ANVIL casts players as Breakers, combat specialists sent by the Ancient Vault Investigation Lab to explore the remains of alien civilizations. Its top-down sci-fi action unfolds across galaxies filled with monsters, with each galaxy made up of random planets and distinctive boss encounters. The aim is to defeat threats and open Vaults, turning exploration into a hunt for both survival and powerful finds.
Build variety comes from the interplay of Breakers, weapons, and artifacts. The game describes Breakers with individual abilities and skills, while more than 100 randomly generated artifacts and dozens of weapons can produce different combinations from one session to another. Combat also feeds into character progression: Breakers gain experience and new powers, and a destroyed mechanical body can be rebuilt by ANVIL. Death is framed as part of that cycle rather than a permanent end to an expedition.
That mix of repeatable exploration and flexible builds gives the co-op format its context: players can tackle the alien threats together while seeking combinations that suit their Breakers. An Operator accompanies the journey, offering information about ANVIL and occasional helpful details through interactions, rather than directly fighting like Toy Workers.
