Moonbreaker: real hit or flash in the pan? – New Backgammon tactics game introduced

Moonbreaker wants to hook table fans onto monitors. Credit: KRAFTON / Unknown Worlds Entertainment

Let’s be honest: In terms of revealing new and exciting games, gamescom 2022 has never been the best. However, there were a few surprises here and there, one of which is clearly called Moonbreaker. Moonbreaker is a new turn-based tabletop tactics game that captures the magic of the tabletop genre and wants to render it virtually.

Moonbreaker was developed by Unknown Worlds Entertainment, which you may know from Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero, for example. As a powerful publisher, there is only KRAFTON behind the new project, which is set to begin early access via Steam on September 29, 2022. But how do you want to bring the iconic tabletop genre to your home screen? And why was Moonbreaker set in the sci-fi universe of Brandon Sanderson? We will tell you now.

Draw, plan and fight

The great magic of board games is by no means limited to the mere clash of two armies. Instead, a whole niche is formed around rules, tactics, strategies and of course the drawing of new characters. Unknown Worlds Entertainment and KRAFTON would like to present all of this as a digital experience soon. Can this work?

At first glance, Moonbreaker looks like a regular tactical turn-based game versus one we’ve seen many times before – just with slightly less effects so as not to completely dampen the movements of the table characters. But the pure gameplay probably isn’t the game’s greatest strength. Rather, it is about making the best possible preparations before the actual battle.

You can see what Moonbreaker looks like in combat in the Gameplay Reveal demo:

In Moonbreaker, you have the option to choose from the list the units you want to lead into battle. Already at the start of Early Access in about a month, you should have 50 units with which to put your team together. This consists of a commander and ten crew units, which in turn consist of different types of troops and ship support. We already know that all units and characters are divided into three basic characteristics. Culture (lineage), genre (eg melee combat or long-range combat) and class (eg commander) are the characteristics by which the game can be distinguished.

Moonbreaker will probably focus on competitive multiplayer, but PvE shouldn’t lag behind too much either. As announced by the developers, there should be a single player roguelike mode called Cargo Run, which should also challenge you.

One of the biggest advantages of Moonbreaker is, of course, the digital level at which backgammon fans can perform their duels. As with board games, there is often a problem getting to a table with geographically distant friends in order to play together. Unknown Worlds even announces that it eliminates the “downsides” of real-world games. No more building and arranging, but still full of fun with self-drawn miniatures, assorted cards, and “amazing dioramas”.

win in style

One of the biggest special features of Moonbreaker is the drawing feature, which hardly limits your creativity. Color palettes, your own color combination, a variety of coating techniques and thicknesses and many other options are available to you, so you can combine colors and individualize as you wish, almost like in real life.

Of course, there will also be ready-made presets for those who do not like to draw, with which you can choose color patterns for your army. But honestly, that would be a bit boring, wouldn’t it? Impressing your opponent with your own determination before he even starts the first attack looks very tempting.

As mentioned earlier and as can be seen in the trailer, Moonbreaker is set in a whole new science fiction world by American author Brandon Sanderson, who is best known for his epic fantasy novels but also for individual science fiction publications. Most notable are the Mistborn series and The Stormlight Archive. However, Moonbreaker’s creature design and world setting are mostly inspired by previous inventions and are meant to tell their own story about a solar system in which there are so many moons vying for the particularly rare resource called coals.

Key Features

• Turn-based strategy with “infinite” gameplay possibilities
• Real digital miniatures
• The Gathering & Squad: Unlock new units with every Season Update
• Express yourself with your own design and use professional drawing tools right in the game
• Rich story: Vivid and diverse characters and cultures thanks to the well-known author

Play before release

Anyone interested in Moonbreaker can get a taste of the tactical backgammon game before Early Access begins September 29, 2022. As Unknown Worlds was announced in the detailed presentation, there will be two Steam Previews this weekend where you can try out Moonbreaker for free.

With just under a month left before Early Access begins, the first weekend of these two tests doesn’t seem too far away. Anyone registering with a KRAFTON ID by September 26th MoonbreakerPremiere.com Registrar gets exclusive access to the “Gloomside” crank lure paint job.

Officials stress that Moonbreaker is not ready for Early Access and must be regularly supplied with new content via seasonal updates and of course with new modules in that vein.

Moonbreaker on Steam:

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