Despite the popularity that the tower-defense genre has enjoyed over the years, many games with the label primarily make innovations based on the kinds of abilities tower have or what challenges players will need to overcome. The upcoming Beltfed takes a much more drastic approach by removing towers from the game entirely, instead having players build up a massive factory in a style of game appropriately dubbed “factory-defense”. A few days ago, the game was announced alongside a new trailer and Steam store page.
The trailer places viewers in the heart of the action, showing off the carnage created by the waves of enemies crashing against the factory’s walls. The wall itself is made up of standard weapons one would see in the defense game, such as lightning conductors, turret guns, and flamethrowers. Later on, the factory also makes use a flaming train to clear away enemies on a track. After the preview, the heart of the game is revealed as players begin with a single structure called the Nexus before applying their resources to different areas of the factory. With each new run, players will be able to try different Nexus cores as they unlock them and travel to different planets with unique rules to encourage experimentation.
One of the most unique mechanics shown off is the emphasis on power, forcing players to wire energy to their outer defenses to make sure they work correctly. These defenses will also be a target for the enemy’s attacks, making defense on all fronts vital to ensure stability. The ultimate goal of the player will be to stave off aggression from the Nexus for as long as possible to unlock permanent upgrades such as new buildings, upgrades, and weapons.
The developer of Beltfed, Hello World Studios, has received a lot of attention on the announcement trailer given how new the channel is. While no exact release date has been given, the game is set to come during 2027 on PC.