Hive Defender
Attention!
Hive Defender has recently undergone a massive expansion of scope, thanks to the success of a demo released earlier as part of steam next fest.
Join the discord if you want to vote on development decisions, try out the latest builds for free, etc : https://discord.gg/JwYhqp4HAU
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Hive Defender is an online, co-op focused RTS which aims to hit that "easy to pick up, impossible to master" sweet spot, where the game is enjoyable at all skill levels, and has accessible, rewarding depth of gameplay. In terms of game-feel, imagine Deep Rock Galactic meets Star Craft. In terms of storyline, imagine the reverse of Ender's Game -- where you play as the alien hive mind, and the humans are the invading enemies.
You play 2-4 as alien swarms simultaneously, depending on the gameplay mode and how many people are playing. Your aliens come in 4 classes : warrior, helper, builder, and digger. Each swarm's class is set at the beginning of the match, and is fixed for the entirety of the game. The classes are designed to be mutually dependent, so for instance : warrior classes need helpers classes to survive, and builder classes need digger classes to gather the resources to build their buildings! Your class determines your base damage, and max health.
However, there are also 3 subclasses for each class, which give you access to 2 unique abilities which cost ORE to activate. Each subclass serves a specific function and focuses on a particular “thing” that that subclass can do especially well. So for instance if a horde of weak enemies attack, you might mutate towards an AoE subclass, but if a boss arrives, you might need to switch to a single-target build.
On the in-game UI, you can see the next 3 minutes of enemy invaders - when they arrive, and their type. Based on which enemies are on the way, you will need to adjust the composition of the hive by mutating swarms between different subclasses, which costs TECH. Alternatively, you may wish to stay in the same subclass and fight at a disadvantage so that your mutations can level up mid-game, increasing the potency of your unique abilities!
This all suggests a two resource economy, typical of RTS games. ORE is earned by destroying the walls of your own hive. But be careful! Which walls to demolish is an important choice... Do you want to carve out support lanes, construct massive kill rooms, or set up flanking positions to deal with the baddies? TECH can only be earned only by killing enemy combatants, and is rare to come by, so don't go switching up your subclasses too often or you'll be stuck with an invading force you can't defeat. Bosses can be very difficult in Hive Defender, and require careful coordinated attacks by multiple swarms at once!
There will be 6 game modes, which each focus on a specific task and require different strategies to complete effectively. Don't worry though, if this all sounds like too much, there is a 12-chapter campaign mode to introduce you to all the major mechanics and game modes! Of course, there's still more to unlock after beating story mode! Hive Defender will feature daily quests, weekly challenges, and monthly battle passes, as well as lifetime achievements rewards! With 50 levels of progression, hundreds of cosmetic options, and regular gameplay updates, you’ll never get tired of playing! All of it free of microtransactions and NFTs!
Wishlist Hive Defender today!
Hive Defender has recently undergone a massive expansion of scope, thanks to the success of a demo released earlier as part of steam next fest.
Join the discord if you want to vote on development decisions, try out the latest builds for free, etc : https://discord.gg/JwYhqp4HAU
---
Hive Defender is an online, co-op focused RTS which aims to hit that "easy to pick up, impossible to master" sweet spot, where the game is enjoyable at all skill levels, and has accessible, rewarding depth of gameplay. In terms of game-feel, imagine Deep Rock Galactic meets Star Craft. In terms of storyline, imagine the reverse of Ender's Game -- where you play as the alien hive mind, and the humans are the invading enemies.
You play 2-4 as alien swarms simultaneously, depending on the gameplay mode and how many people are playing. Your aliens come in 4 classes : warrior, helper, builder, and digger. Each swarm's class is set at the beginning of the match, and is fixed for the entirety of the game. The classes are designed to be mutually dependent, so for instance : warrior classes need helpers classes to survive, and builder classes need digger classes to gather the resources to build their buildings! Your class determines your base damage, and max health.
However, there are also 3 subclasses for each class, which give you access to 2 unique abilities which cost ORE to activate. Each subclass serves a specific function and focuses on a particular “thing” that that subclass can do especially well. So for instance if a horde of weak enemies attack, you might mutate towards an AoE subclass, but if a boss arrives, you might need to switch to a single-target build.
On the in-game UI, you can see the next 3 minutes of enemy invaders - when they arrive, and their type. Based on which enemies are on the way, you will need to adjust the composition of the hive by mutating swarms between different subclasses, which costs TECH. Alternatively, you may wish to stay in the same subclass and fight at a disadvantage so that your mutations can level up mid-game, increasing the potency of your unique abilities!
This all suggests a two resource economy, typical of RTS games. ORE is earned by destroying the walls of your own hive. But be careful! Which walls to demolish is an important choice... Do you want to carve out support lanes, construct massive kill rooms, or set up flanking positions to deal with the baddies? TECH can only be earned only by killing enemy combatants, and is rare to come by, so don't go switching up your subclasses too often or you'll be stuck with an invading force you can't defeat. Bosses can be very difficult in Hive Defender, and require careful coordinated attacks by multiple swarms at once!
There will be 6 game modes, which each focus on a specific task and require different strategies to complete effectively. Don't worry though, if this all sounds like too much, there is a 12-chapter campaign mode to introduce you to all the major mechanics and game modes! Of course, there's still more to unlock after beating story mode! Hive Defender will feature daily quests, weekly challenges, and monthly battle passes, as well as lifetime achievements rewards! With 50 levels of progression, hundreds of cosmetic options, and regular gameplay updates, you’ll never get tired of playing! All of it free of microtransactions and NFTs!
Wishlist Hive Defender today!
Available on devices:
- Windows