KKND: Krush, Kill ‘N Destroy

KKnD: Krush, Kill ‘N Destroy is a 1997 real-time strategy (RTS) game developed by the Australian studio Beam Software and published by Melbourne House (and Electronic Arts in some regions). Releasing right in the middle of the late-90s RTS boom, the game was heavily compared to Westwood’s Command & Conquer, but carved out its own fiercely loyal fanbase thanks to its ruthless AI, unit veterancy system, and unapologetically gritty, Mad Max-inspired post-apocalyptic setting.

The narrative is set in the year 2140, decades after a devastating global nuclear conflict in 2079. During the war, humanity was split in two. The wealthy and privileged retreated into massive underground bunkers, waiting for the radiation to subside. The unfortunate masses who were left on the surface were ravaged by the nuclear fallout, eventually mutating into terrifying, highly adapted beings. When the subterranean humans finally drill back to the surface, a brutal war for control of the devastated Earth erupts between the tech-reliant “Survivors” and the mutated “Evolved.”

Gameplay

KKnD utilizes a classic 2D isometric perspective and follows the traditional RTS loop of establishing a base, harvesting resources, and building an army to wipe the enemy off the map. However, it implements several mechanics that were quite advanced for 1997.

Key gameplay mechanics include:

• Asymmetrical Factions: The two factions play similarly in terms of base-building, but their visual identities and unit rosters are completely distinct:
  • The Survivors: Rely on pre-war technology and heavy machinery. Their army consists of dirtbikes, heavily armored ATVs, snipers, and traditional mechanized tanks.
  • The Evolved: Rely on biology and taming the mutated wasteland. Their army consists of mutant archers, explosive kamikaze units, and massive mutated beasts like giant scorpions, mastodons, and two-headed wolves.
• The Oil Economy: There is only one resource in the game: oil. Players must locate oil patches on the map, construct a drilling rig, and build tanker trucks to transport the crude oil back to a refinery to generate cash. Protecting these vital, highly contested oil patches is the crux of early-game strategy.
• Unit Veterancy: KKnD was one of the early pioneers of the unit experience system. As units score kills and survive combat, they rank up (denoted by chevrons). Veteran units gain significantly increased health, deal more damage, and eventually gain the ability to auto-heal, making preserving your elite troops incredibly important.
• Tech Bunkers: Scattered across the wasteland maps are ancient, pre-war technological bunkers. Players can send infantry into these bunkers to scavenge them, which can instantly unlock new technologies or occasionally reward the player with powerful, unbuildable ancient units (like massive pre-war mechs).
• Ruthless AI: The game was famously praised (and cursed) for its highly aggressive AI. Unlike many RTS games of the era where the AI would simply send waves down a single path, the KKnD AI actively probed the player’s base for weak spots, flanked defenses, and targeted vulnerable resource trucks.

Development and Legacy

Developed by Beam Software in Melbourne, Australia, the game’s setting and visual style were heavily influenced by the local Mad Max film franchise. The arid, desolate wasteland maps and the jury-rigged, rusted aesthetic of the Survivor vehicles gave the game a distinctly raw and gritty atmosphere compared to the cleaner sci-fi of StarCraft or the modern military style of C&C.

Following a successful release in early 1997, Beam Software quickly released an updated version later that same year titled KKnD: Xtreme. This updated version included the original campaign alongside dozens of brand-new, highly challenging missions, an enhanced skirmish mode, and multiplayer support over local networks and the internet.

The success of the original game directly spawned a 1998 sequel, KKnD2: Krossfire, which expanded the lore by introducing a highly anticipated third faction: the Series 9, an army of rogue agricultural robots who had gained sentience and decided to wipe out all organic life to protect the soil.

While Beam Software eventually transitioned away from strategy games (and was later acquired by Atari), the KKnD franchise remains a beloved cult classic. Today, it stands as a brilliant time capsule of 90s RTS design and is easily accessible for modern players via digital storefronts.

Key Features:

• Post-Apocalyptic RTS — Fight for survival in a gritty, Mad Max-inspired wasteland rendered in classic 2D isometric graphics.
• Survivors vs. Evolved — Command an army of traditional mechanized tanks and dirtbikes, or overwhelm the enemy with mutant warriors riding giant scorpions and mastodons.
• Unit Veterancy — Keep your units alive to watch them level up, turning standard grunts into fast-firing, self-healing elite veterans.
• Scavenge the Old World — Explore the map to find ruined tech bunkers, unlocking hidden technologies and devastating pre-war mechs.
• KKnD Xtreme — Experience the definitive version of the original game, featuring improved AI, dozens of extra missions, and refined multiplayer modes.

Release Platforms:

• MS-DOS / Microsoft Windows — March 1997
• KKnD Xtreme (PC) — October 1997 (Currently available via Steam and GOG.com)