King Art Games reimagines post-World War I Germany in new RTS

In development since 2016, King Art Games’ Iron Harvest released the Official Saxony Campaign for its real-time strategy game set in Polish painter Jakub Różalski’s “1920+” universe. It’s a divergent timeline in history where giant, hulking, “dieselpunk” mechs fought World War I alongside humble infantry and cavalry still on horse-back.

Iron Harvest Saxony Empire Campaign Trailer

Named after the practice of salvaging and repurposing of hidden military relics, Iron Harvest sheds light on what many have wondered would happen if warring nations of old happened across technology way beyond their time.  So, while it doesn’t represent an accurate retelling of history, Iron Harvest perfectly emulates humanity’s prolific talent for inventing new and exciting ways of killing each other.

Resembling the traditional Prussian influences of early-20th century Germany, The Saxonian Empire is modern for the time and an industrial superpower with a strong militaristic culture. Aristocrats and high-ranking officers are one and the same, and much like their real-life counterpart, the ruling-class harbors a deep resentment after a humiliating surrender.

Clad in pickelhaubes and fiercely proud, Saxony’s armed-forces are the culmination of cutting-edge industrial capabilities and horribly efficient military ingenuity. Using the best of both worlds, Saxony military deployments field a variety of technologically-advanced units such as infantry armored in mechanized exoskeletons known as ”Eisenhans,” or the eight-legged “Wotan” – capable of taking out armored targets with long-range rockets.

Boxy and spider-like, Saxon Mechs are designed to scuttle, if somewhat slowly, along battlefields dealing and taking as much damage as possible. For Saxony, overwhelming firepower is the key to victory as their inventions bombard enemies with constant barrages of rocket and mortar fire.

While the Saxony Empire takes after the pre-World War I German traditions, it’s two opposing nations Rusviet and the Polonia Republic also resemble factions from early 20th century Europe.

Rusviet, like its name suggests, blends the early-Soviet ideals with those of late-Tsarist Russia. Just as Saxony is powered by massive industry, so too does Rusviet manufacture on a large-scale thanks to its seemingly limitless population and industrial resource.

Polonia, unlike the previous two, is a mostly agrarian nation that takes influence from pre-industrial eastern-central European countries. And like many central-European nations in our timeline, the Polonia Republic finds itself wedged between two of the biggest and hungriest powers in Europe.

From a humble series of paintings to a board game, to a Kickstarter funded dream, to a full-fledged realization of a world once only observable in still flashes and thought-provoking imagery – Iron Harvest has come a long way to finally be experienced by alternate-history and RTS fans alike.

In beta as of July 30, Iron Harvest will officially release on September 1 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC.