Happy holidays! (Campaign update 23.12.2015)

This holiday we decided to celebrate and give a gift for everyone who bought Early Bird edition or higher. If the campaign is succesful, every backer will now receive:

A second digital copy of FinnWars!

Give the other game as a gift for someone, or contribute as a team and get a double pack of games with the price of one.

New Alpha gameplay video (Campaign update 15.12.2015)

Updated gameplay screenshots (Campaign update 10.12.2015)

FinnWars is a first person multiplayer shooter concentrating on infantry and armoured combat. The game is about asymmetrical warfare between infantry and mechanized armies. What this means is that even though one side has vehicle superiority, the other side has means to fight against the other in balanced gameplay. FinnWars concentrates on the battles fought on the Eastern Front during World War 2. The main focus is in great battles between Finland and Soviet Union that took place in 1939-1944. The game honors all sides of the war and handles this topic in great respect.

We have planned multiple stretch goals after the initial funding is achieved. For example, these would add aircrafts and anti-aircraft guns into the game. All maps are designed in a way that an airfield can be added later into the game and there is enough space for airplanes to maneuver. Battles between Germany and USSR are the biggest fought in military history. Therefore one big stretch goal would be adding Germany as a playable nation.

Main Features:

• Online multiplayer for at least 64 players

• Infantry combat and several playable classes

• Tanks, tanks and more tanks

• Artillery gameplay

• Weapons from small calibers to 203 mm heavy howitzers

• Finland and Soviet Union as playable nations

• Summer and winter battles

• Battlefields inspired by real locations

• Beautiful environments

• Tactical gameplay

• Aircrafts

• Anti-aircraft guns

• Germany as playable nation

We are Iceflake Studios, an independent game studio from Tampere, Finland. Currently we have a team of six experienced and talented developers. Iceflake Studios was founded in 2007 by Lasse Liljedahl and Tapani Valkonen, who are the core members of the original FinnWars modification dev team. Lasse was responsible for making most of the graphics. Now he is the CEO of the company, but likes to get his hands dirty with 3D graphics as often as possible. Tapani was, and still is, the master programmer of everything. As the company’s CTO he makes sure that techwise everything is top notch and works like a dream.

Since the early FinnWars days, our studio has developed games for PC, consoles and mobile platforms. In total we have more than ten commercially released game titles and over 20 million players for our games. Before our professional careers we have developed modifications, games and game engines for PC since the 1990’s. FinnWars is developed by the creators of the original modification. It is a long-standing dream to finally recreate it as a standalone game with modern technology.

We use Unreal Engine 4 to develop the game. This is a modern game engine that allows us to concentrate on making the best possible product, without wasting too much resources on developing the technology itself. Making spectacular open natural environments where infantry can fight against vehicles can be easily achieved with this approach. With this technology it's possible even for a small team like us to produce a high quality game.

Before or after the original FinnWars modification there has not been a game that simulates warfare between two very imbalanced armies in a balanced way. This is the specialty in our game, and it was achieved in the original with innovative game design and a strong knowledge of military history. Today with all the experience we have gathered we are even better at making games, so this is going to be just awesome!

FinnWars concentrates on the battles where the other side mainly consists of infantry, while the other side is equipped with heavy artillery and armoured vehicles. This was the case when Finland and Soviet Union clashed together during World War 2. The Red army had superior numbers of infantry, tanks, airplanes and artillery. However, the tactics each side used during the war were very different. More flexible use of Finnish soldiers and centrally coordinated artillery fire in the vast forests and swamplands of Finnish wilderness evened out the odds.

Why do people still play the old game? What makes FinnWars so good? It’s the ingenious game mechanics. The game is designed to direct players towards team play in many ways. For example the most efficient units, like tanks, cannot be operated effectively by only one player. Instead, their effective use requires that there are gunners and a driver inside the tank. Also a balance between different player classes is a crucial part of the gameplay. Not all players have the ability to work as artillery observer or to have more specialized weapons, like for example, a machine gun or a flamethrower. However, each soldier is able to fight against tanks with improvised weaponry like molotov cocktails, panzerfausts or even wooden logs. Medics can give first aid, but they cannot do miracles and cure players back to full health. Pioneers are good at building things and even better at tearing them down. This class is also handy when it comes to defusing mines.

Winter is an essential part of level design and game mechanics. Players can hide mines in snow and spot enemies based on the markings they leave behind. Also ice on lakes and rivers may hold infantry and light vehicles, but crack under the weight of heavy battle tanks.  

Water is also an obstacle during summertime. Bridges in the game play a crucial role in directing movement of heavy units. Bridges can be destroyed and repaired, but crossing the river can also be done by other means. Normal soldiers can swim across rivers, but there are also small boats and amphibious vehicles that can cross the rivers hidden from enemy eyes and strike from behind.

Game modes concentrate players to work towards common goals and do not encourage solo play. Objective, frontline and push modes make the mission clear for each player, but keep the battlefield open for different tactics. Gameplay is all about combined arms working towards a common goal.

Game maps take their inspiration from the real battlefields where the Finnish and Soviet forces fought during World War 2. The Winter War became known to the whole world when great battles were fought in places like Summa, Raate, Kollaa, Taipale and so on. Winter is in a big role in the game, although, winter maps mostly concentrate on the early days of World War 2.

Most of the big battles between Finland and Soviet Union were fought during summer. As a matter of the fact one of the most intense battles in the whole World War 2 was fought in Karelian Isthmus in June 1944. This was after the Red Army launched a massive counter offensive and broke through all of the Finnish defences. After almost a month of fierce fighting the Soviet advance halted in the beginning of July near the village of Ihantala. This is only one example from a countless number of battles fought during that five year period when these two nations were at war.

Each army in the original game had their own selection of firearms used during World War 2.

In FinnWars the use of firearms is made in an authentic manner. Each weapon type has their own special role on a battlefield. In this game, aiming requires discipline and thought, making running and gunning impossible. Accurate shots are only taken through iron sights. Rifle is a standard weapon with high accuracy and a long firing range. Automatic weapons, on the other hand, are rare and their use requires a skillful gameplay.

Weapons against vehicles are the other side of infantry combat and a major game mechanical element in FinnWars. Even one tank can make a difference against infantry and they can’t be destroyed just by throwing grenades at them. However, there are a number of ways that make armoured vehicles vulnerable to infantry. Normal anti-tank guns are rare, but there are more personal weapons to use. AT rifles are a specialty that can be very effective from long range, but makes the user vulnerable to infantry. First of all disabling vehicles is possible - even though it requires heroism - with anti-tank mines or big wooden logs. To finish the job, tanks can be destroyed by molotov cocktails, satchel charges, panzerschrecks or panzerfausts.

Concerning heavy weapons there are artillery and mortar units to provide indirect fire support. Artillery observers can spot targets and players in artillery units can move their fire to those targets. Moreover, players with artillery observer ability can call in heavy artillery strikes to make short, but massive aerial damage upon an enemy team.

Vehicles will concentrate mostly on tanks and other land vehicles. Also small water and amphibious vehicles will be included in the game. If the initial funding is reached, one stretch goal after that is to include also aircrafts into the game. This means fighters, bombers and dive bombers.

Authentic vehicles in the game are a result of careful consideration and each has a special role on the battlefield. Troop transports can move soldiers quickly around battlefields, but also move light artillery and AT guns to new positions. Light armoured cars and tanks are good against infantry and can move rapidly around the map, however, they are also vulnerable to light AT weaponry. The real firepower comes from medium and heavy battle tanks, which are hard to destroy, but also slower to operate. The slow maneuvering also makes them vulnerable to quickly moving infantry or artillery fire. Anti-tank vehicles are a special class that combines the firepower of heavy tanks and mobility of light vehicles. Finally there are some special units, like for example amphibious tanks, which can surprise the enemy and turn the tide of a battle.

One of the unique features is the realistic tank steering unseen in any other game. Both tracks are controlled separately and moving across the battlefield filled with obstacles is an interesting challenge. 

Originally we founded Iceflake Studios to make a standalone sequel to the original FinnWars modification. Therefore, this project has been brewing for almost a decade now. We have gained a lot of experience from developing and publishing games for all possible platforms and gathered an awesome team of talented developers. We know what it takes to make this a dream project of ours to come true.

Fans of the old FinnWars are still playing the old modification to this day and we constantly get asked about when are we going to make a sequel. Players are very fond of how the well the game mechanics are executed and how balanced the gameplay is. We know that there is an audience for this game and we want to finally make it true.

Currently the game is in an early alpha stage. So far we have made some of the graphical assets and programmed the simple gameplay. The basic multiplayer element is already there! Players can run around and shoot each other in the forests, meadows, swamps, alongside rivers and shores of lakes in the wilderness. Simple things like photorealistic natural environment are complex to make. In this game our ambitious goal is to create a lifelike environment and make the battlefields as authentic as possible on that regard as well.

In general our roadmap is the following. First task is to implement infantry combat as a whole. This means all infantry weapons and classes. Also artillery is part of the infantry warfare. Different game modes and vehicles will follow after that. Maps and graphical assets are created during the whole development and they are added as they come along.

Playable Beta is scheduled to December 2016 and the final release in December 2017. We have a clear path what it takes to make this game finished. With your help this schedule is possible and we have the resources to concentrate on making this game. 

Indiegogo is only part of the game's funding. For every euro you put into the project, we will put in another as a company. We know this is a big project to complete and we do not have delusions on how much it will cost to realize this game. Funding through Indiegogo is a crucial part in getting the complete game financed and it will also tell us about the real demand on a game.

There are no words we can say to express the gratitude we owe to every contributer. Without you this game is not possible. 

The special FinnWars T-shirt is available only during this campaign. The design is similar to shown above. The supplier for the T-shirts has not yet been selected. However, please leave a private comment with your size or send your size by email. Normal sizes S-XXL apply. T-shirts are delivered with other physical items soon after the campaign closes (if successful).

High quality FinnWars mousepad is the second physical item included in some of the perks. Also this mousepad with the design shown above is only available during the campaign. The tank shown in these physical items is a legendary Soviet light tank T-26. It was developed in the early 1930’s and over 50 variants were made from flamethrower tanks to radio controlled prototypes.

In all perks starting from the Collector's Edition you will get a physical copy of the game in a DVD box with custom art. This is in addition to the digital copy of the game, so in total there will be two copies of the game.

An exclusive fabric banner that is suitable for hanging it on your wall is included in all of the perks starting from the Collector's Edition. 

The digital artbook featuring the art of FinnWars. From the pages of this book you find concept art, sketches and 3D art showing how the game developed from the early stages to the final product.

Digital download of the FinnWars original soundtrack will include musics from the game.

We will hold a launch party somewhere in Tampere, Finland close to the game’s release. You get to meet the developer team and have a great party with us. One night stay in one of the nice hotels in Tampere near our studio will be covered by us. Travel expenses will not be covered.

Notice!

Finnish law does not allow companies to accept donations without compensation. Therefore we cannot accept contributions without giving something back. If you want to contribute, please select a perk. Thank you!

FinnWars is a game from very special subject. The importance of community while developing a niche game like this is very important. We want to hear everything you have to say about the game and include you to the development process. If you have questions or have some ideas to share send us a message via Facebook, Twitter or Email. We promise to read every comment and respond to as many as possible. All messages come directly to Lasse and Tapani and we are always awake.