15 Classic Steampunk Games That Would Make Verne And Wells Proud

Setting: BioShock: Infinite is set in an amazing floating city, which is a fantastical steam-powered dystopia filled with ambition and imagination, the likes of which aren't found in most games.

All BioShock games feature some elements of steampunk, but the one that devoted all of its time and energy to the genre was BioShock: Infinite. The setting is a city in the clouds, and it's kept there, thanks to steam-powered technology. While it is clearly influenced by the Victorian era, BioShock: Infinite is an amazing sci-fi world as well.

The blending of those two genres is nothing new in gaming, but it's rarely done as well as it was in this title. All of the technology appears to be both vintage and futuristic at the same time, and when a game does something like that, it's worth any steampunk fan's attention.

Setting: Most Final Fantasy games feature expansive landscapes centered around a theme, but the one title that is all about steampunk is the sixth. The setting is an industrial world, and all technology is based on steam power.

Final Fantasy VII gets a lot of attention from players, but gamers new to the franchise shouldn't skip Final Fantasy VI. Everything about the world seen in the game is centered around a booming industrial age through the use of steam-powered technology, which takes the form of airships, weapons, and just about everything else.

It's also one of the best role-playing games ever made, and because it is also an amazing steampunk adventure, it's often considered to be one of the greatest steampunk games ever made. Even the intro oozes with steampunk goodness, with a (then) stunning cinematic screen of mechas walking in the snow.

The game came out in 1994, but don't worry if you don't have an old Super Nintendo lying around. You can still play it on the PlayStation via the PlayStation Network.

Setting: The world of Skies of Arcadia takes full advantage of a trope of the genre: the steam-powered zeppelin. The continents are floating in the skies, and you'll need to get from one to the other via your ship, which is perfectly wound into the story.

The game features plenty of steampunk elements, but it also combines those with fantasy and technology, which runs the spectrum of steam-powered to futuristic. The game was popular when it came out for its intense world-building, which allowed for a great deal of exploration.

When it came out on the Dreamcast in 2000, it quickly became one of the best-reviewed games on the console. Unfortunately, it didn't sell well, but it did manage to receive a port for the GameCube in 2002 under the name Skies of Arcadia Legends.

Setting: The Dishonored games take place in the fantasy city of Dunwall, which resembles London during the Victorian Era, but with zombies, plague rats, and magic.

The Dishonored titles are very much about the city they are set within, and because it all looks like Victorian England, it's about as steampunk as you can get. A lot of time and effort went into developing the games into serious entertainment, as they enlisted the voice acting talents of Carrie Fisher, Chloë Grace Moretz, Lena Headey, Susan Sarandon, Michael Madsen, and more. 

Interestingly, you can play through the entire campaign without taking anyone's life, which makes it something of a unique addition to this list. Since the first game's release in 2012, there has been one sequel and another standalone adventure that takes place after Dishonored 2.