Wired Productions and Tomas Sala are collaborating again on a new project. After the games The Falconeer and Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles, their next joint title is called ShipShaper, a creative game focused on free ship building and shaping.
ShipShaper is presented as a relaxed yet highly flexible tool for creating ships, dioramas, and imaginative maritime creations. Players can drag, bend, push, and shape parts of the ship to create vessels from their own imagination, which they can then view on the open sea or place in a bottle as a small diorama.
The game is set in the broader Falconeer universe, and a particularly interesting feature relates to fans of Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles. Ships created in ShipShaper will be exportable and usable directly in Bulwark, giving this project an additional connection to Sala's earlier works.
ShipShaper also goes a step further than a classic creative game. Tomas Sala wants to allow players and other developers to freely use their own creations outside of the game itself. For this reason, ShipShaper will offer a free commercial license, the ability to export full 3D models in FBX format, and an open invitation for developers to use, modify, and incorporate the created objects into their own projects at no additional cost.
According to Wired Productions' announcement, players have already begun using the tools in the demo version in ways that even the author did not expect. Instead of just classic ships, the community has already created submarines, steamships, and other unusual creations, helping ShipShaper stand out during the Steam Next Fest.
Among the main features of the game are free building of various types of ships, simple and customizable shaping tools, export of 3D models, use of creations in personal projects, connection to the Falconeer universe, and dioramas and photo mode for showcasing created vessels.
Tomas Sala emphasized that ShipShaper originated from the simple idea that building ships should be quick, enjoyable, and without unnecessary obstacles. He did not want to create a tool that feels like work, but rather something that players can jump into immediately and start creating. He added that he is particularly excited to see players pushing the boundaries of the system and creating things he hadn't planned.
Leo Zullo, director of Wired Productions, described Sala as a rare type of developer who does not just build games, but entire worlds. According to him, ShipShaper is a bold, creative, and straightforward project that gives players real control in a way that is not often seen.
The demo version of ShipShaper is now available on Steam.
