We’ve kept it under wraps for a few weeks, but it’s now time to finally announce Trudy’s Mechanicals, our steampunk-themed tactics game in development for the iPad!

The main cast of Trudy's Mechanicals.

So how did the project come to be? Well, here’s a short list of the points that led us to it:

• With the recently released iPad, we saw a chance to tackle a new platform with its own unique set of features. Many iPad games we checked out were simple, upscaled ports that didn’t really take advantage of the hardware, and we thought it’d be a good area to explore.
• As fans of tactics games, we were interested in creating a title that maintained core genre traditions while streamlining the interface and throwing in a few new ideas.
• The concept of “Steampunk” itself is filled with very rich and powerful visuals, and we wanted to pursue its darker, grittier side. Tatsuyuki Tanaka was a major influence, and ReJean Dubois has done a great job of working with that style while bringing his own flavour to the designs.
• After doing a ton of research, we were eager to experiment with a new (for us, anyway) business model and do some self-marketing. Only time will tell how it’ll all work out, but we’ll be sure to document the results here on our site.
• Actually creating the game would mean developing tools and expertise vital to Tribes of Mexica and our future work-for-hire projects.
• And, most importantly, we just thought Trudy’s Mechanicals would be fun and rewarding to make!

Concept art for "The Underworld," Trudy's densely populated sewage system.

In the upcoming weeks, I’ll be posting more info on the art and design of the game, while Dave and Tristan will be pitching in with articles on the technical side of things.

Stay tuned!