Invasion Machine

Invasion Machine is a sandbox management and real-time strategy game in which you command a peace force in an occupied province. Your mission is to restore order, push out criminal groups known locally as Guerrillas, neutralize the remaining opposition and provide humanitarian aid. You must also protect your soldiers and equipment while maintaining relations with the local population and managing how the press presents the conflict.

The occupation

The invasion has toppled the local government and left a power vacuum. Druglords and Guerrillas are gaining influence, while many locals blame the occupying force for worsening their lives. You take command after the war’s main battle, tasked with preparing the province for a legitimate government and winning the population’s trust.

The campaign spans eight chapters. You start with a handful of troops and worn, unsuitable equipment, and must prove your value to superiors to gain better resources. It ends when you secure the province and hold elections, allowing a trusted new government to take over.

Command the province

You send patrols, secure key locations, search for contraband, gather intelligence on enemy forces and disrupt the drug trade. You can arrest enemies, drive cars and lead convoys through conflict zones, evacuate wounded soldiers, retrieve damaged vehicles, hire translators and complete side tasks that help keep your superiors satisfied. You also manage local relations and control how the press sees the conflict.

Your political superiors care about re-election, so your real task is to make the war look successful to people back home. Avoid losing soldiers and too much equipment, and keep the press from seeing anything that contradicts the official story.

Enemy operations

The enemy gathers intelligence, patrols and ambushes your forces. Its fighters may assassinate or kidnap your VIPs, retaliate against locals who cooperate with you, set off IEDs and make money from contraband sales. They also work to drive your forces out of the province.

Unlike your forces, the enemy has no satellite overview of the battlefield. It sends out reconnaissance missions to find you; scouts who locate high-value targets report back and call in larger operations. Locals may cooperate with the enemy rather than help you if its presence in the province grows strong.

Protect your soldiers

Preserving your units is essential. You need to evacuate wounded soldiers and use tactical advantages where possible. Your troops react when a friend is killed and may enter a frenzy, while wounded soldiers quickly begin bleeding out.