Unknown Worlds is one of the premier indie devs, previously releasing hit titles like Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero. And now, the developer has been hard at work on a new title that’s unlike anything the company has released before. Moonbreaker is set to be a true-to-life digital miniature experience, drawing heavy inspiration from classic tabletop games.
The developer posted a “First Look” at the different features that players can expect in the new game. To start, Unknown Worlds wanted to make sure that this game was as true to a tabletop experience as it could make it. That also means putting control of the miniatures and how they look into the hands of the player.
Moonbreaker gameplay
While the game pays homage to its tabletop roots, producer John Veneron said “we wanted Moonbreaker to be better than tabletop, so we stripped out a lot of the complex mechanics of being around a tabletop.” For example, he goes on to explain that there are no grids in Moonbreaker, as opposed to traditional tabletop and strategy games.
Instead, players will be able to point and click for everything from moving, attacking, deploying, and using abilities. When it comes to picking your roster, game director Charlie Cleveland said “you choose your roster, and it’s a very easy choice. It’s ten units plus a captain.” He then added that with the variety of maps, ship assists, and characters, you never know what you’ll get in each match.
Lore and cultures in Moonbreaker
Community manager Donya Abramo broke down some of the lore, saying in part, “this game is set in The Reaches and it is a whole new universe that we have crafted alongside Brandon Sanderson.” There’s a lot of lore to discover in this new world, according to Abramo, assisted by the sci-fi and fantasy author.
“The Reaches are made up of a cluster of moons orbiting a giant sun,” Abramo said. “At the center of those moons is something called Cinder. Cinder is what keeps them in orbit, it is the most powerful resource in our entire universe.” It seems that, like many precious resources, there will be factions warring for control over the resource.
There will be three different cultures in the game, lead environment artist Liam Tart confirmed. They can be broken down as follows:
- The Methedori: A very militaristic culture that lives on a planet that is few in resources, with their buildings reflecting this in flat angular shapes.
- The Cholek: This culture is more religious, worshiping the sun. Their buildings represent this respect for nature, prioritizing organic-looking buildings and decorations.
- The Smugglers: Every universe has its pirates and this faction fits that role perfectly. Many of their buildings look cobbled together using parts they were able to scavenge from lost ships.
Miniature painting
In the trailer, engineer Carolyn Yu and another developer discuss the miniatures and how the figures received their default paint jobs. Since painting miniatures is a real hobby, Unknown Worlds wanted to recreate that same feeling by introducing mechanics that feel like painting in real life.
As proof of concept, the devs revealed that all the characters’ default paint jobs were painted by professional miniature artists using the game’s painting tools. It’s the developer’s hope that this gives players inspiration about what they can personally achieve using the game’s wealth of painting tools. “We fully expect fans will far exceed anything we could come up with,” studio president Ted Gill said.
Early access
Veneron discussed how Unknown Worlds is viewing its title as being in early access, saying “our focus in early access is to make sure that players love the game.” He went on to say it’s not about putting out a roadmap to the devs. Instead, they want to give players the tools to come to them and discuss what they’d like to see added to the game.
Unknown Worlds is serious about this game. “Our commitment to our fans is that we will never give a watered down experience to them,” Cleveland said. “We’re gonna give you something deep and something you can really sink your teeth into.”
Gill then admitted that the game isn’t perfect yet, but he hopes that fans will see the same potential that the developers see, and they can work together to achieve it.
