Ephemeris – 4X space strategy with real 3D combat

Hi! We are YrdVaab, an indie developer from Oulu, Finland. For the past 4 years, we have been working on Ephemeris, a new type of single-player space strategy game that combines realistic 3D space combat simulation with a streamlined 4X layer. While the game is inspired by the classics of the genre, like Homeworld, Master of Orion and even Total War, it combines these concepts in an entirely new manner. Also, a high degree of randomisation ensures that each playthrough will be different – you can never rely on just a single strategy.

The game is nearing completion and, with your help, we are hoping to finalise its features and bring it to Steam Early Access. 

Note that all of the images on this page are screenshots from an existing build – not visual targets or concept art.

Campaign goals

We are looking for a minimum of €30,000 in contributions, which would allow us to make the game feature-complete. We are still working on features such as ground combat and diplomacy, and do not want to launch the game before it matches our vision of the final product.

We are also offering our backers the opportunity to participate in alpha testing before the Early Access launch. This will allow us to work on balancing the game's features in order to make it the best that it can be.

We also have a roadmap of features that we would like to add to the game. Exceeding the funding target for this campaign would allow us to expedite the following items on our "wishlist":

• €40,000 – Additional 3D ship models for the various species/factions
• €50,000 – Ability to board enemy ships
• €60,000 – Warp gates and warp drives
• €70,000 – Starbases
• €80,000 – Terraforming
• €90,000 – Additional graphics for inventions/buildings
• €100,000 – Voice acting for the units in battle

Note that we are hoping to add most - if not all - of these features before the final launch of the game, regardless of the success of this campaign. This campaign will determine how many of these features will be available in Early Access. Please also see our FAQ section about this.

The Impact

All of the funds raised in the campaign will go towards developing and improving the game. We are highly committed to making Ephemeris a game that we ourselves want to play – easy enough to pick up but versatile and challenging to really master. Your support is pivotal in ensuring that we can launch Ephemeris successfully.

Risks & Challenges

We have already invested substantial time and resources into the project, have a working build of the game and have also conducted small-scale playtesting with encouraging feedback. All the screenshots and videos in this campaign are from an actual, playable build.

However, it is possible that we might not be able to implement all the missing features in a satisfactory manner, or that the Early Access launch of the game may be delayed due to other reasons, whether attributable to us or not. That said, having come this far, we feel confident in our ability to ship the game.
 

Other Ways You Can Help

Even if you are not able to contribute at this time, there are still many ways that you can help:
 

• Use the Indiegogo share tools!
• Wishlist us on Steam!
• Join our Discord to discuss the game!