Tempest Citadel
Release date: Apr 17, 2018
Developers: Aartform Games
Publishers: Aartform Games
Genres: Indie, Simulation, Strategy
Categories: Single-player, Steam Achievements, Steam Trading Cards, Steam Cloud, Family Sharing
Supported languages: English

Tempest Citadel is a base building game set on a storm-ruled planet in which sci-fi and fantasy collide. Assume the role of an enigmatic Captain from Terra, whose past and future are yours to shape, as he embarks on a mission to explore a deadly world that promises wondrous and terrible power. But you are not the first to come. Armies of ruthless enemies hide within the clouds, hungry for the blood of the weak and the foolish. From gene-spliced psychics to cyborg dark-mages, other factions have claimed the ancient sites which hold the technological marvels you seek. Can you build, grow, and risk enough to stand against your enemies? Will you forego mercy against those who would show you none? Do you have what it takes to fight for control of this world and claim the secrets of the ancient dead race that once ruled it? Your mission was a lie. Your first moments waking from cryostasis bear this revelation, and you find yourself in a corner of the cosmos that you know nothing about. Only one thing is clear: those that sent you knew full well what they were doing. Beneath you, a planet sleeps imprisoned by the planet-wide storm ruling its surface. What you're after – your true mission and your only way home – hides deep under those rage-fuelled clouds. And the price of ultimate power is always the most dear. Tempest Citadel sees you building a city in the clouds, module by module, and leading 100 unique crew members into action, be they Soldiers, Scavengers, Workers, Researchers, or Medical Experts. You pick their role, their training, their equipment. Explore a Tech Tree of over 200 research items, enhance your crew with Perks, Augs and Psionic abilities. Gather resources and build up your base and squad equipment. The primary goal is to explore the surface. You start by scanning and picking sites to send expeditions to, using any intel you can find to pick the best squad for the terrain, weather, and opposing forces. Preparation is vital; once your squad lands, the battle plays out automatically. Survival means conquest, so a big focus of research and production is optimising your attack squad and your city defences. With a full array of Sci-Fi weapons, armour, and augmentations, you can make anything from Bio-Enhanced Super Soldiers, to Exosuit-Wearing Assault Troopers, or even Psychic Stormweavers. Ultimately, choosing the right tool for the job is essential to victory; the right squad design can often overcome sheer strength in numbers. With a large crew to manage, you have options to auto-equip based on a role, such as 'Assault Runner', 'Skirmisher', or 'Sniper'. When you resupply with new weapons and armour, your crewmembers choose the best for their role. Successful missions can yield research data, such as blueprints and schematics, as well as scrap and tech items. Back at the city, these are vital to unlocking the 200+ node research trees, and constructing 170+ modules, items, and weapons. Missions will also have a cost, both material and human. If your soldiers fall in battle, you can bring them back with all kinds of technology - but they might lose their humanity in the process. Your progress on the planet is beaten back by 5 enemy factions, each with their own troops, tech specialities, strengths, weaknesses, and storylines. Overcoming them is no easy feat. Further, the day-to-day running of the city is interrupted by tactical and social dilemmas that lead to great risks – but also to lucrative opportunities. Aartform Games' previous Steam releases include the empire building economics sim Spice Road and a fun sculpting program Curvy 3D --- What lost secrets lay hidden beneath the eons-old storms? What unimaginable treasures await your finding? What will you sacrifice to find out? Be the Captain of the Terran ship. Brave the dark reaches of the storm world. Build a Tempest Citadel that will outlast them all. 

Press reviews: “Tempest Citadel is a charming, story-driven title that channels some of the best elements of non-starship based Sci-Fi. With great writing and characters, a depth of customization and plenty of game mechanics in spite of being hands-off with combat ... come together to form one of the best gaming experiences of the year so far.” 9.0 – GameWatcher “Tempest Citadel is a complete experience. It shows how much effort the development team put into their project. ... The pace’s set by the difference between preparation and battle and you will feel satisfied once you achieve a well-planned victory.” IndieToaster “Tempest Citadel is an addictive balance of player-friendly design and challenge.” Killa Penguin