Game developers seem increasingly interested in the MMORPG genre lately. Amazon is famously contributing New World to the genre, which has gone in and out of beta testing and now seems like it's finally set to release. While New World represents the MMO standard, being intense and action-packed, there's also games like Palia in development, which feature combat but focus more on customization and crafting. It's great to see so many different perspectives coming to the thoroughly populated MMORPG genre, and it doesn't stop there. There's another indie MMO in development called BitCraft that promises a very different type of multiplayer RPG experience.
BitCraft is the work of Clockwork Labs, a new indie studio based in San Francisco that claims to have MMORPG veterans on board. That'd bode well for BitCraft's somewhat unorthodox premise. Above all, BitCraft appears to be a settlement-building game. Each player starts the game as a magical humanoid being that wakes up in the wilderness before joining a settlement and starting to build it up. Players will hone their character's skills as they gather resources, strengthen their settlements, and develop new civilizations in BitCraft's huge world. If Clockwork Labs delivers on this colorful and mysterious game, it could be a refreshingly tactical take on the MMORPG model.
BitCraft's Online Settlement Building
There's plenty of elements of BitCraft that'll sound familiar to fans of established MMOs. For instance, there are lots of ways to gather resources in BitCraft, from hunting to fishing to mining. Gathering resources is about more than just getting crafting ingredients, though. BitCraft players have skills associated with many of the game's central activities, allowing players to build up expertise in their favorite aspects of the game. In other words, BitCraft players who focus on the activities that they enjoy the most will also become particularly good at contributing to their settlement with that activity.
The aforementioned settlements are arguably the main reason for BitCraft's resource gathering and skill development. The game emphasizes the player's ability to start a small camp and build it up into an empire that can span continents. Unlike traditional MMOs like World of Warcraft with predefined maps, BitCraft uses a huge procedurally generated map, giving settlements tons of room to grow. It's one big sandbox that players are at liberty to change to their whims as they develop economic and political power and expand their cities and nations. Even though Clockwork Labs says that BitCraft deemphasizes combat, it sounds like there'll be plenty of non-combat ways to compete with other players.
The Mysteries of BitCraft
Aside from all the settlement-building aspects, there is something of a narrative in BitCraft. Clockwork Labs says that, as players progress, they'll discover the ruins of previous civilizations that existed here, as well as secrets that lie within those ruins. Although Clockwork Labs hasn't provided many details on the process of finding and exploring these ruins, it sounds like they'll be the source of valuable resources like ancient technology. Rival MMOs like New World may also feature ancient ruins full of secrets, but BitCraft's sandbox city management approach to the concept sounds like it'll really change the tone and purpose of its ruins.
Although Clockwork Labs has provided some solid insight on how the game plays, its development schedule is a bit of a mystery. MMO fans interested in BitCraft can sign up for its pre-alpha now, which suggests that the game is still in early development in spite of its in-engine announcement trailer. The trailer doesn't come with a release date or even specifics about what platforms BitCraft will arrive on. These are questions that'll ask a little patience of fans. In the meantime, though, fans can watch for updates from Clockwork Labs by signing up for the email list or joining the game's official Discord server. Hopefully, BitCraft's trailer is only the first of many near-future updates.
BitCraft is in development.