Gear Up Einstein! Enters Steam Early Access With Co-Op Historical Auto-Battles

Gear Up Einstein! is now available in Early Access on Steam. Developed by No Deadlines Studio, the strategic roguelite auto-battler launched on November 6, 2026, with support for solo play as well as local and online co-op for up to three players.

The game's central idea is an unusual one: players recruit historical figures, prepare them with equipment between encounters, and then send the assembled team into automatic tactical battles. Einstein is naturally among the available recruits, while Queen Elizabeth is also named as part of the roster. Missions take place across a range of historical locations, including Egypt and New York, and each run is intended to present a fresh squad-building challenge.

At launch, the Early Access version is priced at $14.79 / £11.59 / EUR13.59. A 15% introductory discount is being offered for the first two weeks. The game is available for PC through Steam, with Windows, Mac, and Linux listed as supported operating systems.

A roguelite built around preparation before the fight

Gear Up Einstein! combines a few familiar strategy-game structures. Its roguelite format means that missions are designed as individual runs rather than a single fixed march through a campaign. Players begin by putting together a team from the game's historical-character pool, then make choices about gear and item combinations as they proceed.

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Those decisions matter because the battles themselves are automated. Rather than directly issuing every move during combat, players are expected to focus on the planning phase: selecting recruits, deciding how to equip them, and identifying combinations that work well together. The outcome of a fight is therefore tied to how effectively a squad has been prepared before it enters the arena.

That structure puts Gear Up Einstein! in the space between an auto-battler and a squad-building roguelite. A successful run will depend on adapting to the characters and equipment that become available, instead of relying on one permanent team composition. The game emphasizes gear combos and item synergies, suggesting that equipment selection is a major part of its tactical layer.

For players who enjoy strategy games that reward experimentation, the appeal is likely to be in testing different lineups and discovering how a particular collection of items changes a team's performance. The historical premise adds another identity to that loop, turning recognizable names from different eras into potential squad members.

For another perspective on this story, read Gear Up Einstein! Enters Steam Early Access With Historical-Figure Auto-Battles.

Solo, couch, and online co-op options

No Deadlines Studio is positioning Gear Up Einstein! as a game for between one and three players. It can be played alone, but players can also bring up to two friends into a run through local or online co-op.

Co-op is a notable fit for the game's preparation-focused format. With multiple players involved, the group can consider which historical figures to recruit, how to distribute gear, and which possible synergies are worth pursuing before the next battle begins. Since the game is based around runs that can change from mission to mission, co-op groups should have room to adjust plans when a preferred character or item combination does not appear.

The game also supports crossplay between Steam and Itch.io. That means players using those two PC storefronts can play together, rather than being separated by where they purchased the game. The announcement does not outline any distinction between Steam and Itch.io versions beyond that crossplay support.

Historical figures meet changing historical locations

Gear Up Einstein! uses history as the backdrop for its recruitable cast and its battle locations. The named examples offer a sense of the range involved: Einstein and Queen Elizabeth come from very different periods and associations, while locations stretch from Egypt to New York.

The announcement does not provide a full list of characters, items, maps, or missions included at the start of Early Access. It also does not detail specific abilities for individual historical figures. What is clear is that the game's roster is meant to be a foundation for varied team-building, with famous personalities serving as units that can be recruited and equipped as a run develops.

Likewise, the historical locales appear to supply changing settings for the game's sequence of fights. The stated focus remains on the strategic choices around squad composition, gear, and auto-battle outcomes, rather than on a detailed historical simulation. Players should expect the historical material to function as the game's playful thematic frame for its roguelite systems.

Early Access launch details

The Steam Early Access release went live at 1 p.m. EST, 10 a.m. PST, 6 p.m. GMT, and 7 p.m. CET on November 6. The discounted launch pricing is available for the first fortnight following release, after which the listed price is expected to no longer include that 15% reduction.

• Game: Gear Up Einstein!
• Developer: No Deadlines Studio
• Release status: Steam Early Access
• Platform: PC via Steam
• Operating systems: Windows, Mac, and Linux
• Players: 1-3 players
• Modes: Solo play, local co-op, and online co-op
• Crossplay: Steam and Itch.io
• Launch price: $14.79 / £11.59 / EUR13.59
• Launch offer: 15% off for the first two weeks

Language support and what players can expect now

The Early Access build includes a broad selection of language options. Gear Up Einstein! supports English, French, Simplified Chinese, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Czech.

As an Early Access game, Gear Up Einstein! is arriving while its development is still ongoing. The launch information establishes the current feature set--historical recruiting, equipment-based squad construction, auto-battles, roguelite runs, and co-op for up to three players--but does not provide a development roadmap or specify future additions. Players interested in the game should therefore treat the available version as the current starting point for that concept rather than assume unannounced content, systems, or timing.

Even at this early stage, the pitch is clear. Gear Up Einstein! is aimed at players who want the strategic decision-making of assembling a team and exploiting item interactions without needing to control every second of combat. Its structure makes every mission a new attempt to build an effective group, and its co-op support gives small parties a way to tackle those changing runs together.

For anyone looking for a lighter, history-themed twist on roguelite squad strategy, the Early Access launch provides the first opportunity to see how No Deadlines Studio's mix of recognizable figures, equipment synergies, and automated battles comes together on PC.