Fragile Existence is an Ambitious Space RTS for Battlestar Galactica Fans

Over the past few days, gamers' eyes have mostly been on big conferences like Xbox Gamescom 2021 and Gamescom ONL 2021, but there is a lot of other interesting things happening at virtual trade shows alongside them. One of them turned out to be the reveal of a promising strategy game Fragile Existence, which will combine the RTS and 4X genres, enabling us to fight battles both in space and on the surface of planets. The game is coming exclusively to PC, and its release is scheduled for next year.

The action begins in the year 2713. Kuiper early warning system detected an unknown alien armada heading towards the Solar System. Aggressors needed less than 24 hours to annihilate most of humanity and turn our civilization into rubble. The player will take command over the last surviving fleet and their task will be to guarantee the survival of our species.

The devs clearly modeled the set up on the Battlestar Galactica series. When we start the game, humanity is made up of only a few thousand people, so any counterattack will be impossible. The player's priority will be maintaining the fleet, which will force us to flee into space. During the game we have to travel between systems, collecting resources and strengthening the forces. Alien armada will always be on our heels. As soon as we enter a new sector, a countdown begins to the moment when enemies catch up with us, forcing further escape.

Fragile Existence will feature no division into space and planetary maps. We'll get the possibility to zoom the camera freely to the surface of the planets, where the gameplay will resemble a classic RTS. We'll have to gather the raw materials, construct temporary bases and fight with the world's original inhabitants, who won't like to be robbed of valuable resources.

Clashes will also take place in space and often at the same time. The most valuable resources in the fleet are to be people and space on board the ships. Fortunately, our units are to have a modular design, enabling us to change their configuration and goals. However, the production of many elements will require large processing facilities, so it will have to be done in temporary factories on the planets' surfaces. Recycling old parts and raw materials will also play a key role.

We'll spend a lot of time managing the crew of the fleet. Each death will be costly in the long run, and survival will require continuous investment in developing the skills of subordinates and training them in particular specialties.

The campaign will be strongly non-linear. The player is to decide freely about the direction of escape, in which he will be helped by scouts informing him about the conditions in nearby systems. Powerful modding tools are planned, with extensive planet and system editors, combining procedural creation with manual design.

1. Fragile Existence - official website
2. Fragile Existence on Steam