Salvage Wars Dev Update: Playtest 1

Salvage Wars is a single-player extraction real-time tactics game where you command a salvage crew picking through battlefields beneath an ongoing orbital war.

This build marks Playtest 1, the very first playable milestone.

The primary goal of this initial playtest is to evaluate the combat mechanics and their potential to create engaging and diverse tactical situations. While basic overworld screens are present, critical gameplay loops like selling loot or unit upgrades are not yet implemented.

What’s In This Build

• Single Battle Map: A focused combat scenario with non-randomized enemy spawns to test basic engagements.
• Dual Control Modes: Seamlessly switch between RTS mode for commanding your squad and a direct-control Top-Down Shooter (TDS) mode for hands-on action.
• Core Combat: Experiment with different unit compositions, scale, and time-to-kill.

The Vision

On each deployment, your small crew enters a fresh battlefield to recover what they can. You’re not alone: the local military, wreck survivors, rescue squads, rival scavengers, and bandits are all after the same prize. The longer you stay, the greater the reward, and the danger, creating a press-your-luck loop where greed often meets destruction. Units are persistent across missions, carrying their stats, injuries, and upgrades with them, making every loss meaningful.

What’s Next

For the rest of the year, development will focus on:

• Improved Encounter Generation: Randomizing opposing forces based on scenario parameters.
• Salvaging Implementation: Introducing proper systems for selling loot, purchasing equipment, and unit customization in the overworld.

Playtesting

This is a private playtest. If you’d like to try the current build and help shape the combat feel of the game, feel free to reach out to me to be added.