tinyBuild and Hungry Couch Games announced the Early Access launch of Black Skylands. The open-world action-adventure is available now on Steam, GOG, and the Epic Games Store for $19.99 (with a 10% discount during launch). The first of its kind in the skypunk genre, Black Skylands is the brainchild of a passionate and ambitious 15-person team based in Russia, and they could not be more excited for players to take to the air.
Black Skylands, with its jaw-dropping pixel art style, masterfully fuses open-world gameplay elements into a full-fledged top-down shooter action-adventure. Drawing on inspiration from RPGs, farming simulators, sandboxes, and even bullet hell, the development team at Hungry Couch Games is eager to receive valuable feedback from their player community as they begin their journey from Early Access to the Black Skylands full launch.
Many years ago, the Earth as we know it was transformed, turned into thousands of islands floating high above the surface below. In the new world, the people of Aspya used to live in peace… until it all came to an end.
You are Eva — a proud daughter of the Earners. After a scientific discovery goes horribly awry, your homeland is plunged into a relentless struggle against the Swarm — a terrifying species that know no mercy and feel no remorse.
Black Skylands Key Features as stated in the press release are as follows:
Fight in the skies and on land – Combine aerial and ground combat, having dozens of weapons in your arsenal. Encountered a group of enemies that is too tough for you to handle? Execute an aerial attack! And don’t forget to use your trusty grappling hook to throw enemies into the cloudy abyss.
Customize your vessel and weaponry – Choose a skyship that fits your playstyle, be it a small, maneuverable boat or a heavy machine with a high-capacity cargo hold. When on foot, harness the power of firearms by enhancing them with different mods and using special abilities to destroy your foes.
Build, expand and protect your aerial base – Make your trusty Fathership an impregnable flying fortress and repel intruders’ attacks. Resources you gather can be used to build facilities aboard the Fathership. For example, a Workshop lets you acquire useful upgrades for airships & weapons, a Factory processes resources, and a Laboratory allows you to create powerful artifacts. Also, make sure to construct buildings like Gardens and Ranches to grow & harvest crops. Keep your people well-fed!
Capture territories – Craft alliances and clear out occupied lands to expand the power of your faction. New resources, researches, characters, and other features become available as you grow your influence.
Explore a sprawling open-world – Venture into the skies and discover countless floating lands full of secrets & loot. Travel across forests, farms, snowy lands, urban jungle, and the mysterious Black Skylands themselves. Discover ancient secrets and take risks to unleash power behind them.