Techtonica’s newest beautiful space is internally called Butterfly Cove
Have you ever wondered how developers talk about unnamed spaces in larger video game worlds? That is, how do teams talk about a single location on a map that never really gets a formal name? It’s like callouts in a competitive multiplayer title back before games started naming specific areas in the UI. We pick […]
Massive updates to Techtonica’s Echosketch mapping system
In the demo for Techtonica, the Echosketch is a functional mapping system that lets you know where you are in Calyx’s network of twisting caverns. In a game design sense, getting the Echosketch is a big part of how players in the demo move from Production Terminal Lima to the more open Production Terminal Victor area. […]
Techtonica multiplayer progress report: Character animations arrive
Techtonica will have four-player co-op when it launches into Early Access next year. We’re still in active development, and that means lots of what we’re sharing and showcasing should be labeled “work in progress.” Some of you eagle-eyed Groundbreakers even noticed a multiplayer clip from a couple of months ago on TikTok that featured dev team members moving […]
Overhauling Techtonica’s resource and product models
Factory automation games tick lots of different boxes for all sorts of players. Whether it’s logistical problem-solving, exploration, accomplishment, objectives, or that flow state we’ve talked about before, these games rely on lots of moving parts (literally and figuratively). In Techtonica, a lot of satisfaction comes from seeing the fruits of your logistical labor reach their intended […]
The Techtonica demo is back
As we announced last week, the Techtonica demo has officially returned! What’s changed? Super, super minor stuff, quite honestly. We did prepare these patch notes for your reference, though, and we’re renaming the Techtonica demo in order to solidify that this will not be updated. The Techtonica demo is now live as the Techtonica Prologue! Here come the patch notes! You, the community, […]
Okay, so we took a minute to goof off
It’s true! There are real human people making Techtonica, and we took a week to hang out, eat, play games, and bond as a team for the first time since the pandemic began. Fire Hose Games was founded and is largely based in Boston, MA, but we now have team members distributed across the U.S. and […]
We’re bringing the Techtonica demo back
Hello Groundbreakers. We’ve heard you. We’re bringing the Techtonica demo back. Here are the key details before we get into the meat of what we’re doing. First, the demo will go live in the next week-ish; we’ll be sure to update you here and on Discord. Second, the demo will not be updated as we focus on […]
Here are two new songs from the soundtrack of Techtonica
We’ve talked about this before in our Discord AMAs and across a few interviews, but we’re going for something special with Techtonica. Internally, we refer to it as flow or flow state. It’s not something we made up! Flow is a real thing, it even has its own Wikipedia page, which is the standard for when a thing becomes […]
More ports, smaller footprint with new storage design in Techtonica
The Containers you’ve grown used to in Techtonica feature four ports, one on each side of a 3x3x3 box. Containers with ports are super helpful for factory automation games. Coupled with the right combination of Inserters and belts, Containers can serve as hubs for complex layouts or temporary sinks for starter spaces. But, the large Containers on […]
Techtonica featured as a Day of the Devs Official Selection
If you follow Techtonica on Steam, this likely won’t come as a surprise. Factory automation games like Techtonica have a narrow, dedicated following, especially when compared to other marquee genres like the typical action, adventure, or FPS fare. That’s why we were pleasantly surprised to see such a positive reaction from a wealth of players completely new to the […]