Factsheet
Developer:
Zarkonnen
Based in Zurich, Switzerland
Release date:
Early Access March 23 2014
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
Videos
Gameplay Trailer YouTube
Images
Logo & Icon
Monetization Permission
Zarkonnen allows for the contents of Airships: Conquer the Skies to be published through video broadcasting services for any commercial or non-commercial purposes. Monetization of videos created containing assets from Airships: Conquer the Skies is legally & explicitly allowed by Zarkonnen. This permission can be found in writing at https://www.indiedb.com/games/airships/presskit.
Additional Links
ZIP of logos and screenshots
Various versions of the logo and high-res screenshots. zarkonnen.com/static/bumble/media/uploads/airships_media_kit_july_2016.zip.
About Zarkonnen
Boilerplate
I make computer games, mostly small ones, in Java. My favorite games to play are probably Armageddon Empires, Minecraft and Master of Orion II.
More information
More information on Zarkonnen, our logo & relevant media are available here.
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
presskit() by Rami Ismail (Vlambeer) - also thanks to these fine folks