MENACE PC Hardware Guide
Official requirements explained
The official minimum for MENACE lists an Intel Core i5-7600 or AMD Ryzen 5 1500X (quad-core), a GPU of NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti (4 GB) or AMD Radeon RX 570 (4 GB), 8 GB of RAM and 12 GB of storage. An SSD is not required at this level. In our tier comparison, the GTX 1050 Ti sits in the older entry band and the Ryzen 5 1500X is also an old entry-level processor, which tells you the game is not demanding and can run on older budget hardware for turn-based battles.
The recommended level asks for an Intel Core i5-9600K (six-core) or AMD Ryzen 5 2600X (six-core), a GPU of NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 (8 GB) or AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT (8 GB), 16 GB of RAM, and an SSD. The RTX 2070 roughly corresponds to a mainstream 1080p-class card, and the Ryzen 5 2600X is an older mainstream processor. Reaching this tier means you can play at the publisher's intended quality without hardware being a constraint, rather than just getting the game to launch.
The gap between minimum and recommended is most visible in the GPU and RAM. If your graphics card falls between the GTX 1050 Ti and the RTX 2070, you are somewhere in the range between the official minimum and recommended. The CPU gap is smaller: four cores versus six mainly matters for heavier simulation and background tasks. Storage is listed at 12 GB, but the recommended level asks for an SSD, which is covered in the storage section below.
Recommended builds for three budgets
The entry build suits players on a tighter budget who want to see whether the game suits them before spending more. We suggest an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 paired with an AMD Ryzen 5 3500X and 16 GB of RAM. Both the GPU and CPU sit clearly above the official minimum, which gives comfortable headroom for 1080p play. We recommend 16 GB rather than 8 GB, because even though 8 GB is the official minimum, the operating system and background apps take their share during play.
The mainstream build is for players who want to meet the recommended level and enjoy the game steadily. Pick an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 or an AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT for the GPU, an AMD Ryzen 5 3600X for the CPU, and 16 GB of RAM. The GPU here is at the recommended tier, and the processor is a mainstream part, making this the best value choice for most players.
The high-end build suits players who want higher resolution or more graphics options, or who want headroom for future updates. Consider an AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT or NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070, an AMD Ryzen 5 7600, and 32 GB of RAM to handle higher settings and multitasking. This is well above the recommended requirement, so a hardware bottleneck is unlikely and you can push settings higher.
Graphics settings with the biggest impact
In turn-based strategy and tactics games, the heaviest cost is usually the simulation of many units and the scene itself rather than a single flashy effect. Shadow quality, volumetric lighting and fog, and shadow resolution are typically the items that cost the most GPU time. If your card is around the recommended level, start by setting shadows and volumetric effects to medium. These settings rarely change how easy it is to read a battle, but they free up a noticeable amount of graphics load.
If the game offers ray tracing, leave it off, especially on mid-range and older cards. Ray tracing adds a significant GPU load, and in a tactical game the extra visual fidelity matters less than smooth response and readability. View distance and scene detail, along with settings tied to unit or simulation density, depend on what you prefer: keep them high if you want a fuller battlefield view, and lower them if smoothness is the priority.
Upscaling technologies such as DLSS, FSR and XeSS in general work by rendering at a lower internal resolution and reconstructing the image to your output resolution, which reduces GPU load. If your card supports one of them, a quality or balanced mode is usually a good starting point, and you can adjust from there based on how the picture looks.
Laptops and handheld PCs
Laptop GPUs often share a name with desktop parts, such as RTX 2070, but real performance differs because of power limits and cooling. Laptop versions typically run at lower power, and under sustained load they may throttle when the cooling cannot keep up, so a laptop card with the same name usually performs below its desktop counterpart. When judging a laptop, check its power and cooling design rather than just the GPU name.
Handheld PCs such as the Steam Deck or ROG Ally generally trade performance for power efficiency. We have no Steam Deck verification data for this game, so we cannot give a compatibility rating. As general guidance, use low to medium graphics settings and the handheld's adjustable power and frame cap options to get steadier operation and longer battery life.
If you play on a laptop, set the power mode to high performance and keep it plugged in, since many systems limit performance on battery. Keep vents clear and use a cooling pad if needed to avoid throttling during long sessions.
Storage and memory
For memory, the official minimum is 8 GB and the recommended level is 16 GB. Dual-channel mode gives better bandwidth than single-channel, so when installing memory, make sure the two sticks are in the correct slots to enable it. For most players 16 GB is a comfortable starting point that covers the game along with background apps and a browser.
The official storage figure is 12 GB, which covers the basic installation. Leave more room than that for updates and saves. We suggest keeping at least 20 GB free so future patches do not fail for lack of space. Install sizes can change between versions, so checking free space from time to time is a good habit.
The official recommendation of an SSD is worth taking seriously. An SSD greatly reduces loading times, which helps in a game that reads scenes and data frequently. A hard disk drive can run the game, but loading will be noticeably slower. If your budget allows, installing the game on an SSD is the most direct improvement; it will not raise frame output by itself, but it makes the whole experience smoother.