches and balance updates throughout 2017, culminating in a "Xmas Drop" on December 21, 2018 — the last substantive update to the game. Across 50 developer posts, there is only one major content release and no announcements of upcoming content. The developer went silent after December 2018, with one brief reappearance on August 8, 2023, which was solely to promote a third-party Steam bundle collaboration — not to announce any new content for Strain Tactics. In that same post, the developer made an offhand comment about a "Strain 2 itch," which is an expression of personal interest rather than any announcement or commitment. There are no unreleased DLC entries, no roadmap, no outstanding promises, and no structured update cadence that would suggest more content is forthcoming. The game shipped as a complete product and has received no meaningful developer communication about future updates since December 2018.
Evidence
Xmas Drop patch added drone purchase terminals and a drone bugfix — the last substantive game update from the developer.
Developer broke a long silence solely to promote a third-party bundle collaboration. No new content for Strain Tactics was announced. The developer casually mentioned a personal 'Strain 2 itch' but made no development commitment.
Media
Details
Developer
Publisher
Touch Dimensions Interactive
Achievements
51
Platform
Windows
Controller
—
Steam Deck
Not rated
Players
Single-player
About this game
Strain Tactics is a real-time-with-pause tactical game, where you command a squad of soldiers to liberate earth from an alien infestation. Featuring 80 playable characters and over 150 unique items and weapons, the game challenges players to defeat enemies by commanding customizable ground teams from their Helibase overhead. Players can indulge in a variety of scenarios across over 30 different maps, and the sandbox-style mechanics allows users to approach the maps according to their play style.
Key Features
Key Features
- Build and command your own 1-5-member heliborne task force.
- Choose from over 80 playable characters with unique personalities and traits, and equip their 1-3 inventory slots with countless weapon and item combinations.
- Choreograph your team’s actions in real time with a fast and dynamic drag-control system, alongside traditional RTS-style controls.
- Freedom to focus on simply positioning your squad and observe like a traditional RTS, or micromanage them like a top-down shooter!
- Defend your Helibase, and protect your team from above with miniguns, autocannons, and more.
- Manage your team’s mental health. Keep your squad topped up with happy pills, or deploy emotionless combat droids.
- Protect your task force from contamination, or watch them erupt into even more strain.
- Level up your units, and revive fallen team members by body-bagging (or selling their corpses for points).
- Travel to over 30 unique maps with various scenarios including Hunter-Killer, Escort, Retrieval, Perimeter Defence, and more.
Are these done yet?
Last evaluated Jun 27, 2026
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