Backflip Studios has announced the launch of the first game under its new publishing initiative: PlunderNauts. Developed by LightBox Interactive, the game places players in the role of a starship captain, capable of traveling around the universe in search of treasures. The world is filled with alien pirates, so players will need to defend themselves along every step of their journey.
The main goal of PlunderNauts is to discover and raid the treasure of the famous robot pirate IronBeard. To accomplish this, players will travel from planet to planet, collecting loot and defeating enemies while unlocking upgrades for their ship.
Battles take place in real time, and see gamers navigating their ship by tapping and dragging a flight path on the screen. Enemies must be within the range of each weapon, whether on the front or side of the starship. Power-ups help players maneuver more quickly, or protect them from damage for a limited amount of time, among other boosts.
Each battle requires energy to initiate, but this recharges automatically over time, or can be purchased instantly with premium currency. After each battle, gamers receive free currency, experience points and other rewards, and can lay claim to nearby planets for even more loot. This cycle continues through boss battles and wormholes, as players become the most dominant pirates in the galaxy.
Users can upgrade their ship's weapons and defenses with stronger turrets, repair modules and more. These may be dropped by enemies, or can be purchased from the store.
"The team and I wanted to develop a mobile game for quite some time, but it was crucial that we deliver that same energy and excitement we loved from our past console action games," said Dylan Jobe, President of LightBox Interactive. "PlunderNauts is that game and we're stoked to finally release it globally. It's fast and fun, and the game design allows players to get a quick-fix of epic-space-battle-action or deep-dive into strategy, upgrades, collecting and crafting."
PlunderNauts is available to download for free on iOS.
