An upcoming turn-based tactical RPG will put players’ choice of survivors against a horde of giant, mutated rats in the struggle to cross the ruins of a fallen city and survive another day. Shardpunk: Verminfall will release on April 13, 2023, and sounds like an interesting blend of the turn-based tactics, RPG, resource management, and survival genres.
The core of Shardpunk looks to be fast-moving tactical fights over the course of a day spent scavenging in the ruins of your steampunk-ish capital city—one where you must constantly move to outrun the oncoming vermin horde. At night your team shelters somewhere and you make choices about managing their health, morale, equipment, and stats.
“In Shardpunk: Verminfall you already lost. Now you need to run for your life while saving as many people and pieces of equipment as possible. Keep on moving and use every skill and item at your disposal to reach the safety of fusion core-operated bunkers,” says the developer.
“I am thrilled to finally let everyone know that the game is ready to be released on April 13, 2023” said Slawomir Bryk, solo developer of Shardpunk. “I have put a lot of time, effort and passion into this game, and I can’t wait for players to experience the dark and gritty world of Shardpunk: Verminfall.”
The world seems pretty interesting, honestly. You’ll operate with a “motley crew of characters” with their own equipment, abilities, and quirks to build your team. Keeping them fed and healthy will be one concern—an example decision given is who gets the last rations, for example. The other concern will be keeping their gear in fighting shape, with their steampunk weapons and robot companions requiring constant maintenance. It sounds like the setup for a great game if you love making hard choices and pushing your luck in survival strategy situations.
Shardpunk: Verminfall is made by Clockwork Pile, the company of solo developer Slawomir Bryk, and published by indie publisher Retrovibe. You can find out more on the Shardpunk: Verminfall website (opens in new tab) and try out the demo on GOG (opens in new tab) or Steam (opens in new tab).
