What Iron Mandate is
Iron Mandate is a steampunk roguelike built around piloting giant mechanical worms called Juggernauts. Each run toward the throne is different: you get a different path, a different arsenal, and different upgrades, so the machine you master early on will not be the same one you finish with. The game ships with over 30 weapons to fight with and to learn to defend against, plus 20+ unique challenges that test how well you handle the Juggernaut and its many variations. The whole thing is a 2D side-scrolling fight through a stylized, futuristic war setting.
Playing with a group
Iron Mandate has a versus mode for local multiplayer with up to 4 players, so you can put everyone in the same room and settle who actually knows how to pilot a Juggernaut. Steam's Remote Play Together feature is also listed, which means the session can be shared over Steam rather than requiring everyone to be on the same couch. Either way, the group play is versus: you are fighting each other, not teaming up against the throne run.
Before you start
Expect a learning curve on the piloting itself. The store text is explicit that you need to learn the subtleties of Juggernaut control and the intricacies of its variations to survive, so the first few runs are as much about reading the machine as they are about aiming the weapons. Because every attempt reshuffles the path and the upgrades, a bad run usually means a different build next time rather than a dead end. The 20+ challenges are the place to drill specific skills once the basic movement and weapon handling start to click.