Iron Nest

Iron Nest is a lovely game. Set in a steampunk world during its equivalent of the Great War, you operate the titular Iron Nest — an immense, double-barreled cannon.

Your Iron Nest is both a fearsome battle station and a home away from home, where you eat, sleep, shower, and enjoy the company of a charming little cat (which, of course, you can pet).

The visuals recall the original FMV Myst games, wrapped in a charming steampunk style. At its heart, Iron Nest is an immersive sim, and in classic immersive-sim fashion, you can touch virtually any dial or switch in sight.

My only disappointment was that you can't turn on the stove or flush the toilet. In the kitchen, though, you can go through an elaborate process of balancing heat and pressure at the coffee machine to brew the perfect cup of morning joe.

There's a menu option to outline interact-able items in white, but I prefer fumbling through things and clicking on it all myself. I mean, they are called immersive sims for a reason!

I also like that in-game music is entirely up to you. You have to find a record, place it on the player, and start it. So far, I've found two.

After pulling levers, pushing buttons, and spinning valves, you may wonder — how's the actual game?

Complex. 😂

At least to start.

I haven't even figured out how to calculate a target yet. You can rotate the turret, sure, but first you have to identify locations via Intel, find them on the map, measure the distance, then work out the angle and trajectory needed to hit the target. Oh, and you also have to pick the right round — armor-piercing, high-explosive, etc. — for what you're aiming at. Later on, you'll need increasingly precise shots as friendly units enter the field.

For most players (myself included), the in-game instructions won't be enough — you'll end up watching YouTube videos just to figure out the controls. 😂

Complexity aside, it's refreshing to see a game with such a clear vision, one that demands you play it a certain way. The only other game I can think of with similar demands is MENACE. Like that game, Iron Nest will put some people off. But anyone willing to sit down and meet its demands will find a deeply rewarding experience.

That's it for now — I'm off to run my calculations on targets. 😉

Stay frosty.