Earth vs Mars, the debut title from Relic Labs, has officially landed its free playable demo on Steam today. A bold new turn-based tactics experiment from the creators behind Company of Heroes and Dawn of War, this smaller-scale strategy game pits Earth’s last defenders against an all-out Martian invasion—complete with mutant soldiers, genetic experiments, and tactical skirmishes across land and sea.
Earth’s Last Stand – With Rhino DNA
In Earth vs Mars, players take command of an offbeat resistance movement and wield the Splice-O-Tron, a rogue genetic engineering tool that fuses animal DNA with human “volunteers.” Rhino-charged infantry? Cheetah-speed scouts? It’s all fair game when Mars is on your doorstep.
The free demo offers three skirmish maps, giving players a chance to experiment with this bizarre but effective bio-warfare arsenal:
- Downtown Showdown – A dense, close-quarters fight perfect for learning the ropes
- Independence Bay – A sprawling land-sea battle over a city under siege
- Hazy Hills – A nighttime Fog of War map packed with surprises
Each map offers unique terrain, enemy placement, and opportunities to test out Earth’s unlikely defense force.
Commanders With Quirks – and Clout
The demo also includes three playable commanders, each offering distinct gameplay-altering abilities:
- Annabel Corman, a UFO-obsessed scavenger who heals allies and disrupts enemies’ cooldowns
- Colonel Marcus Shaw, a military vet whose Reinforcements ability turns the tide with new tanks and troops
- Eric, the game’s first test subject of the Splice-O-Tron, whose BLOODLUST buffs infantry through sheer carnage
These commanders bring both narrative flavor and battlefield strategy, encouraging experimentation and aggressive play.
More Than Just a Demo
While the demo is a bite-sized intro, Earth vs Mars is shaping up to be a full-featured strategy title when it launches. The complete game will include:
- A 30+ mission campaign
- Nine unique commanders with 20 total abilities
- The ability to play as the Martians in future missions
- Multiplayer for 2–4 players
- A full map editor
- A vastly expanded Splice-O-Tron with 10 DNA types, from eagles to axolotls
Relic Labs’ Experimental Frontier
Philip Harris, Game Director at Relic, explained the studio’s goals with the project:
“Relic Labs allows us to try different ideas in the strategy space with a smaller scope. We’re still building the big games, but this gives us room to play, and we hope fans enjoy our spin on classic turn-based gameplay.”
With offbeat humor, deep tactics, and mutant warfare in a Martian apocalypse, Earth vs Mars is a welcome departure—and one you can try for free right now.
