- 90% off for Firesquid Publisher sale! - 20 November 2025
Follow us on Steam to receive all our recent news!Hello Commanders,It's time for the Firesquid Publisher Sale! Find all the best deals on all Firesquid games and exclusive new announcements! Check out the sale here:https://store.steampowered.com/sale/firesquidpublishersale2025For this special occasion, USC: Counterforce is 90% off!Come and chat with us on Discord!Join our Discord
- Mythswayer demo now live! - 21 July 2025
From the two-person team behind USC: Counterforce comes Mythswayer — a tactical, turn-based roguelite RPG set in a high-fantasy world, where each run unfolds within the pages of a magical tome.Face off against foes like goblins, archers, skeletons, and spellcasting shamans while building your character with flexible, almost classless progression.Combat is grid-based and tactical, with support spells, critical hits, elemental effects, and more planned in future builds. The unique Inscription System lets players reshape the battlefield using magical ink, altering terrain, creating cover, or revealing hidden paths.Our playable demo debuted at TactiCon, introducing the game’s core systems: tactical combat, early gear and stat mechanics, and a first glimpse of what’s to come. And it’s just the beginning! We’re working on expanding the entire combat system, adding exploration mechanics, envir…
- A new Xeno threat emerges! - 24 April 2025
Hello Marines, A new sci-fi game joins the Firesquid lineup: Xenopurge! With a very similar theme to USC, but a very different gameplay: Fight the alien threat Command and guide your troops Manage your soldiers and gears Check out the game and wishlist! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2983410/Xenopurge/ Xenopurge is a real-time tactics game where you take the role of a commander, set up in a base of command, issuing orders remotely to your elite squad on the field. From several computer screens, you see the blueprints of the facilities your units traverse, directing them to search, recover, and destroy. Other than by your direct command, they will adapt to their surroundings, fending off the enemy in their sights. The ever-present Xeno alien threat permeates every mission. You and your team are a part of the organisation M.A.C.E (Mercer’s Advanced Combat Enterprises), tasked with pur…
- USC: Counterforce 60% off! - 13 March 2025
Hello Marines! For the Steam Spring Sale, USC: Counterforce is 60% off for the first time! Enjoy this great discount and fight the alien threat in a place where no one can hear you scream! Join our Discord to chat with us about USC Counterforce: https://discord.gg/vsxD6n8P8J
- Play with friends during the Couch Coop Fest! - 10 February 2025
Hello Marines! We're part of the Couch Coop Fest! Play great games with friends and family, including USC: Counterforce! USC: Counterforce has this cool feature to play with your friends: Remote Play Together! Gear up and take the fight to the enemy, but you don't have to do it alone. Steam Remote Play Together allows you to invite a fellow marine to join your fight. You can play with up to two (you and your friend). One player owns and runs the game using the Remote Play Together feature to invite a friend. How to Use Remote Play Together Here's a step-by-step guide to get you started: Start by launching the game from your Steam library. Once you're in the game, open your Friend List on Steam. From there, send them an invitation to join your game: simply right-click on their name and select the "Invite to Remote Play Together" option. Your friend will receive the invitation and can acc…
- Christmas update! - 18 December 2024
Hello Marines, To celebrate the Holidays we're coming with two good news. The game is 50% off on Steam, from December 19th 7PM UTC+1, so don't forget to get your copy. And we're bringing back the Christmas update! The event will last for a couple of weeks so don't forget to get your hands on the game this December. During the event, you can collect X-mas presents in two game modes: Single Mission and Operations, note that the event won't affect the Defend the Base! and Campaign game modes. These presents are items scattered on the ground in three variations, with a total of 15 per mission. Carry them with you when finishing the mission (or extracting) to add them to your total collected amount! Rewards: - 100+ presents: "Rambo Ducky" squad logo - 125+ presents: "Golden Ducky" yellow squad livery - 150+ presents: A Commanducky-inspired, modified Assault Rifle, the "Quacker" (simultaneous…
- Celebrating the Turn-based Carnival with a 50% discount! - 13 November 2024
USC: Counterforce is 50% off for the Turn-based Carnival! To celebrate this very cool event, we're coming back on the turn-based mechanics of the game. Let's talk about two turn based games that inspired us for USC: Counterforce. From the 1990s, learn more about: Incubation: Time Is Running Out (1997) and Gorky 17 (1999). USC: Counterforce and its prequel, Ultimate Space Commando, also take a lot of inspiration from some lesser-known games, a few „hidden gems” from the late 1990s, the “age of 3D revolution”. While many developers were preoccupied with the evolving graphical capabilities of computers, and the addition of the third dimension, there were still titles that mainly focused on classic, almost tabletop-like gameplay, and still managed to bring something new and cool to the table. One of these games is Incubation: Time is Running Out (1997) by Blue Byte. It was a turn- and tile-…
- Ready, set and fire for the Turn-based RPG Fest on Steam! - 30 September 2024
Hey marines, We're honored to participate in the Turn-Based RPG Fest on Steam! In USC: Counterforce, we’ve designed the turn-based mechanics to provide deep tactical options, delivering a challenging gameplay experience. As the player, you’ll control a squad of elite space marines, each with a certain amount of Action Points that can be used in each turn. Whether it’s moving, attacking, deploying abilities, or interacting with the environment, every action matters. Effective positioning and smart use of cover are essential, as poorly placed units can quickly be eliminated. Immersive combat, unique strategy One of the major features of combat is the ability to interact with the environment. Destructible objects and terrain give you the chance to turn the battlefield to your advantage—whether you’re blowing through walls or taking cover behind structures, the terrain can shape the flow of…
- Wiki: UI - 20 September 2024
Hello Marines, To accompany you in your USC: Counterforce progress, every week we're sharing a new guide for you to become a true pro! The third week we are focusing on the UI. The purpose of this entry is to guide players on the possible adjustments available for the data displayed in the UI during combat. Learn more information on USC: Counterforce's UI in our "UI" section of the wiki: WIKI: UI Here is an example of all the different UI you can find in missions: As always, if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the Steam discussions. We're always attentive and will do everything we can to help! The USC: Counterforce team
- Our retro inspirations - 16 September 2024
Hello Marines, USC: Counterforce is inspired by a ton of retro references. Whether it's from 90's turn-based games or movies, you can easily understand that we have huge 80s and 90s inspirations. This week is the perfect moment to deep dive into our inspirations as we are participating in Boomstock 2024, A celebration of all Boomer Shooters and kick-ass action games in general, all connected by their love for the good old days of gaming, shining through in the games’ artstyle, gameplay, or both! For the following part, I - Aliza, Lead Programmer - will take the mic. So let's dive into our references! Aliens (1986) by James Cameron I will definitely start with James Cameron's Aliens (1986), the sequel to Ridley Scott's sci-fi horror masterpiece Alien (1979). Movie Poster of "Aliens" (1986) by James Cameron, www.plansamericains.com Aliens expands into the lore of what the Xenomorphs are a…
- Wiki: Equipment & crafting materials - 13 September 2024
Hello Marines, To accompany you in your USC: Counterforce progress, every week we're sharing a new guide for you to become a true pro! This time, let's focus on Equipment & Crafting materials. Here, you can find extra information about Equipment and Crafting materials, along with tips and hints that might help you when fighting the aliens. Looking to learn more about crafting and what you can collect? Check out our "Equipment & Crafting materials" section: WIKI: EQUIPMENT & CRAFTING MATERIALS Here is the table of contents and all you can find in this section of the wiki: Let's look at an example of the info you can find for the painkillers: As always, if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the Steam discussions. We're always attentive and will do everything we can to help! The USC: Counterforce team
- Small update -- v1.01.0a (b240909) - 10 September 2024
USC:CF v1.01.0a, build 240909 BALANCE CHANGES Campaign: revised victory conditions for different ending tiers (it is bit easier now to get the chance for a more favorable ending) CHANGES Changed logo intro animation to a shorter version Added a button for our official Wiki page to the main menu FIXES Fixed a bug where nest glands, shadow flame trails and Envoys' shadow AoE attacks would completely remove force field emitters Fixed a very rare bug where any new Single Mission started would have the "poison per turn" special condition Minor UI fixes
- Wiki: Campaign - 6 September 2024
Hello Marines, To accompany you in your USC: Counterforce progress, every week we're sharing a new guide for you to become a true pro! For the fourth wiki section, we are focusing on the Campaign. Here you can find in-depth details about the campaign. The Campaign mode offers a rich and challenging experience, especially for those new to the game or genre. This guide will walk you through the basics to ensure you get off to a strong start. Check out our "Campaign" section: WIKI: CAMPAIGN Here is the table of contents of our Campaign section: Starting Your Campaign Begin with the Tutorial Explore other game modes Adjusting difficulty Read the Encyclopedia and online Wiki The Converters Understanding the Converters Deothonit (Crafting Material) Deothonit Mining and Looting Tips and Strategies Squad Assembly Skills Weapons and Equipment Avoid Large Hordes/Nests Early On Use Nukes in Desper…
- Wiki: Weapons & Ammunition - 30 August 2024
Hello Marines, To accompany you in your USC: Counterforce progress, every week we're sharing a new guide for you to become a true pro! The third week we are focusing on Weapons & Ammunition. Here you can find in-depth details about Weapons and Ammunition, including recommended/possible Skills and Specializations, along with tips and hints that are valuable during encounters with the Horde. Looking to learn more about your gears and how they work? Check out our "Weapons & Ammunition" section: WIKI: WEAPONS & AMMUNITION Here are the different roles detailed in the guide: Here is an example of the Self-Defense Pistol entry: As always, if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the Steam discussions. We're always attentive and will do everything we can to help! The USC: Counterforce team
- Wiki: Xenology - 23 August 2024
Hello Marines, As you might know USC: Counterforce is very deep in terms of strategies and has a lot of intricate designs. To help you in your progress, every week we're sharing a new guide for you to become a true pro at USC: Counterforce! The second one is focusing on Xenology. Here, you can find information on the types, strengths, weaknesses, and tips to consider about the aliens you will face during the game. Looking to learn more about the different enemies and aliens? Check out our "Xenology" section: WIKI: XENOLOGY Here are the different enemies detailed in the guide: Wurm Alpha Wurm Crawler Alpha Crawler Skitter Swarmer Scorpion Alpha Scorpion Wormpig Alpha Wormpig Organ Shepherd Reaper Alpha Reaper Reaper Mother Shadow Envoys Wunderwurm Nest gland, eggs Environmental Hazards + The Service tunnel hatch Here is an example of what the "Wurm" info are: As always, if you have any q…
- Minor Update -- v1.00.7a (b240823) - 23 August 2024
USC:CF v1.00.7a, build 240823 CHANGES The game will now also auto-save every Turn during missions when playing with the "Drill" session type FIXES Campaign: fixed a critical bug where you couldn't reload base defense missions in a very particular case (dead marine in sector from a previous defense session) Fixed a critical bug where you couldn't start a Reach extraction point or Acquire data Single Mission with Fog of War turned OFF Fixed a rare critical bug where the game would become stuck on the "Saving..." screen in some cases when a dialog was also being displayed
- Minor Update -- v1.00.6a (b240820) - 20 August 2024
USC:CF v1.00.6a, build 240820 BALANCE/GAMEPLAY CHANGES Multiple changes to general Campaign difficulty/progression: Alien aggression (resulting in more Envoys and Greater Envoys) will now taper off more rapidly, especially in the first half of the Campaign Alien aggression will no longer gain an *extreme* spike after nuking a big horde The overall grand total number of active aliens in hordes is now "capped" at a lower limit than before, especially on harder difficulties Scorpions, Skitters, and Acidyas are now introduced more gradually during the first 15-25 Mission Phases (retroactive if you're still relatively early in your playthrough) Organ Shepherds, Envoys, and Greater Envoys are now introduced a bit later and more gradually (in their numbers) than before The outdoors insertion phase of derelict sites and surface faction operations will now feature about 30% less aliens, and more…
- Wiki: Squad Roles - 16 August 2024
Hello Marines, As you might know USC: Counterforce is very deep in terms of strategies and has a lot of intricate designs. To help you in your progress, every week we're going to share a new guide for you to become a true pro at USC: Counterforce! The first one is focusing on Squad Roles. This entry covers the possible roles in a squad, including their Skills, Weapons, Equipment, and more, with examples, advice, and other details. Looking to learn more about the different Marines' roles? Check out our "Squad Roles" section: WIKI: SQUAD ROLES Here are the different roles detailed in the guide: Bastion Sniper Medic Technician Heavy arm specialist CQW General role Here's an example of what you can find in the wiki, for the Bastion: As always, if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the Steam discussions. We're always attentive and will do everything we can to help! The USC: Coun…
- Hotfix -- v1.00.5b & v1.00.5c (b240814) - 14 August 2024
USC:CF v1.00.5b, build 240814 (hotfix for v1.00.5a b240813) (note: build number in-game remains unchanged) FIXES Fixed a rare critical bug related to nests/eggs in mines/caves maps that could cause the game to become stuck on "Alien nest activity" The fix is retroactive (i.e. if you have a save where ending the turn caused the issue, it should now work properly) Thanks to all players who helped to resolve the issue by reporting it and providing additional data! USC:CF v1.00.5c (note: build number in-game remains unchanged) FIXES / GAMEPLAY CHANGES Campaign: when ending a base defense, any turrets that are auto shut down and can't fit into unit inventory will now be added to the stock instead
- Minor update -- v1.00.5a (b240813) - 13 August 2024
USC:CF v1.00.5a, build 240813 BALANCE/GAMEPLAY CHANGES Campaign: further adjustments to alien reinforcements spawn rate in horde eradication missions Campaign: the "middle phase" of the Campaign will now trigger sooner on "Story" and "Normal" complexity settings Note: depending on the complexity setting, story progression to Dream #5 should now trigger after MP 13/23/33 at the latest (pass the MP a couple of times if you're already there and suspected a bug before this update) Adjustments to alien reinforcements spawn rate in planet surface missions (Operations, Single Mission) Victory still requires that you kill (almost) everything, so if there are reinforcements spawning, you'll need to deal with them as well, even if there were 0 aliens left when ending the turn -- this is not a bug! Alien reinforcements were never and are NOT infinite, though--the rate of the remaining aliens spawn…
