Three years ago, we hit a wall. MR.E had a strong vision but no funding to see it through. Like many indie projects, it went into hibernation while we kept the lights on through outsourcing and services for other studios.
But we never stopped thinking about this game.
What We've Accomplished (Even When You Couldn't See It)
Over the past three years, we've been quietly building something better than a prototype: a complete foundation.
A fully mapped ship: Every zone of the Kopernik is now laid out. Over 40 distinct spaces across five decks, from the Cargo Bay to the AI Core. We know exactly where everything goes.
A cast of characters: Every main character now has a full arc. Plus a handful of side characters who will add flavour and humanity to the world - some you'll love, some you'll fear, and at least one you'll want to have coffee with.
A story we believe in: The overarching narrative - identity, ethics, and what survives death - is locked in. The post-credits twist we've been planning since day one? It's finally ready.
A gameplay direction: We're building a turn-based, grid-movement experience that will challenge you in exploring the secrets of Kopernik. Every step costs power, every choice matters. We're still refining the feel.
We didn't want to build rooms without purpose. We wanted a ship that felt real. Now we have one.
What's Next
Now that the foundation is solid, we're moving into:
Greyboxing Deck 1 (Logistics & Storage)
Building a vertical slice to prove the gameplay loop
Writing the actual dialogue and logs (yes, the side characters will have their say)
Polishing the visual style - low-poly with clean, atmospheric textures (PBR if needed) to give the ship a crisp, grounded feel.
A Note on Visuals
You'll notice our current Steam screenshots are placeholders. They'll be replaced as we build each zone. We're aiming for a cohesive, moody aesthetic that serves the story - think stylized but grounded, with careful lighting and materials. No photorealism, just atmosphere.
What About a Demo?
We're aiming for a playable demo this summer. No promises yet. We'd rather under-promise and over-deliver, but that's the target. Full release hopefully later this year, but we'll keep you updated honestly either way.
Thank You
If you're still here after three years of silence, thank you. You're the reason we're doing this.
More soon. We promise it won't be another three years.
— Viroid Games