ASTRIDER Takes Cold War Dogfights and Voiced Visual Novel Drama to Kickstarter

(Auszug aus der Pressemitteilung)

ASTRIDER, an arcade flight sim with fully voiced visual novel scenes between missions, invites players to try its free demo on Steam and back its Kickstarter campaign that runs until November 18, 2026 with a $45,000 goal to fund the complete game.

The story unfolds in an alt-history Cold War that erupted into open war in 1967 , in a world where the strangest conspiracy theories are simply true. A flat earth sits beneath a physical firmament dome, the heir of Anastasia holds sway over the Eurasian heartland, a republican Triarchy mirrors ancient Rome along the coasts, and a third power bides its time beneath the ice wall.

The full game plans three campaigns of twelve missions each, one for every faction, with different aircraft, weapons and allied characters on each side. Sorties send pilots after targets on land, at sea and in the air, and results are scored by time and target value. That scoring adds tension: wingmates need help to stay alive and advance, yet they also compete for the points that unlock new aircraft faster.

Characters matter as much as airframes. Scripted radio voiceovers accompany every mission, while illustrated, fully voiced and replayable story scenes shift according to mission outcomes and dialogue choices. A friend in one campaign can turn into a dangerous foe in another.

Try Before You Back: Play the Free Demo

The ASTRIDER demo can be downloaded at no cost from Steam, so creators can stream a sortie, record a first impression or gather audience reactions while the Kickstarter campaign is still running. Since the full game is still in development, the demo offers a sample of its characters and gameplay.

Back the Mission: Support ASTRIDER on Kickstarter Until November 18

The Kickstarter campaign launched on Monday, October 19 with a $45,000 goal and runs through November 18, 2026. Because the campaign is all or nothing, backers are only charged if the goal is reached. The funding is meant to help ensure the artists, voice actors and musician collaborating on the game are compensated appropriately for their work.

The pitch also carries a clear promise: ASTRIDER is, and will remain, free of AI-generated writing, art, music, voices or translations. If the campaign succeeds, the developer is targeting a late 2028 release; otherwise, the timeline will stretch further.

Rewards start at $5 for a name in the end credits. From $20, backers get a Steam copy of the game at $5 off the full price, while higher tiers add the original soundtrack, a voiced role as an in-game character or the chance to design an aircraft livery or a DLC mission.

Key features

• Three campaigns of twelve missions each, one per faction
• Different aircraft, weapons and allied characters on every side
• Fully voiced, illustrated story scenes that change with mission results and dialogue choices
• Scripted radio voiceovers and an original soundtrack
• Keyboard and mouse, gamepad and HOTAS support with full rebinding
• Built-in modding support for the final release