ION Heart - A Lo-fi Solo Mech TTRPG

ION Heart is entering the final week of its interstellar launch  🚀 I know space travel is fast but it's really blown by!

It's been our biggest release ever. Thank you to all those who have supported us in unlocking stretch goals, upgrades and bringing this chill mech TTRPG to life. We can't wait for you to join us amongst the stars with your robot best friend  🤖

Not got your copy yet? Pledge now to get it before time runs out. Click here to pledge now! 

When working on the concepts for what we wanted to create as part of the Backerkit launch for ION Heart we knew that there was going to be a secondary book alongside the main rules. This was because this would give us the extra space to really dive into the background of the Astral Union and tell some stories that expanded the galactic setting.

As you can see from the initial cover concept we had settled on the Rakaens as one of the core character groups in Remembrance. However, we hadn't landed on making the memory of the war and its effects the central premise.

The cracking of the moons was the big change we made to the cover as it nicely juxtaposes the difference in its content to the much more relaxed looking pilot's handbook cover (moons fully intact).

We also added an absolutely colossal mech on the horizon. You'll be able to explore these gargantuan creations and learn tonnes about the Astral Union and its past as you explore the story circuits, settlements and planets in ION Heart: Remembrance! Not picked up a copy yet? You can grab one as part of a pledge here, or you can add on both digital and physical copies here!

Unsurprisingly when we were working on ION Heart we spent a long time developing the art style and how we wanted the chilled feel of the Astral Union to be represented in the books. One of the most important things in development which usually comes after you've done the lion's share of the concept work is the front cover.

As you can see the sketch above was the base concept for what became the cover of the pilot's handbook. The other fun part of ION Heart's design was colour palette. We experimented with a number of different combinations before settling on the one you've seen on the Backerkit page. We thought it would be nice to share some of the other styles we didn't end up choosing.


This concept was one where we played with a softer lighting effect as if the characters are watching the moon above them at night time. This was a popular piece but we ended up not choosing it as it wasn't vibrant enough.

This version had our characters lit in the same way as in the finished version but with a much more blue heavy background. This again was a close call with the final version but we decided the golden-hour look of the pink sky in the final version below was the winner.

So there you have it. It probably won't surprise you that working on the cover is one of the longest and most painstaking processes of making a book as it's the first impression readers get of the world inside. If you've not got your copy of ION Heart yet you've only got about a week to go so make sure to pledge here.

With us now in the penultimate week of ION Heart's launch on Backerkit we thought we'd dig into some of the cultures you'll be able to explore within the Astral Union. Ben has a great love for drawing bears. With the Astral Union having many inhabitants that draw similarities to our own earthbound animals it's no surprise there are space bears.



THE LEAGUE OF URVO

People: Urvon

Home planet: Barokan

Society: Hardy and resourceful are words that could describe the clans that make up the League of Urvo. Unfortunately it also has been characterised by inter-clan politicking and (thankfully non-violent) factional infighting as proud families jostle for control and influence. One of the wealthiest members of the AU, they have large mines and Constructor-Forges for industrial level production

Many of their mechs appear heavy set and are well suited for tasks of physical strength. This is a combination of their matching to the Urvon's broad physique and their mech development origins in mining and construction. They also have a high level of adaptation as precious resources and minerals are often found on a wide variety of planets and eco-systems.

Not grabbed your copy of ION Heart yet? We're almost on the closing stretch of the Backerkit launch so make sure to get you pledge here and perhaps build your very own Urvon pilot to explore the stars.

The Rakaens are an arachnoid-like people who inhabit the solar system in which the last great battle against the Nephilim Colossi was fought. The system they call home lies on what is currently the edge of the Astral Union. They are awaiting their formal acceptance into the Astral Union but it has not yet been fully completed. There are many on the fringes of galaxy who are stuck in a similar social limbo as the peaceful coalition expands.

Rakaens have their own class of highly agile and dextrous mechs controlling multiple limbs. These quite unique mechs are very specialised within the galaxy fulfilling any number of tasks that require multiple operations to occur at the same time. You can see a Rakaen and their mech on the cover of ION Heart: Remembrance.

Rakeans and their mechs are featured in ION Heart Remembrance. The stories in this book are set in their home solar system. The book also adds them as a playable option to the game so you can create your own 8 legged explorer and mech to adventure with. Make sure to add a copy to your pledge if you haven't already or head over to pledge on Backerkit here if you haven't yet!