Bounty Star: A Charming, Cozy Mech Brawler Set in a Post-Apocalyptic World

I’m doing donuts in a canyon, in this mech suit that looked like it was cobbled together with spit and duct tape. Bounty Star threw me in, and the desert’s crawling with hover bots and bandits. Seriously, it felt like someone raided a Home Depot and turned the supplies into a battle bot. Took a few tries (or a dozen, let’s be real), but finally blasting those guys with cannons was—there’s probably a word for this—oh yeah, awesome.

So here’s the deal: You’re Clem. She’s a tough cookie, a mech pilot who’s basically trying to fix past screw-ups. All this happens in this place called the Red Expanse, basically a Western with a side of sci-fi. Have you seen the American Southwest? Think that, but after everything went to the dogs.

Quick time-out: I remember this guy, Benjamin Ruiz, who said he was standing in Sedona, eyes glazed over those landscapes, and thought, “Hey, this would be wild in a game.” And five years later, boom, Bounty Star. Or at least, that’s how he tells it. Sometimes ideas just simmer, you know?

Ruiz has this whole Western-meets-mech thing going on. If you’ve ever dreamt about a bounty hunter’s boring chores—like seriously, there’s chicken-raising involved—it’s all here. Cook, fix things up, fight. Real slice-of-life, with robots.

Jumping back, I poked around Clem’s place. Wild setup, like a mechanic’s dream mixed with a hoarder’s garage: half a kitchen, ammo barrels, wires everywhere—it’s got “Firefly” vibes. Feels like home if your home’s slightly falling apart but warmly exhilarating.

Customization is basically make-your-own-mech, like a scrapyard LEGO set. Ruiz nodded along when I figured this out. Heavy armor, light speed—it’s all what jives with your play style. I saw some testers skip healing and just speed-run through. Madness, but at least it’s flexible madness.

You meet folks in this dusty universe too. There’s the Marshall, giving you bounties—not just any lawman, but an old buddy. Then there’s a sketch merchant dealing top gear. Wonder if they hang out in real life.

Bounty hunting? It’s got day-night cycles, mission boards, side quests—all of it. You’re capturing criminals, sometimes just causing chaos. Oh, and optional objectives if you’re itching for a challenge, like “beat this in ten minutes” or “try this weapon.”

Bounty Star, like Clem’s patched-up home, feels like it’s on the brink of something great. Can’t wait to see it pilot into reality. Gonna be a ride.