iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

This logistics explainer was only intended for playtesters, but it blew up on Youtube so I guess it had wider appeal. Sharing here too in case you find it interesting youtu.be/gKZDAtQhBKs

youtu.be

New Logistics System

YouTube video by Takibi Games

1133

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Introduction to the Capital campaign store.steampowered.com/news/app/172...

041

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Capital campaign testing began a few weeks ago. Examples of some things you can do.

0263

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

This playtester won a 1 v 6 battle, starting with an unarmed rookie. Very happy to see people doing weird/hardcore stuff in the sandbox.

0151

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Pro-tip: while current unit is moving press TAB to give orders to the next guy. Also, press SPACE to 2x time. Music credit: Deft - Perky

2174

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

I think the Capital campaign presents an even a bigger sandbox than Labor. More details coming soon.

0130

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Kachunk kachunk kachunk kachunk

1264

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

This is especially useful in the beginning of the campaign when you start with very little infrastructure. Or for example after you capture a new location and you bombed the hell out of it and all the civilians are busy repairing buildings, you can lean on your soldiers to fill the gaps. 3/3

060

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

For example, if you just need to crunch out some extra magazines or armor plates before a battle. Or speed up infiltration of an enemy outpost. Soldiers can give a nice boost. 2/3

160

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Continuing w yesterday's post, here's look at soldier management. And yes the big news is I added non-combat tasks to soldiers. Soldiers are not be the backbone of your economy (their salaries are too high for that). But they don't need buildings to generate output. So they're very flexible. 1/3

1192

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Note: positive and negative meters are independent of each other. They do not cancel out. Because I think it's more reflective of human behavior. If you get a bonus, it does not cancel out the memory of losing your buddy in the mines. Thanks for reading!

091

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Positive reaction examples: prisoners convert to your side, workers encourage friends at enemy outposts to migrate here, someone invents a new coilgun attachment, random research breakthrough, etc. Negative reaction examples: worker strikes, workers run away, sabotage, theft, enemy spies, etc.

161

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

So how does this matter? Each outpost has 2 meters for triggering positive or negative random events. The positivity meter is slowly filled by positive Vox, and negativity meter by negative Vox. When each meter becomes full, a random reaction happens and the meter resets.

161

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Now each outpost has its own unique Vox section at the bottom. It reflects organically what's going on there, what people think of your actions, their petitions to you, etc. But it's very fluid. As people's memories fade, each Vox entry slowly drains and disappears.

161

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

New look at the Outpost Management Screen. A lot to take in. But wanted to highlight the new Vox section. Vox populi means "voice of the people." Previously I got feedback outposts felt dead. They didn't convey the struggle of the conflict, harshness of Mars, etc. So Vox is my attempt to fix that.

2244

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

If you're curious, I wrote a whole thing on reddit about some design aspects. www.reddit.com/r/MarsTactic...

020

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Proper look at ground vehicles Music: Bancal - Bump

2379

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

First look at Escalation system. As the campaign goes on, enemy gets stronger in various ways. Often it's aided by diplomatic partners. Escalation gives you visibility into this process and generates counter-missions. Nothing groundbreaking. But it drives the game forward so just wanted to share.

0121

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Here's how the tech tree is shaping up. I expect it to evolve A LOT based on your feedback. And I will keep adding new topics as we think of stuff. But I'm aiming for quality over quantity. Each topic should be fun to unlock. And ideally connected to the tactical layer in a tangible way.

0182

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

Testing robot ragdolls 😈 Music: Traxman - Chaseworkz

0202

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

Music: Blood Diamonds - Barcode (Clicks & Whistles Remix)

010

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

Kalashnikov on Mars. As I add more guns from Earth, I want them to feel different. Here's sound of Kalashnikov vs Carbine (based on M4). And of course they're not just re-skins. Kalashnikov hits harder (20 damage) vs Carbine (15 damage). But less accurate and more recoil.

1232

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

I'm very sorry to announce I'm delaying the game until later in 2026. This post has more detail and a look at some new things. If you have any questions or complaints, I'm here for it. I know many of you were looking for to it. I'm sorry. store.steampowered.com/news/app/172...

store.steampowered.com

Mars Tactics - Delay until later in 2026 - Steam News

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 ...

1231

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 01/03/2026

You can assign veterans to train your rookies. The bigger the gap in experience, the faster the rookies learn. So if you have a level 30 veteran, sometimes it makes sense to have them on teaching duty instead of the frontline.

0151

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 15/02/2026

Everything soldiers have in their inventory is now physically shown on their bodies. www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHqc...

youtube.com

Visible Inventory

YouTube video by Takibi Games

0140

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 15/02/2026

Hi Benedict. Wow I didn't know RB6 was on GBA. I just saw a video and it's quite impressive. The teamwork AI and the graphics. Anyway, my game is mostly inspired by old Xcom (1994). I'm trying to build a cool tactical sandbox with destruction. Thanks for taking an interest

030

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

Dropship is a beast. It was designed to withstand atmospheric entry. So when landing on the battlefield, it will CRUSH softer objects. Pick your landing spots. It doesn't just look cool and deliver reinforcements. It re-shapes the battlefield. Music: Hudson Mohawke - Intentions (LMNOP Remix)

5325

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

That armor I posted a few days ago? ZOHEI already made a kick ass illustration🔥 www.artstation.com/yakitateaggai

0205

Reposted by Manhole

ahintoflime | Russ @ahintoflime.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

workin' on some new armor pieces and accessories for the corpo soldiers 💪

0141

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 28/12/2025

Haha that's the spirit ✊ See last week's post about diplomacy. You spend Content on influence campaigns. Both on Earth and Mars.

020

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 28/12/2025

Here's how Gunsmith research works. You're the busy leader of the rebellion, so your research team will present just their best proposals. Choose one or tell them "it's not good enough!" and they'll come back tomorrow w other ideas. Hopefully this leads to weird fun guns each playthrough.

2283

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 21/12/2025

First look at democracy. Ties everything together + unlocks endings to win the game. Countries have diff economic ideologies and goals on Mars. They will give you tasks and missions. Maxxing out a relationship is a big step to winning. Besides sovereigns there are also journalists, investors, etc.

0130

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

Enemies now scavenge the battlefield, just like you. If they have space they'll grab nades and mags they come across. Or actively seek new guns if they're out of ammo. Overall, battles are now harder but enemies take risks to grab stuff, giving you new opportunities. Music: Moby - New Dawn Fades

2100

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 16/11/2025

My main insight was constraining the WFC algo is important so it doesn't get stuck. Specifically in my case, the algo works top-down. So it tackles generations on higher z-levels first and then trickles down. Only with this constraint did it work. Giving it full freedom always made it stuck.

100

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 16/11/2025

If I'm understanding your terms correctly, I did use a "combined" style. As in, I maintain control over some parts but let the WFC algo fill in the rest. So I define key features of the map manually/determined code, and then let the algo roam free.

000

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 16/11/2025

Hello just found your account. Lovely 3D pixel art. I use WFC for my deformable battlefields. It was hell but I got it working well in the end. If you are still looking for someone to talk shop, lmk.

000

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 15/10/2025

Added soldier tags, as requested by playtesters. Helps you remember who is who. Please keep sending me requests to make the game feel and control better. Music: AMADEEZY - New Juke City

280

Reposted by Manhole

ahintoflime | Russ @ahintoflime.bsky.social · 10/10/2025

new mortar model for Mars Tactics

092

Reposted by Manhole

Hooded Horse @hoodedhorse.bsky.social · 28/09/2025

It's official: Mars Tactics is coming to Early Access in May 2026! Will you lead the Capital army for the glory of the shareholders? Or fight for the working man as a Labor revolutionary? Soon, the choice will be yours. Wishlist Mars Tactics on Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/1727760/...

0339

Manhole @manholex.bsky.social · 28/09/2025

COMING AT YOU MAY 2026 store.steampowered.com/news/app/172...

050