Crab Studios, the board game designers behind Fatal Knockout and Langskip, have announced their next game will be Biomass, a sci-fi wargame with area control mechanics.
In Biomass, players become one of four Biomorphs, which have each uniquely adapted to an alien landscape. You’ll need to hunt, survive, and gather resources to compete for territory.
A Kickstarter campaign is on the way, though a launch date hasn’t been confirmed yet. Here is yesterday’s announcement post from Crab Studios’ feed, which includes a link to the project details and notification sign-ups:
Biomass hasn’t revealed very much just yet, but those few details the devs have shared already seem promising.
The premise has a compelling approach that concentrates on the sci-fi environment as something natural. This comes through with hints about the survival elements, as well as the creature design in the announcement post, which appears to tease the four central Biomorphs.
The visuals revealed thus far look detailed and creative, with great lighting and environments that feel lived in, wild and dangerous.
Taking an angle that focuses on nature is a more interesting theme than traditional alien battles in tabletop. Consequently, the tease about players “investigating strange monuments” creates more intrigue instead of feeling like a trope.
It also suggests there will be more lore in Biomass compared to Crab Studios’ previous games, such as Kickstarter success Fatal Knockout. That has a relatively simple loop, although it cleverly translates the thrill of an arcade fighting game, even imitating a cabinet stage in place of a board.
Like Food Time Battle in Space and Langskip, Fatal Knockout aims for an accessible experience. Biomass has the potential to be a more elaborate game thanks to its premise. And although it currently seems to have less novelty, it’s shaping up to be a real sci-fi treat for fans of the genre.
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