We'd like to introduce you all to the game director on Earthless, Hoi-Fung Ma, who first pitched this project at Blackbird Interactive several years ago. So how did Earthless first come to be?
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changedWe'd like to introduce you all to the game director on Earthless, Hoi-Fung Ma, who first pitched this project at Blackbird Interactive several years ago.HOI-FUNG: Going back to Earthless, the idea came when we started discussing our mutual love for deckbuilding board games and tactics games. We believed there was something special about combining the two genres, along with BBI's legacy of immersive sci-fi worldbuilding. We first started with a paper prototype, which got moved onto Tabletop Simulator once the Covid pandemic started and we couldn't meet in person. That really provided the base concept and potential, along with a pitch deck; then BBI met Team17 who loved what they saw and proper development of Earthless began!
changedWe'd like to introduce you all to the game director on Earthless, Hoi-Fung Ma, who first pitched this project at Blackbird Interactive several years ago.When the Covid pandemic hit, the Earthless team adapted their paper prototype to Tabletop Simulator so they could continue to workshop the idea remotely.
addedWe'd like to introduce you all to the game director on Earthless, Hoi-Fung Ma, who first pitched this project at Blackbird Interactive several years ago.HOI-FUNG: We believe that our dedication to immersing players in the captain fantasy — your emotional bond with your crew and your mission — is going to make Earthless something special. It's not just about collecting the right cards or getting that perfect run, but also about the stories that'll unfold on each new voyage.
addedWe'd like to introduce you all to the game director on Earthless, Hoi-Fung Ma, who first pitched this project at Blackbird Interactive several years ago.The genre relies heavily on having players adapt to new situations and cards that are dealt each time they play; just like the captains in the classic sci-fi shows that we love (Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica etc.) have to face an ever-expanding array of surprising events and challenging situations with each new episode.
addedWe'd like to introduce you all to the game director on Earthless, Hoi-Fung Ma, who first pitched this project at Blackbird Interactive several years ago.HOI-FUNG: The best part is undoubtedly working with such a passionate team to create something new and fresh. I see the evolution of Earthless each step of the way, and every day it gets better because the people that work on it really want to make the best game possible. There’s something electric about that work environment!
changedHOI-FUNG: Going back to Earthless, the idea came when we started discussing our mutual love for deckbuilding board games and tactics games. We believed there was something special about combining the two genres, along with BBI's legacy of immersive sci-fi worldbuilding. We first started with a paper prototype, which got moved onto Tabletop Simulator once the Covid pandemic started and we couldn't meet in person. That really provided the base concept and potential, along with a pitch deck; then BBI met Team17 who loved what they saw and proper development of Earthless began!
changedWhen the Covid pandemic hit, the Earthless team adapted their paper prototype to Tabletop Simulator so they could continue to workshop the idea remotely.
addedHOI-FUNG: We believe that our dedication to immersing players in the captain fantasy — your emotional bond with your crew and your mission — is going to make Earthless something special. It's not just about collecting the right cards or getting that perfect run, but also about the stories that'll unfold on each new voyage.
addedThe genre relies heavily on having players adapt to new situations and cards that are dealt each time they play; just like the captains in the classic sci-fi shows that we love (Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica etc.) have to face an ever-expanding array of surprising events and challenging situations with each new episode.
addedHOI-FUNG: The best part is undoubtedly working with such a passionate team to create something new and fresh. I see the evolution of Earthless each step of the way, and every day it gets better because the people that work on it really want to make the best game possible. There’s something electric about that work environment!
We'd like to introduce you all to the game director on Earthless, Hoi-Fung Ma, who first pitched this project at Blackbird Interactive several years ago.
So how did Earthless first come to be? How did you get started on the project?
HOI-FUNG: I can’t believe that the original pitch for Earthless was almost four years ago already! Time really flies. I first started at BBI as a producer for Crossfire Legion and then Minecraft Legends, before having the opportunity to pitch Earthless (codenamed Project Owl) through BBI’s Skunkworks incubator program — alongside two other wonderful team members, Maher Manoubi and Youhan Guan.
Note
the Skunkworks program, run about every year, allows anyone at BBI to team up and pitch a game idea that could become the studio's next original game. If the idea is chosen, the team gets a bonus and dedicated time and resources to take the project to the next phase (prototyping etc.). If the game isn't selected, the intellectual property rights revert back to the team — and they are free to make it on their own still or even take it elsewhere if they'd like.
Hardspace
Shipbreaker was the first game to come out of this program.
HOI-FUNG: Going back to Earthless, the idea came when we started discussing our mutual love for deckbuilding board games and tactics games. We believed there was something special about combining the two genres, along with BBI's legacy of immersive sci-fi worldbuilding. We first started with a paper prototype, which got moved onto Tabletop Simulator once the Covid pandemic started and we couldn't meet in person. That really provided the base concept and potential, along with a pitch deck; then BBI met Team17 who loved what they saw and proper development of Earthless began!
When the Covid pandemic hit, the Earthless team adapted their paper prototype to Tabletop Simulator so they could continue to workshop the idea remotely.
What do you think Earthless does differently from other games in this genre?
HOI-FUNG: We believe that our dedication to immersing players in the captain fantasy — your emotional bond with your crew and your mission — is going to make Earthless something special. It's not just about collecting the right cards or getting that perfect run, but also about the stories that'll unfold on each new voyage.
The genre relies heavily on having players adapt to new situations and cards that are dealt each time they play; just like the captains in the classic sci-fi shows that we love (Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica etc.) have to face an ever-expanding array of surprising events and challenging situations with each new episode.
What's been your favorite aspect of working on the game so far?
HOI-FUNG: The best part is undoubtedly working with such a passionate team to create something new and fresh. I see the evolution of Earthless each step of the way, and every day it gets better because the people that work on it really want to make the best game possible. There’s something electric about that work environment!
What are you most excited for players to experience when Earthless launches next year?
HOI-FUNG: Oof, hard to pick just one thing! I’m definitely looking forward to the moment players start finding combos that even we didn’t know existed and post builds online. I can’t wait to see the community blossom as we get this in the hands of players and really start tuning the game with their feedback and input. That's why we are doing Early Access in the first place!
