Factsheet

Developer:
Zarkonnen
Based in Zurich, Switzerland

Release date:
Early Access March 23 2014

Platforms:
Windows
Mac
Linux

Website:
zarkonnen.com/airships

Available From:
$24.99 - Steam
$24.99 - GOG.com

Description

In Airships: Conquer the Skies, players construct steampunk vehicles and use them to conquer the world and compete against other players. Ships are shown in a side-on “ant farm” view, with air sailors running around, manning the guns, carrying ammo, putting out fires. Air combat is a visceral thing: ships ram and push against each other and boarding parties use grappling hooks to invade enemy ships. Below, giant landships move on legs and tracks. Nature has its own terrors: sky krakens with tentacles that grab and devour crew, house-sized spiders and horse-sized spiderlings, dragons to fear and tame. Can you build the strongest airships, use them skilfully, and conquer the skies?

History

I started developing Airships at a frankly angry point in my life. I had just found out that a startup I had been working for had been out of money for quite a while, its founders secretly at war with each other. I had a giant hole in my wallet and a visceral desire to see large explosions.

So I dusted off an idea I’d had about a year before, about an airship construction and combat game with a side-on perspective, and started work on a prototype. I also blogged in detail about my work, describing the initial project setup, data structures, and design decisions.

Immediately, this new project, meant to be only a distraction, was met with a very positive response. Encouraged, I continued working on what was rapidly turning into a full-scale game project, and in spring 2014, I released a first, very early version on itch.io.

I made two conscious decisions right from the start: I would get a first working prototype to players as quickly as possible to get feedback and build interest. And I would charge for the game right from the start. You have to value your output as a creator.

As the game developed and grew, it attracted a growing audience that was instrumental in helping me develop the game.

The game is now nearing completion. At the time of this writing, there are two major updates still planned, one introducing giant monsters for the airships to fight, and one to revamp and deepen the strategic conquest aspect of the game.

Features

• Create giant Steampunk vehicles from modules
• Fight, board and ram enemy vehicles in realtime combat
• Measure your skills against others in battle

Airships: Conquer the Skies Credits

David Stark
Developer

Contact

Support
david.stark@zarkonnen.com

Homepage
zarkonnen.com/airships

Indie DB
indiedb.com/games/airships

Twitter
twitter.com/zarkonnen