After the release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the world is primed for another game that enables player creativity in crafting bespoke solutions for unique problems – and takes it several steps further. How fortunate then, that Mars First Logistics, a new game from Australian outfit Shape Shop, announced a release date as part of the Day of the Devs showcase that follows Summer Game Fest 2023.
The game will launch on 22 June 2023 via Steam Early Access.
In a delightful presentation, developer Ian MacLarty (Dissembler, Red Desert Render) explained the basic loop of the game, which involves constructing your own planet-faring vehicles from a selection of parts, in order to transport oddly-shaped (and fragile) goods from one point to another.
The footage is full of humorous moments of trials gone wrong, from giant space pizzas flopping out to robots collapsing. Nevertheless, it was an excellent demonstration of some of the components and complex possibilities afforded by the free-form construction system.
As you complete missions – the game will feature procedurally generated side challenges, as well as hand-curated main missions that involve building grand projects – you’ll gradually gain access to more components, which should hopefully scale in line with your growing confidence in mechanical engineering.
It looks absolutely delightful, and is the kind of game you can expect to become widespread as players craft all kinds of ridiculous contraptions and share them online.
You can wishlist Mars First Logistics on Steam, where it will be released in Early Access on 22 June 2023.
