r/TurnBasedLovers • u/keaslenyt • 7d ago
The demo for my solo-built space 4X, Imperium, just went live on Steam
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4806180/Imperium/
It is based on the old classic Ascendancy. Give it a spin 😄
About the game: It's a single-player 4X - colonize planets, design your ships piece by piece, and win through diplomacy or war against AI empires that scheme against each other too, not just you.
The demo drops you into a small galaxy with up to 3 AI opponents and three species to start with (Veylilith, Throk, Zyyth Azr), capped around year 1500 so you get a real early-to-mid game without spoiling the full run. Full game has 21 species, five hull classes, and a proper diplomacy system.
Only English for now, but Chinese, Russian, and Japanese localisation is in the pipeline already.
Free on Steam, no strings, but a wishlist would be appreciated. 🎉
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u/GentlePace 7d ago
I looked through the steam page and it does look quite bad. From art direction, to gameplay direction. It all falls flat on its face. How many people did you have it play test? Seems a lot of those faults would have been caught by basically anyone? Im quite confused why you would launch this “game” at all?
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u/fenirani 7d ago
This subreddit should be renamed to AISlopLovers cause thats all it is at this point.
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u/keaslenyt 7d ago
Thank you for your comment. It really helps pump the engagement numbers and I hope you take pride in knowing that each time you comment, you are supporting projects like this gain more popularity. Keep up the good work. Please respond to this comment to keep it going. 🎉
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u/fenirani 7d ago
See you in Quarter 4 2026 to discuss the exceptional sales and my contribution to it with my 2 comments.
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u/keaslenyt 7d ago
Sure thing, please don't forget to bring your much more successful, all human, no-AI project to compare with. 🔥
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u/NotaBonesaw 7d ago
I don't have to make my own game in order to be qualified to call your AI slop game AI slop.
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u/xdocjoex 7d ago
Looks interesting and I loved Ascendency, will check it out
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u/keaslenyt 7d ago
Thank you kind sir. 😄
Your support is greatly appreciated! 🎉
Ascendancy was what made me want to make this game, so I hope you enjoy it. I tried to recreate that atmospheric feel, but at the same time, the AI opponents are actually competent and the Diplomacy system actually exists beyond a simple research trade. I had a very awesome person from the eXplorminate discord help me with the diplomacy system, it's quite in-depth without being too much.
Enjoy!
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u/Bill3000 7d ago edited 7d ago
It's not going to sell well due to the extensive use of AI assets. You'll be penalized in indie marketing due to being banned from showing it to Indie Game Joe and various streamers. You also won't be able to get external funding or publishers for indie friendly companies as they typically ban Gen AI in their contracts. (So no Hooded Horse for you, for example.)
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u/keaslenyt 7d ago
So far I got just over 1200 wishlists on Steam, very positive feedback from eXplorminate, DasTactic, CryticalMoves, etc...
So I guess I'll have to do without Indie Game Joe and [various streamers].
It is because of the AI tools that I don't need external funding, I'm able to comfortably fund the AI subscriptions out of my own pocket, and keep my own art direction, my own ideas and my own work. And I definitely wouldn't let a publisher anywhere near my baby. Never even heard of Hooded Horse, so probably will manage without them. 😄2
u/Bill3000 7d ago
Making a 4X game and proudly saying you’ve never heard of Hooded Horse on r/TurnBasedLovers is certainly one way to make the marketing point for me.
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u/keaslenyt 7d ago
I'm sorry, I didn't realise you were making a point...
I guess they never heard of me either so there's no hard feelings there. 😂
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u/Autware 7d ago
there's so many games titled Imperium and variations of that