shapez - tobspr Games
Hey everyone!

We wanted to give you an update about the current state, plans and roadmap of Shapez 2.

First of all, if you haven't wishlisted and followed the store page yet, this is the best way to get notified about updates, giveaways, release dates and more!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2162800/shapez_2/


Roadmap & Funding

We want to develop Shapez 2 much more sophisticated than Shapez 1 - with a larger team, all kinds of new features, content, quality-of-life improvements and all-new 3D graphics.

This implementation would not be possible with our current resources, which is why we have applied for funding from the German government.

We hope to have the response by the end of February, which would allow us to start with the production of Shapez 2 in March. In case we get a positive funding response, the timeline & roadmap would look like this:

Steam Demo / Next fest: Either February or June 2024
Steam Early Access: ~Mid 2024
PC 1.0 Release: Mid 2025
Consoles Release: TBA

We would be self-publishing the game on Steam (except for the Asia region), but once we have the funding secured, we will also look for a publisher for consoles. Once found, we can also announce a release date on those!

Game Theme & Features

While Shapez 1 had a very abstract, minimalist art style, we want to re-work the art-style to look a bit more interesting and exciting. However, we'd like to point out again that we still want to keep all the core mechanics that define shapez - No enemies, no building costs, no stress, and so on. Making the visuals stand out a little more allows us to get more people excited about the game though - and personally, we really like the planned direction!


While we are talking about the theme and space stations, here's some concept art already - our vision on how we want the game to look and what we will aim to produce once we get the funding response. Hope you like the new direction as much as we do! (Please note: This is just concept art. We haven't started with the actual production yet, so it's still a long way to go until the game actually looks like this, if ever!)



Besides of all the new features (multi-layers, trains, blueprint library and so on) that we plan to implement, I'd like to highlight one specific feature: The blueprinting of entire space station platforms.
Later in the game, you will be unlocking the ability to copy & paste whole stations, so you can start building on an entirely different scale. For example, you can build a "cutter", "stacker" and "rotator" platform, and then move and duplicate those modules as required, building huge factories consisting of thousands of buildings with a single click.

Surveys

As a preparation for a potential production we prepared a few surveys, and we plan on doing a lot more in our Shapez 2 Discord!

We are really trying to involve you as much as possible - for example, the change to the space theme was actually driven by community surveys!

Here are a few past and actives surveys, to give you an idea what those are about:

Initial Art Style Survey
Cutters
Second Art Style Survey
Space Stations Survey
Miner Modules
Should we add multiplayer - Survey
Game Name Survey
Visual Style Survey
Grid Survey (ongoing)
... and much more!

As you can see, we are really looking to involve you in the development & decisions and are trying to make sure we are building a game that everybody loves as much as we do!

Giveaways

Once we have settled on a release date, we will run multiple giveaways for Shapez 2 keys on different platforms. To make sure you don't miss out on those, we recommend to:

- Join the Shapez 2 Discord
- Follow + Wishlist the steam page




FAQ

We frequently get similar questions, so we wanted to start a small FAQ!

Q: What will be the price?
A: We can't give an exact price yet, but our current estimate would be around 25-30$/€ on Early Access Release.

Q: What will be the state on Early Access?
A: We want to make sure the game is already very polished, playable and enjoyable on Early Access release (comparable to other major games in the genre). During Early Access, we will aim for 3-4 major updates instead a lot of smaller ones, which justify picking up the game again (in case you ever stopped).

Q: When will the game release?
A: If we can secure the funding, we would plan to release in Early Access Mid 2024.

Q: How can I support you?
A: If you like our games and what we are doing, we have a patreon which also gives you discord benefits!
You can also check out our other games, like Kiwi Clicker or https://store.steampowered.com/app/880580/YORGio/!

Q: Will my PC be able to run it with the all-new graphics?
A: We will be very focused on performance, and we are even considering to add a "low-spec" mode with largely reduced visuals. We are aware that a major advantage of Shapez 1 was that it ran on various setups, and we'll give our best to ensure Shapez 2 does too!

Q: What operating systems will the game support?
A: Shapez 2 will be available on Windows 7 or newer, macOS and Linux.

Q: Will I get a discount if I own Shapez 1 already?
A: Unfortunately, no.


Have a nice weekend!
~Tobias


https://store.steampowered.com/app/2162800/shapez_2/
shapez - tobspr Games
Hello together!

First of all, we are still waiting for the answer of the funding for Shapez 2, which we expect in January or February. So, since the funding is not settled right now, we can't guarantee that Shapez 2 will ever be released.

Since the prototype is finished (reminder: you can try it out in the Discord server!) and we can't start production yet, it will be a bit quieter around Shapez 2 for the next months.

Nevertheless we wanted to show you the concept art we had in mind for Shapez 2.

At first glance, Shapez 2 looks completely different from Shapez 1, and I understand if that seems unexpected. However, we are very keen to keep the gameplay (what shapez is largely about), and of course expand it. That is, it will still be about processing abstract shapes, resources are infinite, buildings are free, there are no enemies and the focus is on building the factory.

However, we believe that we can make the game much more interesting and tangible by introducing a new visual theme. This will also allow us to introduce new gameplay mechanics, like asteroids and space station modules (more on this when we get the chance).

Please let us know what you think in the comments!

PS: Be sure to wishlist and follow Shapez 2 on Steam, if you haven't yet!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2162800/shapez_2/



~Tobias
shapez - tobspr IT Solutions
Hey all!

As some of you might have noticed, we just launched the Steam store page for Shapez 2!

Please wishlist the game, follow and share it on social media! This really helps us incredibly, and shows that we are on the right track!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2162800/shapez_2/



If you're curious what the current state of the prototype is: Waffle did a live stream of the game's prototype, which you can watch here - even though there's no real progression yet and the art style isn't final, it already gives a good first impression, and we are pretty happy with the results so far!

And if you want to actively participate in the development process: We make regular polls and accept suggestions in the shapez 2 discord!

Finally, a disclaimer: We won't get the answer from the funding until February. That means, even if we are optimistic, that we can't guarantee at all that the prototype will become a finished game (But again - wishlists help!). In case you want to generally support us, we launched a Patreon Page though, which also gives you a special discord role!

Enjoy your weekend!

~Tobias
Aug 19, 2022
shapez - tobspr IT Solutions
Hey all!

You might have noticed that it's been a bit quieter around shapez lately. That's mainly because I'm already working on a prototype for shapez 2!

Unfortunately, the basic structure of shapez 1 is such that it is very difficult to add new features. So it makes more sense to work on shapez 2 - in a new engine, with new features, and much more!

I also have a lot of ideas for shapez 2, and to summarize them all, I have prepared a website - you can find everything about shapez 2 there, and it will be constantly updated to match the current status of the development:

shapez 2 About Page

Please note that we do not have the funding fully secured for shapez 2 yet, so it is not clear we can turn the prototype into a released game!

I'm really excited to hear what you think about the new features - feel free to let me know in the comments, and don't forget to follow us on social media!

~Tobias
shapez - tobspr IT Solutions
Hey all!

Since I was asked very often, I just released a new update for shapez that allows you to play the full version of shapez in your browser, completely without downloading Steam!

All you need is the Full Edition of shapez (base game + Puzzle DLC (!), see below). Then go to https://play.shapez.io/steam_news_1_5_5 and click on "Sign in via Steam" in the bottom left corner. As soon as you are logged in you can play the full version in your browser, including the Puzzle DLC!

Currently mods still only work in the Steam version, but I'm currently looking if there are possibilities to integrate mods in the browser version.

Furthermore there are some improvements to the base game:

- The tutorial for the first levels has been significantly improved
- General cleanup of the UI (more to come!)
- More sound effects
- Fix that some saves could not be deleted anymore

Have fun with the update!
~Tobias

PS: In case you're wondering, the reason you also need the Puzzle DLC is because the web version requires the Puzzle DLC backend for authorization. I wanted to make it separate at first, but then it got complex very fast - and then I thought better this way than not at all!

PPS: I am working on a small side project - Kiwi Clicker - Wishlist it now to get notified about updates!
shapez - tobspr IT Solutions
Hey everyone,

As you might have seen, the logo has changed a bit overnight, as well as the name of the game - "shapez.io" is now just called "shapez". I decided to do this because ".io" games have a relatively negative image, and because shapez is anything but an .io game. As part of that, I also took the time to improve the artwork a bit - I hope you like it, especially the new store page capsule!

In the course of this I also just released the 1.5.2 update:

Probably the most interesting for many players is the "VRAM glitch", where the map background would not update anymore, mostly in fullscreen. It should hopefully be fixed now - If not, please contact me in the discord server!

There are also some performance improvements, a bit of UI cleanup and updated translations.

PS: We also have started working on shapez 2, but more on that soon!

Wish you a lot of fun!
~Tobias
shapez - tobspr IT Solutions
Hey all!

From now on shapez.io is also available on macOS. There is currently only an x64 build but ARM builds are planned (The x64 build runs fine on M1 though). I wish you a lot of fun!

Also, please report any issues in the discord server!

PS: You might have to restart steam first :)

Unrelated: If you haven't yet, be sure to check out the Compact Machines mod - it's awesome!
Mar 15, 2022
shapez - tobspr IT Solutions
Hey guys!

It took a bit longer than expected, but I'm happy to announce the winners of the the $1,200 Modding Contest!

Since there were so many great mods, I have decided to introduce an additional 4th and 5th place, each valued at $50.

So, here are the results!

Contest Winners
1st - $500 - Shapez Industries by Sense_101
2nd - $250 - Multiplayer by DJ1TJ00
3rd - $125 - Shapez Expanded by WaffleDevs & Crimbusjimbus
4th - $50 - Buy Land by StealthC
5th - $50 - Packaging by zoidran

Most game changing - $100 - Hexagonal by Dimava
Most creative - $100 - Cursed Shapez by Crimbusjimbus


Also the Security Bounty of $100 goes to Emerald Block for finding a bug in the filename sanitization!

Thanks for everybody who participated! And to the winners: Please check your inbox on mod.io the next few days so I can distibute the prize money!

~Tobias
shapez - tobspr IT Solutions
Hey there!

I just released the 1.5.1 update on Steam, which adds official support for Mods!

Installing Mods

So, how do mods work exactly?

First of all, the official platform for mods can be found at https://shapez.mod.io. On this platform you can share and download mods! (An in-game mod browser is also planned, but that might take a while)

To install a mod, you need to extract the downloaded ZIP file. In the ZIP file there should be a single file with the extension ".js". You have to copy this file into the mods folder.

You can find the mods folder by going to Settings > Mods > Open Mods Folder in the game.

Modding Contest

As already announced, the official modding contest ends herewith. I will now look at all the mods and choose the winners!

Next week there will be an announcement with the winners of the contest, in which I will also present the mods.

In addition I plan to regularly choose a Mod of the Month! I will also make this dependent on how many new mods are created.

Mod Recommendations

There are already over 50 mods published, so I thought I'd already recommend a few to get you started!

[h4]shapez Industries[/h4]
Adds a lot of new buildings, new shapes, research, upgrades - by far the biggest mod so far, changing almost the entire game.


[h4]Hexagonal[/h4]
All shapes now consist of 6 parts instead of 4!


[h4]shapest[/h4]
Adds entirely new mechanics for shape and color processing!


[h4]Pipes[/h4]
Adds pipes and fluids to the game!


[h4]Buy Land[/h4]
Makes the game more challenging by having to unlock building space!


[h4]Mirrored Buildings[/h4]
By far the most requested feature, now available as a mod!


[h4]Cursed Shapez[/h4]
"Adds a Variant of the Stacker, Mixer, Cutter, Quad-Cutter, Filter, Mixer, and Painter that would make any veteran shapez player cry."


[h4]Shapez Expanded[/h4]
Lots of new buildings and mechanics!


[h4]Multiplayer[/h4]
Adds experimental support to play shapez.io with your friends!

[h4]wrexcavator[/h4]
Unlock strong buildings by harvesting "wreck" resources.

[h4]Blueprint Library[/h4]
Allows to save and restore blueprints!



... and a lot more, to be found at https://shapez.mod.io!


Wish you a lot of fun with all this new content and looking forward to your feedback!

PS: Be sure to join the official Discord Server to discuss anything about the game and/or mods!

~Tobias
shapez - tobspr IT Solutions
Hi all!

After a long break I finally found time to work on shapez.io again, and I've taken the opportunity to add official support for mods!

The 1.5.0 update adds support for mods, and it will be released on February 25th 2022. (Save the date!)

Since mod support without mods is no fun, I have decided to host a contest, so that there are enough interesting mods at the release of the modloader! So here it is:

Modding Contest

The contest starts today and ends on February 25, 2022, 12 PM CEST. The following prizes are available:

$500 - First Place
$250 - Second Place
$125 - Third Place

$100 - Most game changing mod
$100 - Most creative mod

There is also a $100 budget in case someone discovers critical security holes in the modloader.

Conditions of participation

To participate, your mod must be uploaded to https://shapez.mod.io/ by the end of the contest (This will be the official site for downloading mods for shapez.io). You must also have a valid PayPal account to receive the prize money.

You can upload as many mods as you want. However, you can only win one prize. After the deadline I will look at all the mods and choose the winners within a week.

The winners will then be published here as an announcement. I will then contact the winners on mod.io to distribute the prize money.

Mods Tutorial - Getting Started

The modloader is currently only available in the "1.5.0-modloader" branch on Steam and it is already on the master branch on GitHub. I recommend using the latest version of GitHub, so build the game from source.

Finally, here you can find instructions on how to create mods as well as prepared example mods: shapez.io Mod Examples on GitHub.

Since not everything is documented yet and there are even more possibilities than demonstrated by the examples, I recommend you to join the official Shapez.io Modding Discord Server. Here you can ask other mod developers and for advice and help!

Good luck!
~Tobias
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