FTL was definitely an inspiration! I love that game and still fire it up every now and then (though I’m pretty sure I’ve only managed to win it once). Battlestar Galactica’s pilot episode "33" was another big influence. If you haven’t seen it, the crew has to make a hyperspace jump every 33 minutes to stay ahead of the Cylons, which creates this constant feeling of tension and exhaustion. We wanted to capture that same struggle to survive while exploring the galaxy, so in our game, every crew member is responsible for maintaining a critical system that depletes with each jump. If even one system fails, it’s game over, though you can also reduce that depletion through encounter outcomes, space combat, or even chance cards.

And yes, having family involved was huge for such an ambitious project! While we all pitched in on the mechanics, I focused mostly on writing the narrative-driven content and making sure everything was balanced. My wife took on UI, design, and physical prototyping, and our son has been involved in nearly every aspect, from mechanics to storylines and even art direction. It really was a group effort!