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Brandon Sanderson wants Moonbreaker’s story to “last a decade or longer"The sci-fi tabletop strategy game heads into early access today
The sci-fi tabletop strategy game heads into early access today
Sci-fi miniatures simMoonbreakerlaunches into early access on PC today, but Brandon Sanderson, the renowned fantasy writer behind the game’s story, says he’s working on at least ten years' worth of story ideas. Brandon Sanderson is known for his prolific ability to churn out books, but he’s also a fan of games and has been working closely with Moonbreaker’s devs Unknown Worlds to map out where the game’s story will go.
Moonbreaker World Premiere Trailer | gamescom Opening Night LIVE 2022Moonbreaker weaves turn-based strategy and science-fantasy together.Watch on YouTube
Moonbreaker World Premiere Trailer | gamescom Opening Night LIVE 2022
Sanderson toldIGNthat he feels the way a game plays comes before story considerations, which surprised Moonbreaker’s developers. “A game with an awful story but fantastic gameplay is still a great game,” Sanderson said. Unknown Worlds and Sanderson are continuing to work on Moonbreaker jointly, which Sanderson hopes will carry on for years – even comparing the game’s multiple character viewpoints to Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales.
“We have a long-form story. We’re trying to make a game that’s gonna last a decade or longer,” Sanderson said. “So to do that, we need to be planting a lot of seeds and then harvesting those seeds.” Those will come through the stories of Moonbreaker’s captains, but Sanderson insists it could be a year before the game’s overarching plot comes to bear. He’s already planned an ending though.
Unknown Worlds onlyannouncedMoonbreaker last month at Gamescom. Alice Bee got a chance for a shorthands-off previewof the game and thought its miniature painting was cool. “You can do washes, you can airbrush, you can stipple or dry brush for different effects,” she said. “You can also auto-mask, so if you want to quickly paint an entire gun pink without getting any of it on the character’s gloves, you can.” Yet she did wonder if it might struggle to attract its core audience of tabletop miniature enthusiasts.
We’ll have more thoughts on Moonbreaker next week, as review code has only just come through, but if you simply can’t wait then you can start your own early access Moonbreaker journey from midnight tonight over onSteam. Don’t get it confused with that Bond film that tried to be Star Wars.
