Ebbtide

Wishlist Ebbtide on Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/4… The Steam page is finally live! Thank you for your patience and all the support. Lead the last carrier task force through a world overrun by zombies. Command your forces on the operations map, then zoom into battle and take control yourself. #indiedev #gamedev #Ebbtide

Ebbtide passed 400,000 wishlists on Steam a few days ago. When I started making this game on my own, I never imagined this many people would be waiting to play it. Thank you for sharing clips with friends, telling me what you think, and cheering me on. In the video, you’ll see infantry fighting alongside armored vehicles, zombies clinging to one as it moves, and a soldier picking up ammo at the rear ramp. I’m postponing the playtest I’d hoped to run in November. I’m sorry I got your hopes up. I should have had a clearer idea of how much work was left before I mentioned a date. I’m still bringing the LA evacuation together so you can lead a convoy, defend a forward base, and get civilians safely to the port in one continuous operation. Once I can confirm a new date, I’ll share what you can play and how to join. I’ve also been reading your concerns about AI-generated assets in Ebbtide. I want to replace them, and I’m talking with potential publishers about the production support I’d need to do that. To everyone who came to Discord and offered to help make assets, thank you. I’ll share more when I can say which assets I can replace and how the work is going. The roadmap starts with the LA chapter I’m working on now. After the tutorial, I want Escape from LA to be a sandbox mission where you decide who to rescue and how to get out. My plan is for the people and equipment you bring out of LA to stay with you in the world campaign, with the carrier strike group TF-1 Ark as your home base. The final column covers longer-term ideas I’d like to explore, including armored trains and a scenario editor. You can read the full update on Steam: store.steampowered.com/news/… #indiedev #gamedev

A closer look at the artillery you can build inside your FOB in Ebbtide. Set up mortar pits and M777 howitzers inside the perimeter, then call in fire to support your troops. I’ve also added the M142 HIMARS. For the night barrage at the start of the clip, I set up six launchers and had them fire down the road as the horde moved in. Press Tab to switch fire modes. In MRSI mode, the M777s fire at different angles and stagger their shots so the shells come down on the same target together. You can also split the fire across several targets. Hold Shift, click each spot you want to hit, then release Shift to give the fire order. About halfway through the clip, two LAPD buses pull up to reinforce the gate. Early development footage. #indiedev #gamedev

Taking the fight from ship to shore in Ebbtide. I’ve been working on the full trip: launching amphibious vehicles from the ship, landing troops and armor, then bringing the amphibious vehicles back aboard. • Amphibious vehicles launch from the well deck, cross the water and bring infantry onto the beach. • Landing ships open their bow doors and lower the ramp to deploy tanks straight into the fighting. • Helicopters take off from the fleet and join the forces ashore, with daytime and nighttime operations shown in the video. • Amphibious vehicles can head back out to sea and board the ship again. The video follows them all the way back inside. Once ashore, you can keep issuing orders to your units or take direct control of a tank and drive through the horde yourself. I’ve also been improving the water shader and shoreline effects. There’s a closer look at the waves and foam, and the water turning red as the fighting reaches the shore. Early development footage. #indiedev #gamedev

Putting the CH-47 Chinook to work in Ebbtide. 🚁 I’ve been working on the Chinook’s cargo transport and fast-rope deployment. Here’s a look at what it can carry and how it gets troops into battle. • Cargo transport — carry two supply pallets at once, or use the external hooks to airlift vehicles and aircraft from the ground. This video shows a Black Hawk, an LAV and an F-15 being transported. Tanks cannot be airlifted. • Large transport formations — move troops and equipment together with multiple Chinooks, bringing reinforcements into the same operation. • Fast-rope insertion — keep the Chinook hovering while soldiers line up at the rear ramp and descend on two ropes, deploying squads without landing. I’ve also improved infantry weapon transitions: soldiers sling their rifles before drawing their pistols, with the rifle remaining visible on their body. The ground combat at the end shows these changes alongside the updated gore and hit effects. What would your first Chinook mission be? Early development footage. #indiedev #gamedev

I’ve been working on air support in Ebbtide. Here’s a closer look at the aircraft, their roles, and the choices you make when calling them in. • F-35: Air-to-ground missile strikes. • F-15: Large-scale bombing. • F/A-18: A versatile all-rounder. • A-10: Close air support, with more improvements in this update. The AC-130 and MQ-9 are in action too. I’ve also included a look at changing loadouts aboard the carrier and using napalm against the hordes. You can pause to plan your attacks, then resume the action or speed things up to 4x. Which aircraft would you call in first? Early development footage. #indiegame #gamedev

I made you all a thank-you card. It got a little messy. Ebbtide passed 200,000 wishlists yesterday, just over a week after the reveal. Thank you for every wishlist, every share, and all the feedback you’ve been sending. I’ve also been busy working on: - Terrain biomes, elevation, and environmental improvements - Gore effects imporvements - City generation imporvements - LAPD and National Guard units - Airport logistics and air support from land-based fixed-wing aircraft I’ll put together a video soon to show you how these are coming along. For now, enjoy this slightly questionable thank-you card. And happy early Halloween! 🎃 Wishlist on Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/4… #indiedev #gamedev

Getting the squads ready for their next fight in Ebbtide. I’ve been working on modular weapons, soldier equipment, and custom paint. Here are two videos showing the customization so far. 1. Weapons and gear — swap optics, muzzle attachments, magazines, grips and more, then choose your soldiers’ helmets, armor, pouches and other equipment. Attachments affect accuracy, magazine capacity and reload time. Larger magazines hold more rounds, but add weight and take longer to reload. Armor provides more protection, while pouches let soldiers carry more spare magazines. That equipment adds up, and the total weight affects movement speed. 2. Custom paint — change the colors of uniforms and individual pieces of gear, including helmets, plate carriers, pouches, backpacks, gloves and boots. Vehicles and aircraft can be painted too. Use the color picker to choose your own colors, or create camouflage from a base color and up to three pattern layers. Adjust each layer’s shape, size and coverage, try digital patterns, shuffle the layout, and save your designs. Both videos finish with ghillie suits. These let soldiers get closer to zombies without being detected, opening up a stealthier approach. Would you keep your squad light and mobile, or bring more armor and ammunition? What kind of camouflage would you make? Wishlist Ebbtide on Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/4… Early development footage. #Ebbtide #indiedev #gamedev

Thanks to all of you, Ebbtide reached 100,000 wishlists in just three days. Honestly, I never expected this much attention in such a short time, and it still hasn’t sunk in. It’s amazing that a game I started on my own has reached so many people, and it gives me real strength for the development ahead. To everyone who discovered Ebbtide and added it to their wishlist, and everyone who told others about it, thank you from the bottom of my heart. There’s still a lot I want to show you, and a lot left to polish. To answer your expectations with the game itself, I’ll keep refining the gameplay step by step, from the decisions you make on the operations map to the moments you fight on the battlefield yourself. I’ll keep building toward the day you can play Ebbtide yourselves. Thank you so much for being part of this. store.steampowered.com/app/4… #Ebbtide #indiedev #gamedev

Scaling up helicopter operations in Ebbtide. 🚁 I’ve been working on helicopter group movement, with different formations and adjustable spacing between aircraft. Here’s a larger transport formation moving across Los Angeles before deploying its squads on the ground. How does the formation movement look? Also, the Steam store page should be ready to go live this week! Sorry for the wait, and thanks for your patience. Early development footage. #indiedev #gamedev

Ebbtide’s Discord is now open! Come chat about the game, follow development, and share your feedback. 👉 discord.gg/JwGQGQFqhD The Steam page is currently under review. I’ll share the link here as soon as it’s live!

I’m excited to finally show you Ebbtide’s operations map. If you’ve been wondering how far the battlefield extends, every battle you’ve seen so far has taken place in and around Los Angeles. The tutorial and Chapter 1 are being built around a fighting retreat across LA, holding successive positions as you fall back toward the Port of Los Angeles. I visited LA a few years ago and practically lived in GTA V. I already knew it was huge, but researching this battlefield made me appreciate its scale all over again. The map covers part of the wider LA metropolitan area. Sorry, Anaheim. I had to draw the line somewhere. These three videos show how commands on the operations map connect to the battlefield: 1. Naval and air support — issue orders to ships, call in fighter support, and follow the aircraft through their flight, turns and attacks. 2. Helicopters — direct an Apache from the map, then dive down to follow its flight over the city. 3. Ground forces — inspect the horde, give your armored units movement orders, and follow the fighting through the streets. When the ammunition runs out, the main gun can no longer fire. It needs resupply. The city is still a work in progress. I’m planning more operations and encounters to fill out the map, along with landmarks to make its different areas more recognizable. I’m also working to minimize loading interruptions when moving between the map and the battlefield. Keeping close-up detail across an area this large is another challenge I’m continuing to work on. What do you think of the operations map so far? Early development footage. #indiedev #gamedev

Just hit 4K followers. Thank you so much! I’m developing Ebbtide on my own, and I never expected it to get this much attention. The response has been incredible, and I’m honestly still shaking a little. There’s so much more I want to show you. I can’t wait to share what’s next. For today, meet the Little Bird. The AH-6M hits the horde with guns and rockets. The MH-6M carries the troops, lifting off the ship’s flight deck and heading ashore. Thanks for following along. Your support means a lot to me. Early development footage. #indiedev #gamedev

A new round of helicopter improvements in Ebbtide. 🚁 Updated rotor visuals, dust kicked up by rotor wash, and nearby trees reacting to the wind. I’ve also refined the troop boarding and disembarking animations. The clip shows these details alongside helicopter transport and rappelling. How do the helicopters look now? Early development footage. #indiedev #gamedev

Here’s that bigger flight deck. Meet the aircraft carrier in Ebbtide. 1. Air support in action — air-to-ground missiles, precision bombing, strafing, and building destruction. Follow the jets in flight or watch the strikes from the battlefield. 2. Deck operations — pilots climb aboard their jets, taxi to the catapult, and launch. 3. Landing and recovery — jets return to the carrier, land, and park before the pilots climb out. The catapult launches and bombing runs are my favorite shots. What do you think of the carrier operations? Early development footage. #indiedev #gamedev

The navy is joining the fight in Ebbtide. 1. Meet the DDG — crew on deck and CIWS firepower. Helicopters can land on the stern flight deck, pick up troops, and take off again. 2. Tomahawk missiles — from launch to impact. 3. Naval gunfire support against the horde. Watch the ship in action up close, or follow its firing through the support camera while commanding the battle far away. How does the naval support look? And there’s a much bigger flight deck waiting offshore… 👀 Early development footage. #indiedev #gamedev

Your squads need a lift. So do their Humvees. Meet the CH-47 Chinook, newly added to Ebbtide. Depending on the load, it can carry: • Two Humvees • One Humvee and 3–4 squads • 5–6 infantry squads Board through the rear ramp, fly across the city, and unload where your troops are needed. How does the boarding and transport look? Early development footage. #indiedev #gamedev