You can currently experience an entirely new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game on Steam.

      Steam Next Fest has arrived, and you're likely to find yourself inundated with video game demos. There are a variety of promising indie titles available for free during the event, and we'll be sharing recommendations as we discover the hidden gems. If you're looking for a starting point, you should definitely check out Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown.

      The latest adventure of the Turtles is unlike any they've experienced before. Instead of a traditional beat-em-up, it's a turn-based strategy game created by Strange Scaffold, the developers of I Am Your Beast. While the tactics genre may initially seem like an unusual fit for our turtle heroes, it functions surprisingly well. This is due to a fresh twist on the genre that allows players to engage in much more during each turn. It's a fast-paced tactics game that has a spiritual connection to the arcade days of the Turtles in unexpected ways.

      In the hour-long demo available on Steam, players navigate a tutorial and then progress through four stages. Each stage puts a different brother in the player's control, highlighting their individual skill sets. Initially, I moved my turtle around a grid to attack ninjas, but I soon began to realize what makes it unique. For one, the environment isn't static. As I defeat enemies during my turns, pieces of the map will vanish while new sections become accessible. I must stay clear of a red zone during this transition, or I'll be eliminated along with the map.

      Thus, Tactical Takedown almost has the feel of a classic beat-em-up. I'm battling a screen full of foes and pushing forward to the next battleground. This connection becomes particularly apparent when I find myself progressing down a street reminiscent of a scene from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge. I can even grab discarded pizza boxes to heal myself, just like in a traditional beat-em-up. It's a clever twist on the genre that keeps this entirely new Turtles game grounded in its history.

      This is further emphasized by its intricate tactics system. In most strategy games of this type, I typically have just a few action points to utilize each turn. I can move, attack, or possibly use an item, but then it's my enemy's turn. Tactical Takedown breaks this mold by offering a remarkable six actions per turn. I can allocate these actions however I wish—whether to maneuver, attack opponents, or grant myself various perks. I can accomplish a significant amount before my turn concludes, preserving the swift action of classic Turtles games even in a turn-based format.

      Each hero takes advantage of this flexibility with their unique moves. Donatello’s strategy focuses on aligning enemies and attacking two simultaneously with his staff. During his turns, I use my actions to position myself between two adjacent foes, taking them out at once and then moving elsewhere. Raphael is oriented towards diving straight into the fray, using slashing tactics to gain stacks of evasion. Michelangelo emphasizes mobility, allowing him to leap over distant foes and strike them with his Nunchaku as he passes. Each hero has their own style but can eliminate multiple enemies in a single turn if played effectively.

      Once I became accustomed to the gameplay and could confidently chain actions together, it almost felt like playing a real-time action game. I particularly got into the rhythm during a rooftop stage, where I continuously jumped in front of enemies standing at the edge of the roof, knocking them off and leaping to another spot. With smart decisions, I could wipe out four enemies in seconds. That’s the kind of experience I seek from a Ninja Turtles game, and that’s exactly what this one offers.

      In many ways, Tactical Takedown feels like a return to a bygone era of licensed games. It represents a kind of experimental interpretation of an IP that was common during the Super Nintendo to Game Boy Advance period, before companies became more protective of their valuable franchises. It appears that rights holders are beginning to ease their tight control in recent years, with titles like Tron: Catalyst and Disney Illusion Island delivering unexpected gems from today’s talented indie developers. While Strange Scaffold may not be the obvious choice for managing the Turtles (this is the team behind a game centered on a voyeuristic creep and a horror title about a serial killer performing blood rituals), their creative approach works wonders for a franchise that has seen countless adaptations. Tactical Takedown seems poised to become a cult classic among Turtles enthusiasts seeking something fresh rather than another retro homage to arcade nostalgia.

      The demo for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown is available now during Steam Next Fest through March 3, with the full game expected to launch later this year on PC.