- Dev Update 2026 Q2: Critical Playtest - 12 August 2026
Hi everyone. I know this Q2 update is super late. But hopefully it's better now than never.June and July was a really intense period of development and I didn't have spare time to post anything. But thankfully, on July 31, the final critical playtest began. And I'm happy to tell you the result is what I was hoping for!You guys know I’ve been confident about the tactical layer for a long time. But the strategy layer has been in development hell for three years. It went through 11 total painful re-designs. I even considered switching the strategy layer to a roguelike design.However, last year I got a hunch that maybe we turned the corner. A prior playtest yielded positive signs, but also many questions. And so it wasn't until last week when I watched hundreds of people crawl all over Mars and have fun that it confirmed my gut feeling. The sandbox is SANDBOXING!For me, this is the biggest…
- World Setting and Asymmetric Factions - 23 April 2026
Crisis on EarthThe 2020s were rough, but the next decade was even worse. More wars, political polarization and sputtering growth. And yeah, the billionaires only grew more powerful.But for our story in Mars Tactics, the key thing is what happened with energy. Global oil and gas markets began fracturing with the wars in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Exports of solar, wind and nuclear components became restricted on national security concerns. In the new normal, geopolitics trumped market dynamics. All of this collided with long-term trends pushing energy demand higher.The surge in energy prices decimated global trade and accelerated the destruction of state finances. Inevitably, one day in the late 2030s, government bond markets seized up one by one. Confidence in fiat debt was rocked to the core. And a global economic depression followed.All illustrations here by Zohei Tanabe.It's…
- Delay until later in 2026 - 13 April 2026
Hi everyone. I'm delaying the early access release from May until later this year. The exact new date will not be known for a while, but I thought it's important to get this info to you ASAP. So I am telling you exactly what I know today and will update you again as soon as I have more info.Besides that are 3 things I want to communicate to you. Appreciate if you will read until the end.1. I'm sorryThis was a really difficult decision. I get many kind of messages from fans of the game. People going through a difficult time who say it's the only thing they're looking forward to, soldiers eager to try before being sent to the frontlines, etc. And you guys have played a key role in development with your ideas and feedback. We've established strong trust and built this game together. That's why I'm truly sorry for letting you down with this delay. I worked as hard as possible. But it was no…
- Physical Inventory - 15 February 2026
Hey guys. Development is heading in to the final stretch. It's actually not super stressful. Just healthy stressful. Because I'm v happy with how the design is turning out. The sandbox-style strategy layer is pure chaos and fun. I can't wait to get it in your hands. However, the sheer volume of work everyday is overwhelming. That's why I haven't had time to post new stuff.However, today is Sunday. So I carved out a few hours to share a cool new feature: every unit's inventory is fully visible on their body. Enjoy my new music video :DThe logic is pretty simple. Big guns go over the shoulders. Pistols, small guns and melee weapons are on the hip/back. And remaining items are mostly on the belt. It looks cool and is actually useful. I find myself inspecting enemies all the time during firefights.BTW this idea is straight from you guys the community (shoutout to Gabsy). And what's really c…
- Dev Update 2025 Q4 - 31 December 2025
Hey guys, I hope you're having a relaxing end to the year. It's been a very productive 3 months for Mars Tactics so let me give you an update.The TLDR is the strategy layer is going great. As I wrote in June, switching it to real-time-with-pause (RTWP) was the magic trick that solved my big design problems. In August there was a successful playtest confirming this approach. Since then things have been falling in to place.Literal and PhysicalBefore RTWP, I created a lot of mechanics to try and make the strategy layer more fun. Over the years this built up too much complexity, which I then tried to streamline. But since switching to RTWP, all this gunk has just melted away. The path of least resistance has become to make things literal. Which is great because that's what I always wanted for a sandbox.So now the strategy layer works probably as you imagine. You capture mines. Dig up redox.…
- First Look: Mortars - 9 November 2025
Hi everyone. With development marching on, I'm happy to finally start sharing details about later-stage mechanics.Mortars on MarsMortars are a mid/late game weapon. They are introduced to Mars by mercenaries hired by the corporation to put down the labor rebellion.Good effect on target.Mortars work as you probably imagine: deploy the launcher, load the shell, aim, and fire. They can target any location on the battlefield regardless of distance, which adds a whole new dimension to engagements.Currently, mortars support explosive and smoke shells. These have similar stats to frag and smoke grenades. However, explosive shells cause suppression over a wider area than frag grenades.Explosive shells also deform the terrain, creating little craters that units can dive into for cover.TeamworkHowever, mortars have big downsides which require teamwork to overcome.For starters, mortars are very he…
- New Gunsmith Graphics + Special Attachments - 21 October 2025
Hey guys, just a quick thing you might enjoy.Last month's trailer gave a super tiny glimpse of new Gunsmith graphics and design. So today I wanted to show off the full suite of new graphics. And share examples of how special attachments actually work in battle.I will do a deep-dive after more playtesting, but here's how the final design is shaping up:There are now 6 gun frames. Each one looks unique and has strengths and weaknesses. For example, "Homebrew" is cheap to manufacture. "Buck" calculates hit-chance per projectile instead of per shot, so it's basically your shotgun maker. "Maschina" allows an extra special attachment. Etc.Each frame can be improved in multiple ways (barrel length, caliber size, fire rate, etc). The number of improvements is limited by your research progress.Each frame also supports 3 attachment slots: scope, stock and special. Special attachments include every…
- Lead or destroy the revolution in Mars Tactics, an XCOM-like strategy game from Hooded Horse featuring throwable ammo and UBI - 7 October 2025
The factional asymmetry of Mars Tactics ain’t about Fish Himbos vs The Telepathic Hairdryer Folk of the Highlands. It gives you the bracingly topical choice of suits vs revolutionaries. In the blue corner, you’ve got the iron fist of Capital, who begin each campaign in a position of supremacy, but are beholden to the fatter cats on Earth for supplies. And in the red corner, you’ve got Labo(u)r, who kick off with little more than their chains, but are able to manufacture their own gear due to being honest working folk, and have higher morale due to being a bunch of zealous bolshies. Read more
- Release Date Announced: May 2026 - 28 September 2025
Hey guys, based on recent progress with the strategy layer and good feedback from playtesters, I finally feel confident to nail down a release date: May 2026. This will be an early-access release, but development is in a pretty mature stage. So you can expect all major features and mechanics, multiple endings for each faction, and basically the main meal. In fact, looking at the remaining items, I think EA proceeds will be invested mostly in art and presentation. But I will share a detailed roadmap prior to release so you can decide to wait or jump in. Furthermore, I know EA is a sensitive topic, so I just wanted to share my clear thoughts with you. I don't want to languish in EA for years. For this game, it doesn't make sense. Because MT has been developed in a SUPER transparent way from the start. So, I think I've already collected most of the benefits from being in the open. Plus, I'…
- If humans ever live on Mars, will they 'bend the knee to Earth's institutions' or turn the Red Planet even redder? Mars Tactics puts the answer in your hands next year - 28 September 2025
If you lent a keen eye to the Mars Tactics trailer which dropped at today's PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct, you might have spotted the ability to establish universal basic income right next to a button which wheels out a Martian Guillotine, or even the option to declare neoliberalism and "bend the knee to Earth's institutions." Come for the tactics, stay for the ethical and logistical burden of leading a revolution!.. Read more.
- Playtest Insights - RTWP, Logistics and World Map (Sept 2025) - 12 September 2025
Hi everyone. The playtest re-started last month so I just wanted to share some progress. These are just small observations and not official patch notes or promised features or anything. I know some of you guys like to follow along but don't have time to monitor Discord, so I'll summarize the playtest highlights here for you.Big takeaways so farSwitching the strategy layer from turn-based to real-time-with-pause (RTWP) went well. It was a huge change, but feedback has been great. I wish I switched earlier. Now I understand why Xcom and Jagged Alliance went with RTWP for their strategy layers.Testers were mostly OK with the more streamlined resources and reduced micromanagement. But some aspects will tilt back toward more granularity in the upcoming builds based on feedback.Labor management and outpost management are feeling good. Giving speeches, paying bonuses, ordering decrees and enac…
- Dev Update 2025 Q2 - 1 July 2025
Hey guys, thanks for checking in on the game again. This quarter is when the strategy layer design finally came together for me. The latest build has not yet been tested, but based on my own time with it I think I've got the right recipe.So I'm happy to finally share details publicly about the strategy layer design. I prepared this video for playtesters to get them up to speed with all the new mechanics. If you are interested in a deep dive, feel free to take a look. And if you don't have time to watch it, here's the TLDRThe core strategy layer game loop was ripped up and re-designed to front-load rewards. Each battle will offer immediately useful rewards like soldiers, guns, logi capacity, research topics, etcimmediately investable resource flows to shape long-term strategyResources design has changed from stockpiling to flows. After capturing infrastructure, you don't have to wait to…
- Dev Update 2025 Q1 - 1 April 2025
Hey guys, thanks for checking in on the game. This quarter I worked to address feedback from the December playtest. The development plan outlined last time was completed and I'm now polishing things ahead of the next playtest in April. Here's a look at how the game is evolving: Gunsmith This was a key thing missing from the December playtest. It's part of the progression system and allows the player to create increasingly stronger gun blueprints. Gunsmith was tested standalone in February. The results were very positive. I'm happy to confirm this mechanic will definitely be in the game. Check out my video for a glance at how it works and what the guns feel like in battle. Infiltration Players also said the strategy layer lacked direction. The game dumped you in its sandbox without enough guidance. To address this, you can now covertly send soldiers into enemy-held locations. They will e…
- Dev Update FY2024 Q4 - 30 December 2024
Hi everyone! It's the end of the quarter, so let's take a look at how development is coming along. The big news is the strategy layer playtest finally kicked off this month. I've been dying to get the iteration cycle going. As you guys know, I rely very heavily on the community to guide development. Your feedback is why the tactical layer has been a success. And that's why it's a big deal that the strategy layer playtest is finally underway. As expected, the first few builds were very rough and the testers struggled a lot. However, their feedback was invaluable. Beyond just finding bugs and improving mechanics, they helped me understand and improve deeper structural problems with the game loop. Here's a summary of testing so far and the next steps. The playtest included the opening months of the Labor campaign and 70% of the core systems: squad movement and zone-of-control, recruitment…
- Dev Update FY2024 Q3 - 25 September 2024
Hey everyone! It's been a few months since the last dev update. Like every good little capitalist 😇 I try to keep my stakeholders appraised every quarter. FY24 Q3 Executive Summary Continued intense work designing and implementing the strategy layer. GRRRR! Continued adding features to the tactical engine, including NPCs and larger maps. Continued adding cross-layer mechanics, including POWs. Capturing enemies in battle and forcing them to work in labor camps is such a JOY! Continued improving enemy tactical AI. They actually work as a team now. Be afraid. This month finally began internal testing of combined strategy layer + tactical layer: the full loop! On the marketing front, released a new trailer and posted new dev-logs (see below). And check out the new Steam capsule artwork prepared by my publisher Hooded Horse. Near-Term Outlook Closed playtesting will begin soonTM. After play…
- Dev Log #06: Shooting and Ballistics - 30 August 2024
Hi everyone, this month let's take look at shooting and how chance-to-hit is calculated. A big part of the tactical sandbox I'm trying to build is letting you shoot physically persistent bullets anywhere you want. Not just at enemies or predetermined targets, but literally at any position on the battlefield. Besides just being fun, this freedom makes shooting more interesting. It's no longer about just hitting a target. Things like fire superiority and suppression become just as important. For example, in this game there's no special "Suppression" action or ability. You just point and shoot, and bullets flying close to someone will apply suppression to them. This enemy is hiding behind good cover, but you can shoot at the air above or next to them to apply suppression. And with physical projectiles you have to be mindful of the background. If a bullet misses its target or a rocket veers…
- Dev Log #05: Destruction - 12 July 2024
Hi everyone, today's topic is destruction which is a big part of Mars Tactics. Almost everything on the battlefield is destructible, even the terrain itself. For example, if your troops are pushing into an area with no cover, they can throw a high-explosive charge to create a foxhole to dive into. Explosives are abundant on Mars as they are used extensively in mining operations. And when defending an objective, your troops can create trenches to fortify their position. Of course, AI troops are aware of landscape changes and if given the chance will use your trench against you. Rebel workers in a trench keeping watch for corporate forces. Big trenches like this are not trivial to make -- this one was created by a strafing airstrike run. Use the Environment Besides grenade and bombs, environmental objects can also trigger small and large explosions. The game will communicate which objects…
- Dev Log #04: Grenades - 9 June 2024
Hi everyone, today's dev log is about grenades, which work quite differently in this game compared to others in the genre. Let's dive in so you're not surprised the first time you play. In many turn-based tactics games, grenades are a tool against randomness. If you miss your shot, the trusty grenade can save you. But in Mars Tactics, grenades require more effort to use. In return, they provide you with more tactical options. At the core of the design is a mechanic that makes units automatically scramble away when a grenade is thrown at them. Targets run from a grenade. But dodging an explosion is not a free move. It costs an action point. So one way to counter is to suppress your targets first, which reduces their AP. Targets are suppressed first, then eliminated by a grenade. Chucking a grenade can also force targets out of cover and into potential firing lanes. Units take into accoun…
- Fight for freedom or corporate overlords in Mars Tactics, a scrappy cross between XCOM and Red Faction - 9 June 2024
Finally, a game set on the red planet that lets me fight for those who really matter: the shareholders. Mars Tactics is an upcoming tactics game that lets you choose between conquering the planet as oppressed Red Faction-esque workers or as a bunch of soulless corporate mercs. While both the Labor and Capital factions have their own playstyles, what makes the game feel unique is its campaign map... Read more.
- Quick Dev Update - 29 May 2024
Hey everyone, it's been over half a year since the Next Fest demo so I wanted to give you a quick update on what I've been working on. First, I'm happy to say the game is now in alpha. This means I'm done designing new mechanics and am focusing more on improving everything + adding content. It also means I can post more things here on Steam. If you remember, I began dev logs 2 years ago but it was so early in development that what I wrote about quickly went out of date. However, now I'm ready to share more so expect a new dev log in June. So what have I been working on during winter and spring? The strategy layer has been 90% of the focus. It took much longer than expected because it's super important. Feedback on the tactical layer has been fantastic, but that means nothing without a good strategy layer. That's why I took extra time to working out the mechanics -- economy, logistics, l…
