New Steam military simulator scores 98% positive reviews, and you can try it free

If you’re looking for the next big indie hit on Steam, then look no further than this 98% positive review-rated game, oh, and it has a free playable demo, too.

Steam is packed full of fantastic games, but with so much on offer, many of them can fly under the radar, especially when it’s a busy time of the year for video game releases, such as right now.

Thankfully, however, if a game catches the proverbial fire or lightning in a bottle, and begins to trend on Steam, it won't be long until it's getting the attention of gamers across the entire video game community, whether it's a new AAA big hitter or an overnight indie success. One such game is IRON: Nest: Heavy Turret Simulator.

What is IRON Nest: Heavy Turret Simulator?

“IRON Nest: Heavy Turret Simulator is a brutal dieselpunk heavy-artillery game where you dominate the battlefield through a colossal war machine,” reads the synopsis of the game on Steam.

“Take map measurements based on the received coordinates, strain the hydraulics, and gunlay the cannons to unleash devastating blows ⟹ . Will you obey High Command, Operator?”

IRON Nest: Heavy Turret Simulator trends on Steam

IRON NEST: Heavy Turret Simulator, developed and published by Nick Nieuwoudt and Dominik Latos, launched just last week on 6 August, 2026.

According to SteamDB, IRON Nest: Heavy Turret Simulator has been generating impressive concurrent numbers for a new indie game. At the time of writing, it has an all-time player peak of 17,599, and just over 14,000 in the last 24 hours. Hopefully, those numbers will grow further in the days and weeks ahead.

To compare notes, Halo: Campaign Evolved currently has an all-time concurrent player peak of 25,376, and that’s a major AAA game with a massive production and marketing budget. So in that respect, this indie game is doing fantastic so far.

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How has IRON Nest: Heavy Turret Simulator been received?

As of right now, it has a Steam rating of “Overwhelmingly Positive” taken from over 3,850 user reviews. What's more, as mentioned in the headline of this article, 98% of its reviews are positive.

“Done 10 minutes of calculations and preparations, just to have read something wrong and blow up a hospital, 10/10 would recommend," said cannibalnosorog.

“This game is the poster child for good sound design. The deafening shots and every metallic creak make the IRON Nest feel incredible,” praised Turn Leftman.

“Stupidly addictive and extremely easy to grasp. Definitely a must-buy,” recommended a Steam user.

“This game is simply amazing,” declared kli900.

“Never thought calculating firing solutions would be fun and even kind of addictive,” exclaimed Theophany.

How long is the IRON Nest: Heavy Turret Simulator demo?

Well, that all depends on how you approach the game. But you could probably spend at least 30 to 60 minutes with it and from what we hear, the demo has some replayability, too. As for the full game, according to HowLongToBeat, gamers are estimating a rough 12-hour campaign length for an initial run.

If you enjoy the IRON Nest: Heavy Turret Simulator demo, then you might be pleased to know that it’s currently discounted by 25%, bringing the price down from £17.99/$19.99 to £13.49/$14.99. The discount is available until August 20, 2026.