Deck and Conn is a pixel-art Cold War FTL that feels ripped from a 90s strategy magazine demo disk

Deck + Conn feels like it’s from 1992, but it hasn’t even been released yet. In this single-player tactical strategy game, “…command a Cold War-style nuclear corvette…” through the vastness of space. This game from developer Funtime Electrics takes place at a mainframe with sections of the screen dedicated to various parts of the controls. It’s almost like a retro-inspired FTL: Faster Than Light that feels ripped from a '90s strategy magazine demo disk.

Deck + Conn is a retro-inspired Cold War sci-fi tactical strategy reminiscent of FTL

This unique title was only just revealed with a trailer yesterday, but you can add it to your Steam wishlist to show your support for the project and get notified when there are any updates, such as a release date. This feels like a game that might eventually have a great Next Fest demo, so keeping it on your wishlist will make sure you’re one of the first to know if that ever happens.

From the Deck + Conn Steam page: “Lead your crew through an endless war in deep space. Respond to distress calls, upgrade your systems, capture enemy ships, and rise through the ranks. Each decision you make – from combat strategy to crew management – shapes your ship’s legacy.” While it might seem similar to something like FTL, Deck + Conn is not a roguelike. It will feature a dynamic single-player campaign full of challenging tactical decisions and crew management.

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Aside from the tactics, Deck + Conn also has a gorgeous pixel-art style appearance. The graphics are simple in that charming retro-inspired style that seems to be becoming more common these days. Somehow, even though it’s representing a flat command center and a few screens, it still looks great.

Deck + Conn may be retro-inspired, but it’s also directly inspired by classic games like Star Trek mainframe games from the ‘70s. The first Steam post from the developer explains that it was based on several concepts, keeping it simple and similar to the classic 1970s titles that inspired it, a game world that has the feeling of existing beyond the player’s experience, and that complexity would come from the ship’s systems, not the turn-based combat.

If this sounds great to you, I highly recommend wishlisting it on Steam. It goes a long way to helping smaller games and development teams like this. Deck + Conn doesn’t have a release date yet, since it was only just revealed, but hopefully, we will learn more soon.

• indie games
• space simulators
• MicroProse
• tactical RPG & strategies