There are two products called SteamWorld Collection and they are not the same thing, which is why people keep buying the wrong one.
SteamWorld Collection is a 2016 Wii U disc. It contains two games.
SteamWorld Essentials Collection is the modern bundle. It contains most of the series.
Everything below is which is which, and what you are actually getting.
SteamWorld Collection (Wii U, 2016)
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Contains | SteamWorld Dig, SteamWorld Heist, plus the Heist add-on The Outsider |
| Platform | Nintendo Wii U only |
| Released | 30 September 2016 (Europe), 1 November 2016 (North America) |
| Publisher | Nintendo (Europe), Rising Star Games (North America) |
| Availability | Out of print |
| Region note | PAL version was a Nintendo eShop Selects release — a short-lived budget line that produced only two titles, this and FAST Racing NEO, on the same day |
The Outsider is the reason to care. It adds a recruitable ally with a mysterious past, new missions, new weapons, new gear and new hats. Historically the add-on was not sold separately on every platform, so the disc was for a while the tidiest way to own it.
Two caveats:
- It is two games, not a series collection. If you bought it expecting Quest or Dig 2, you did not get them — Dig 2 came out a year later.
- The Wii U eShop closed for purchases on 27 March 2023. A disc still works, but the console’s digital storefront does not.
Given that it is out of print and rare, most people asking about it are collectors rather than players. If you just want to play Dig and Heist, there are far cheaper routes.
SteamWorld Essentials Collection (Switch, PS4)
This is the bundle people actually want, and it is genuinely good value.
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Contains | Six games — everything in the franchise except SteamWorld Tower Defense |
| Platforms | Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 |
| Released | 2025 |
| Price | Around $70 for content that costs roughly $135 separately. It has also been sold for $20 |
Per-game grades from a full review of the collection:
| Game | Grade |
|---|---|
| SteamWorld Dig 2 | A |
| SteamWorld Dig | A- |
| SteamWorld Heist II | B+ |
| SteamWorld Heist (Ultimate Edition) | B |
| SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech | B |
| SteamWorld Build | B- |
The lowest grade in the bundle is a B-. There is no filler, and the review’s summary is that it contains “multiple must-play games” and no real weak link.
One discrepancy worth knowing before you buy. Store listings describe the Essentials Collection as a five-game bundle naming Dig, Dig 2, Heist, Heist II and Build — which omits Quest. Reviews of the physical/retail product describe six games including Quest. Since the series has seven entries and Tower Defense is the one universally excluded, six is almost certainly correct and the five-game blurb is an abbreviated description.
Check the store page’s game list before purchasing, because the two descriptions on sale right now disagree, and Quest is the title in dispute.
What neither bundle contains
SteamWorld Tower Defense. The 2010 DSiWare original has never been ported, the DSi Shop closed in 2017, and it is absent from both collections. It is the permanent gap in the series — see the Tower Defense page for why.
SteamWorld Headhunter, obviously, since it never released.
Which one should you buy
- You want to play the series: Essentials Collection. Best value in the franchise by a wide margin, and it covers the two best games (Dig 2 and Dig) plus both Heists.
- You own a Wii U and want a shelf piece: the 2016 Collection, but know it is two games and out of print.
- You want The Outsider specifically: the Wii U disc has it, but so does Heist: Ultimate Edition, which is in the Essentials bundle — so the disc is a collector’s purchase, not a content one.
- You want everything: nothing gets you Tower Defense. That requires original hardware.
The short version
- SteamWorld Collection = 2 games, Wii U, 2016, out of print.
- SteamWorld Essentials Collection = 6 games, Switch and PS4, ~$70 for ~$135 of content.
- Neither includes Tower Defense, and nothing ever will.
- Some store listings say the Essentials bundle has five games. Reviews say six. Verify the list, specifically whether Quest is in it.
Related guides
- SteamWorld games ranked — which of these is worth your time
- Series order guide — release order and story order
- SteamWorld Tower Defense — the game no bundle contains
- SteamWorld Headhunter — the game no bundle could contain
- Beginner guide — where to start once you own them
- SteamWorld timeline — the order the story actually happens in