Screenshots
SHELLSTORM: The Great War
Hypermad interactive · Published by Hypermad interactive · Official site ↗
Last updated 28 Sept 2026
SHELLSTORM™ unleashes satisfying tactical combat that redefines the RTS genre with destructible terrain, physics-driven interactions, and complex AI. Command infantry, artillery, tanks, and aircraft to overcome impossible odds on difficult missions, or play PvP battles and climb the leaderboards.
Action, Indie, Simulation, Strategy · More free games
Navigate the chaos of Shellstorm: The Great War as you command diverse units across dynamic, physics-driven landscapes. Test your skills against AI or other players in intense PvP battles.
About this game
Overview
Step into the SHELLSTORM™ - a viscerally satisfying tactical experience that redefines real-time strategy with explosive, physics-driven combat and vehicles. Command infantry, artillery, tanks, and aircraft to overcome insurmountable odds on impossible missions, or jump into PvP battles and climb the Shellstorm leaderboards. Every bullet, grenade, and shell reshapes the battlefield, blowing through the environment and forcing constant adaptation. With destructible environments and complex Ai, no two battles are the same in SHELLSTORM: The Great War.
Standout Gameplay Systems That Redefine RTS Combat
SHELLSTORM: The Great War tackles systemic challenges that show what the RTS/RTT genre can truly achieve. It brings mechanics usually reserved for cover shooters, military simulations, and stealth games to RTS scale, pushing the boundaries of mechanical intricacy in the genre. SHELLSTORM leans into deep simulation rather than superficial abstraction. The result is a complex, interwoven possibility space that rewards patience, careful observation, and freedom of choice, while realistic environmental and destructible systems create unique and memorable gameplay moments.
Dynamic, Detailed Environmental Destruction
We don't just mean breakable buildings or props. The terrain itself is fully destructible, reliant on a 3D Voxel-based system instead of a heightmap.
Physics-Driven Combat & Vehicles
Tank and aircraft movement is fully physics-based, including functional tracks and wheels which can be targeted and destroyed, causing localized impairment of mobility and function. Impacts from bullets, explosions, shrapnel, and shells impart physical forces to their targets. Shells and grenades are capable of following linear and parabolic trajectories, depending on target visibility.
True Stealth Combat Mechanics
Sneak an entire squad behind an enemy formation and unleash a point-blank ambush - made possible by a true directional vision system that checks both for line of sight and whether enemies are actually facing you. This allows entire squads to sneak up on each other, even without cover. It’s squad-level stealth and flanking like never before seen in an RTS.
Realistic Perception Systems
Characters don't have 360-degree awareness. They react to what they can actually see and hear. Perception systems are nuanced and realistic.
Dynamic Character AI
Individual characters make decisions based on systemic logic and available intel - not just scripted events. This is achieved by our NPC behavior system that responds to subtle changes in battlefield conditions, including the terrain shape, line of sight, as well as what the NPCs can hear - forcing gamers to pay close attention to the environment during combat and reinforcing thoughtful, tactical play.
System Requirements
Will my PC run this? →Minimum
- OS: Windows 10, Windows 11
- Processor: i5-6400
- Graphics: GTX 1050
- Storage: 700 MB available space
Recommended
- OS: Windows 10, Windows 11
- Processor: i5-13600
- Graphics: GTX 2070
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Storage: 700 MB available space
Supported Languages
*languages with full audio support
Latest news
AnnouncementsOfficial
“Reaper’s Breath” | Shellstorm Official Soundtrack
“Reaper’s Breath” is an original track from the official soundtrack of Shellstorm: The Great War. Now available for listening on YouTube. Music composed and produced by Hayk Amirbekyan. Game: Shellstorm: The Great War Composer: Hayk Amirbekyan Year: 2025 Listen on YouTube: https://youtu.be/qjvu0GYwU68?si=8cJQcqXorzrGsg5w Wishlist Shellstorm: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3974220/SHELLSTORM_The_Great_War/ Play the free demo: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4070630/SHELLSTORM_THE_GREAT_WAR_Demo/ Hypemrad Interactive: https://www.hypermadinteractive.comRead full article on Community Announcements (PsycoHayko)AnnouncementsOfficial
Demo v1.2 Release!
What's new in SHELLSTORM demo V 1.2? Hotfix: There was an issue where the tutorial was telling players to stand in the wrong position, and the player was getting killed by the first enemy. This has been fixed. The tutorial works as expected now.Graphics Update: Adjusted the ambient light, dynamic light, and environmental reflections to make for a slightly better-looking scene. Colors are a bit deeper now.More granular tutorial movement instructions: We have added more intermediary positional markers to help players follow the correct route and free the soldiers more easily.Added 2 new staircases to shorten some routes and make new flanking opportunities.Jitter Fix: The Soldiers no longer Jitter when going up and down the new stairs!Bug fix: fixed a bug where if some of the prisoners were killed by a grenade before being freed, the narrator would not recognize that the player has selected all the living prisoners. Narrator now is aware of how many living prisoners are left and will proceed with the tutorial once all living prisoners are selected.Bug fix: Fixed a bug where shrapnel from grenade explosion could fly though the prison walls and kill prisoners. This is no longer possible. Note: since the prison has an open roof, it is still possible (but not recommended) to throw a grenade into the prison and kill the prisoners, but now the tutorial wont bug out even if that happens.Jitter Fix: Fixed an issue where, when placing soldiers at cliff edge while having them stretched out in a long line formation, rotating the formation shape would cause sudden jitter due to interacting with the verticality of the cliff edge. Rotation of the formation is now smooth regardless of terrain shape.Removed a bug where the game was temporarily hanging on reload.Added buttons to the main menu (Discord and Steam Page)Removed some of the ambient shouts from the Reaper Breath soundtrack in the Main menu & added extended introduction sequence.Read full article on Community Announcements (PsycoHayko)AnnouncementsOfficial
🎥 YouTuber Valentin The Mad (74K subs) reacts to SHELLSTORM!
Random Madness - a YouTube channel dedicated to response mechanics in video games, currently with 74 thousand subscribers and 29 million views, streamed the SHELLSTORM demo on YouTube! The channel’s host, Valentin The Mad, shared a detailed and enthusiastic reaction that highlights the game’s emergent gameplay, tactical depth, and detailed interactions. Below are his key observations, with direct quotes for context:Overall Impressions"It is seriously fun, seriously fun, like I wasn't really expecting". "Very, very, very, very pleasantly surprised”. "I very much enjoy the base concept - the core gameplay". "I'm loving the direction, I very much like what I see, and I gotta say in this Steam next fest it was the most pleasant surprise for me". "My preferred way of playing games like this to have a podcast playing in the background and just enjoying the hunt basically".Overall, Valentin emphasized that the game exceeded his expectations in terms of enjoyment and engagement.Cat and Mouse Gameplay:“It’s kind of a cat and mouse game, where you are both the predator and the prey… you have to hunt your enemies one at a time. If you hit them head-on, you’re gonna die… The whole fun for me is the cat and mouse game… hit from behind, GTFO, get into a good position again, hit from behind… never attack them head-on”. "You know the Dream theater song 'Light the Fuse and Get Away'? That's basically this game".Valentin's observations highlight the importance of careful positioning as opposed to mindless attacks.Freedom & Player Choice:“Many games have a specific way that they want you to solve a given problem, and there isn’t a whole lot of freedom to mess around and try different things. I will say - absolutely not the case here - you can just mess around". Valentin appreciated the lack of restrictive “correct solutions,” allowing emergent strategies and experimentation. This is achieved by our NPC behavior system that responds to subtle changes in battlefield conditions, includin...Read full article on Community Announcements (PsycoHayko)AnnouncementsOfficial
Demo V1.1 is Released!
SHELLSTORM : The Great War Demo V1.1 Release Notes 1) We have introduced a new formation system where formations can be shaped dynamically by dragging the mouse before releasing the right mouse button. The default formation is now a tight, symmetrical group and gradually stretches out into a line as you pull the mouse farther away. You can even control dispersion to help reduce mass casualties from grenades and shrapnel. This new update significantly improves your control over the placement of your men, and we've done it without introducing any extra UI. 2) We have fixed an issue where friendly soldiers had slower reaction times than enemies and were also sluggish in responding to commands, especially while reloading. With these fixes, reaction times are now equalized, and friendly units feel noticeably snappier and more responsive, giving you a fairer and more fluid combat experience.Read full article on Community Announcements (PsycoHayko)AnnouncementsOfficial
🪖 Survival Tips
Play with 📢 volume ON so you can hear the Narrator. She will guide you (we have not yet implemented subtitles).Press F to toggle 🛑 HOLD FIRE on a selected soldier or group of soldiers. When the selection circle turns green, the unit is in “Fire at will”. When the selection circle is orange, he wont fire unless you tell him to.During Stealth gameplay, like the opening sequence of the tutorial, it is usually better to have hold fire ON, so that he only shoots when you want him to. But when you want your soldier to fire at will, the selection circle should be GREEN.Press G to toggle ⚓ HOLD GROUND. When hold Ground is ON, there will be a red marker next to the feet of the soldier. When hold Ground is OFF, the red marker will not be visible.When Hold Ground is OFF, your soldiers will freely move round, respond to sounds, and investigate. In Most cases, you want hold ground ON, so that your men only move if you tell them to. This allows you to maintain precise control over your squad.you will be outnumbered 4:1. Be very 🧠 careful how you approach each enemy. Hit them from the flank or rear, then disappear before they have a chance to react. You won’t have enough men to afford direct confrontation in the Gorge of Deliverance. You'll have to rely on masterful tactics to win.Need more tips to Survive the Gorge? Send me a question here or at the Hypermad interactive Discord Channel : https://discord.com/invite/DnarH5h4A3Read full article on Community Announcements (PsycoHayko)
