Archrebel Tactics (Demo)
A downloadable game for Windows and Linux
Archrebel is a sci-fi turn-based strategy war game, strongly inspired by the classic Rebelstar released in 1986. In Archrebel, players control a few dozen units on a grid-based map, performing actions limited by a classic action-point system similar to the one found in UFO: Enemy Unknown.
Below is the description of features that contrast with the classic Rebelstar.
Classic features:
- Turn-based.
- Action point system.
- Morale and stamina systems.
- An interactive world.
- Dozens of units.
- Opportunity fire.
- Wound system.
- Inventory.
Improved features:
- Morale and stamina provide distinct effects.
- More items (tools, weapons, and ammo).
- Even bigger maps.
- Multishot ability.
- Opportunity fire relies on the field of view.
- Improved wounded system.
- Expanded UI.
- Expanded inventory with small and large slots.
New features:
- A* pathfinding.
- Line of sight.
- Fog of war.
- Upgradable units.
- Multiselection.
- Persistent campaign progression.
- Mostly destructible environments.
- Explosive items.
- Smoke and EMP grenades.
- Hacking mechanics.
- Wildlife-neutral units.
- Mini-map.
- Travel and combat modes.
- Customizable unit colors.
Planned features:
- Level up system.
- Unit classes.
- Weather.
- Panic system.
- Unit management in between missions.
- Custom mission generator.
- Co-op campaign.
- PVP.
Please note that the mission in this alpha tech demo was specifically designed to showcase the game's gameplay loop and core mechanics. It does not reflect the story, characters, or places that will be featured in the full version.
The estimated mission runtime is between 2 to 4 hours for first playthroughs.
Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1889700/Archrebel_Tactics/
Discord: https://discord.gg/BCvTjpUtvb
Twitter: https://x.com/UBadler
Download
Click download now to get access to the following files:
Development log
- Version 0.1.9 Released!66 days ago
Comments
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Replayed it with audio: I like the briefing voice-over! more to follow
Thanks! o7
I Played it. I kept on forgetting about shields. I am more of a sniping person.
Test playing on Debian 12 Linux and it worked like a charm and had a very interesting twist on the turnbased system, looking forward to the full release.
Feedback much appreciated! Feel free to drop by the discord channel if you need help or want to provide input. Gratitude!
Looks beautiful!!!
I was curious what fonts you used?
Thanks, man! The fonts are homemade, like everything else in the game except for the engine.
Cheers!
I thought they might be! Very cool! I made my own pixel font recently for readability and thought your all caps one was really slick!
Yeah, it was a long process and a few redesigns took place. I'm quite happy with the results. Thanks!
A big fuck yeah
A big fucking thank you, Commander! o7 ;)
This game looks super interesting! Wishlisted on Steam and very excited to see more of it in the future!
Just wondering if you've got any plans for modding support.
Thank you for the praise! If all goes well, I plan to have an editor for people to create missions and campaigns. This will also be my main tool to develop the game's massive campaign. o7
That sounds cool! Having the editor be robust enough to use for the main campaign and also be available for modders is great. Would people be able to make like custom units and such too?
That would be the end goal as well. :)
Incredibly promising retro-strategy game, it does have issues with performance and optimization, I was never able to get over 20 and got hardlocked on one turn where I wasn't able to end the turn.
Other than that, the UI can be somewhat cumbersome, and the enemies a little tanky.
I hope to continue following its development.
Thanks! What hardware are you using? The game is quite heavy despite its simplistic looks and there's little I can do to improve performance considering how Unity works. Let me know which parts of the UI you found cumbersome; there are many shortcut keys to operate it.
From what I can tell, people who find critters to be tanky, are not making proper use of power shots, especially when using pistols which are the weakest weapons damage-wise. I encourage you to join my discord channel to discuss further your feedback - the game is actively under development, even though I have left its full-time development. Cheers!
Looks very intersting. Which game engine this game use?
It's made in Unity. Thanks.
Looks awsome! An early access instant buy!
I'm glad you like what you see. Feel free to join the Discord server and share your experience with the rest of the players. :)
Saw this on youtube via Splattercatgaming.
I wanted to say thank you for making this game, it takes me back to being at school and playing Laser Squad on my friends gaming machine. Then it came out on the PC.
Love the vibe, game mechanics.
High hopes for the release game.
Thank YOU, for appreciating the project. Stay safe, my friend!
👍 It was a pleasure seeing your game in demo. Keep going.
Any idea when it will be up for Early access on Steam?
If all goes well, by the end of 2026. But there is still too much I have to figure out, which will impact the project in many ways. I could end up releasing it sooner through Early Access. Thank you for the support!
Try joining the discord server to stay close to me as development proceeds. o7
Love what your doing and curious, what is the vision that you got to figuer out how to get too?
I like the game a lot. I didn't remember how to trade items except by dropping them on the floor. Is there an in game menu where I can reread all the tips etc?
I'm hoping steam deck support is being looked into. I would love some sort of HQ or base we can build and deck out, helping supply our missions, research tech, vehicles, personal etc.
I will definitely buy the game once its on early access.
Thank you for showing appreciation! You can press TAB to access the tutorial entries. You probably missed this in the text you can read as the mission loads. There, you will also learn how to exchange items more quickly.
I'm not sure about the Steam Deck, as the UI is optimized for larger computer screens. There will be a management phase where you can put the wounded to rest, hire new recruits, and research droids. There's also a level-up system in the works. I strongly encourage you to visit my Discord Server for more feedback.
Stay safe. o7
Can you post your server in the game description so myself and others can join?
The game doesn't have any servers. It's just a single-player mission. o7
You mentioned the discord server previously.
lol! Sorry mate, I'm having such a hard time doing follow-ups and cross-over discussions in so many places; I misinterpreted your question.
Please, check the new links in the game's description above, there you will find the Discord link. o7
Wow the demo is awesome. Really enjoying the first 15 minutes so far.
2 things I noticed:
When forcing -window-mode exclusive I get 70% utilization on both GPUs and a stable 60fps.
Bloom and AA doesn't affect it much so some other shader might be quite expensive. I'd suggest a VSYNC or 30fps option for ancient PCs such as mine. Also an Exclusive Fullscreen option might be nice for multi GPU or 3D glasses users (although 3D probably doesn't do much for this game ;).
AA just seems to make the great pixel art blurry so I would suggest having it off by default.
Great demo! Wishlisted.
Sorry about the GPU performance. The game is quite heavy on performance due to the nature GameObjects work in Unity. They make a developer's life easier but this comes at a cost. Could you describe me your hardware specs? If possible, join the discord server so I can provide better assistance.
The most effective way to gain performance is by lowering the resolution. The game is natively set to 640x360 and from what I tested, 1280x720 seems to be the sweet spot to maintain a good performance vs image quality.
I have the middle mouse button feature you mention in my todo list. Most people prefer WASD but having that possibility is good as well. The AA option is already implemented and will be available in the next release (0.1.4).
Thank you for trying the demo! How much did you score? :)
No need to be sorry. Those GPUs are two Radeon HD 5870 in Crossfire. They are pretty old but surprisingly capable. 1GB VRAM is sometimes an issue but your game works fine with 1GB. CPU is a Phenom II X4 965. No problems on the CPU side though.
Thanks for the tip with for the resolution I'll try it at native res on my CRT when I get the time. The scaling of my LCD is pretty bad for sharp pixels.
I thought the 2D sprite renderer in Unity was pretty light weight. I only did a tiny project though. It might just be a setting somewhere that eats the performance.
Songs of Conquest for example runs great on a single GPU.
Are you using a Sprite Atlas? It helps immensely with reducing draw calls.
I actually don't remember my score. Now I have a reason to go through it again ;)
Well, if it didn't have destructible environments, the game would probably run 50% faster. I'm using a gameObject per tree/rock/plant etc, so I can control them independently. Yes, I'm using a sprite atlas. :)
No worries about the score. There will be more demo versions with new missions before the full release. Stay safe!
Is it just me or is there a (modified) South Park quote in there? OMG **** ****** ******
You are correct! It's a silly joke to see the reactions of people. The full version will feature a serious tone.
Eh, I personaly liked that silly joke.
Haha! Alright!
Sexy Ularis making Sexy Games!
LOL! Thanks, mate!
Not sure it's running properly in my laptop. Am getting really low fps depending on settings; 10-20fps. Hopefully this can be optimised because I'm really excisted to get into this properly!
Can you give me your hardware specs and the resolution you are using? A quick fix is just lowering the resolution as there's no real benefit from playing in a high-res, since the game is natively 640x360 res. The game is fairly demanding, and unfortunately, there isn't much I can do to improve performance.
Join my discord server so I can provide better assistance if needed.
Absolutely gorgeous look and overall execution! I was unable to use the pickup items button (P) to pick up the ammo. Maybe I don't understand the interface enough yet. I will try again tomorrow and pay closer attention to the tutorial :)
Oh, sorry to hear it, the 'P' key is just to open the pickup panel; you still have to click on items themselves to pick them up. Press the TAB key and watch the tutorial entry named: 'Picking up items'.
Join my discord server through the game's main menu if you want to stay in touch more closely. I respond to everyone.
Thanks for checking out the demo!
The artistic direction is superb.
Thank you, Rikkles. And thanks for your feedback on the Discord server. :)
Any plans to add Linux support?
Yes, I plan to support Linux as well. Once the demo is highly polished and stable, I'll release the Linux version. :)
Ah awesome, is there an easy way to follow for when Linux is added?
You can join the game's Discord server. That's the best way to stay close with the game's updates.
I've released a Linux version. Please, let me know if it works well. Thanks!
Hi, yes it runs, but it looks like it's supposed to have videos at certain points which are just a black box.
Since you're using Unity, it's likely you're just using the wrong codec https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/VideoSources-FileCompatibility.html
Thanks for the feedback and link! I'll look into it. o7
A new version has rolled out. You should now be able to watch tutorial videos. o7
Yep looking great now!