BURNED HORIZONS News

[p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][h3]// LIVESTREAMING[/h3][p]We’re livestreaming January 24 at 2PM EST / 7PM GMT for a pre-launch stream ahead of the Burned Horizons Kickstarter, which launches January 25.[/p][p]We’ll be walking through:[/p]

• [p]The current playable alpha build[/p]
• [p]Core combat systems (wounds, suppression, camera modes)[/p]
• [p]Why Burned Horizons isn’t an XCOM or Jagged Alliance clone[/p]
• [p]What’s coming immediately after the Kickstarter launches[/p]

[p]We’ll also answer questions live and talk candidly about where the project is right now — what’s solid, what’s still rough, and what backing the campaign actually helps us build.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]Kickstarter Launch[/h3][p]January 25[/p][p]Following the Kickstarter now genuinely matters.
Early follows and early support help build momentum, increase visibility, and push the campaign beyond the algorithmic dead zone — reaching players who want tactical depth, not just another clone.[/p][hr][/hr][p]Hold the line. Always forward.

WISHLIST/FOLLOW ON STEAM // JOIN THE DISCORD // BACK THE KICKSTARTER

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REVIEWS: TURN BASED LOVERS, POPULAR AIRSOFT[/p]

[p]// FIELD UPDATE [/p][p]The Burned Horizons Kickstarter trailer is live.
The campaign launches January 25. FOLLOW EARLY. BACK THE CAMPAIGN.
[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][p]Check out the early reviews:

TURN BASED LOVERS // Gritty Turn-Based Tactical RPG Burned Horizons – Overview

POPULAR AIRSOFT // Upcoming "Burned Horizons" Takes A New Approach At Turn-Based Tactical RPGs
[/p]

[p]“A project that breaks away from the usual mold of turn-based tactics — focused on permanence and consequence rather than traditional RPG progression.”
— Marcello, TURN BASED LOVERS[/p]

[p]“Nothing resets. Injuries, losses, and decisions don’t disappear behind a reload.”
— Marcello, TURN BASED LOVERS[/p]

[p]“Less like a game description and more like a harrowing account of a modern-day military expedition.”
— Gungho Cowboy, POPULAR AIRSOFT[/p]

[p]“It’s not just about winning the battle — it’s about surviving the war, with all the scars that entails.”
— Gungho Cowboy, POPULAR AIRSOFT [/p]

[p]
We’re also dropping the dev interview recorded over the weekend with The 20 Minute Gamer.

LIVESTREAM THIS SATURDAY, JAN 24 @ 7PM GMT (2 PM EST) // LINK TBC
[/p][p]Timeline:[/p]

• [p]Kickstarter: January 25[/p]
• [p]Steam Next Fest: February[/p]
• [p]Early Access: April[/p]

[p]
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Hold the line. Always Forward

KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN[/p][p]Backing the campaign now genuinely matters. Early support directly strengthens the project — expanding development capacity, increasing visibility, and helping Burned Horizons reach the players who want tactical depth without compromise.
[/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][p]WISHLIST/FOLLOW ON STEAM // JOIN THE DISCORD // BACK THE KICKSTARTER[/p][p]//-- REVIEWS: TURN BASED LOVERS, POPULAR AIRSOFT, GAZETTE DU WARGAMER[/p]

[p]SITREP // OPEN LIVE FIRE // 1.05.25[/p][p]The closed Alpha has been live since December 23, and we’ve been updating the build steadily — sometimes daily — as we lock down the foundations that Burned Horizons is built on.[/p][p]This Alpha is deliberately scoped.
Right now, the focus is on the systems that persist — the things that follow operators from one fight to the next and shape the campaign over time.[/p][hr][/hr][p]CURRENT FOCUS[/p][p]We’re actively testing and refining:[/p][p]• SCARs
Psychological trauma and lived experience that persist throughout the campaign.[/p][p]• Pathways & Specializations
Operators develop through use, pressure, and survival — not XP bars or grind. What you do is what you learn.[/p][p]• Wounding, triage & recovery foundations
You don’t heal in combat. You stabilize injuries, slow their escalation, and carry the consequences forward. This is the first layer of a deeper medical system.[/p][p]• Hit probability and wounding foundations
Outcomes driven by weapon behavior, distance, exposure, and target state — not abstract dice rolls[/p][p]• Three camera modes
Different ways to read the same fight[/p][p]These systems are intentionally being tested in their earliest form so they can grow without breaking what comes after.[/p][hr][/hr][p]COMBAT LOOP[/p][p]The initial combat loop is set.[/p][p]Positioning, visibility, and survival come first.
Some elements are intentionally lean while the underlying structure hardens.[/p][p]Additional layers are already being integrated:[/p][p]• Kneeling and kneeling fire
• Expanded overwatch and reaction behavior
• Deeper stance and posture mechanics[/p][hr][/hr][p]WHAT’S COMING[/p][p]Expect more depth, more polish, and more systems coming online as we head towards:[/p][p]• Kickstarter — January 25
• Steam Next Fest — late February / early March
• Early Access — planned for April

We also have two game trailers coming out between now and the Kickstarter launch.[/p][hr][/hr][p]If you’re playing now, you’re not just testing features.
You’re helping shape the battlefield.
[/p][p]Hold the line. Always forward.

Your feedback during this phase directly shapes what comes next.
WISHLIST ON STEAM // BACK THE KICKSTARTER (JAN 25)[/p]

[h2]OPERATION LIVE FIRE — Closed Alpha Launch[/h2][p]Tomorrow OPERATION LIVE FIRE commences with the launch of Burned Horizons’ Closed Alpha.[/p][p]Over the past four months, we’ve been working through concept art, world building, art style, interface mockups, features, and promotion — and tomorrow begins our shared journey of turning those ideas into reality.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]What’s in the Alpha at Launch[/h3][p]The Alpha at launch will focus on key features including:[/p]

• [p]Basic movement in real time and turn-based combat[/p]
• [p]Targeting enemies, with battlefield factors impacting hit probability[/p]
• [p]Early wounding and triage systems[/p]
• [p]Multiple camera angles (Top Down, Isometric, Third Person)[/p]
• [p]Frameworks for trauma (SCARs)[/p]
• [p]Character progression systems (UCD/S, Pathways & Specializations)[/p]

[p]In combination with persistence, these systems will carry forward with each operator and, as additional features and systems are added, will increasingly impact their performance, growth, and interactions with squad members, civilians, and enemy combatants.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]What Happens After Launch[/h3][p]Following release, we will continue to push weekly updates with additional features and mechanics, depth, content, and improvements as we progress toward planned Early Access in April 2026.[/p][p]By January 12, OPN LIVE FIRE will pivot from a Closed Alpha to an Open Alpha in advance of the Kickstarter campaign, which begins on January 25.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]What We’re Building[/h3][p]Burned Horizons is something unique — a deeply immersive game that mirrors the effects of war and conflict on people, both combatants and non-combatants.[/p][p]We’re also building Burned Horizons with player agency in mind, including sliders and toggles for a wide range of settings (encumbrance, tooltips, etc.), alongside foundational modding support. Inspiration reaches back to old-school tactical games from before the XP grind took over. There are no health bar meters or pick-your-way skill trees — characters develop through what they do, experience, and survive.[/p][p]Our goal is to give a glimpse into what war really is — not how it’s marketed in most games today. And by starting our first theater in Ukraine, we’re trying to tell the story of what people there — and others in similar situations — are experiencing and surviving.[/p][hr][/hr][p]
We’re glad you’re on this road with us.[/p][p]Hold the line. Always forward.
[/p][hr][/hr][h2]ROLLING SCHEDULE[/h2]

• [p]23 DEC: Closed Alpha deploys[/p]
• [p]Dec 23 → 25 JAN: Regular updates, fixes, and incremental content[/p]
• [p]Week of 12 JAN: Closed Alpha expands into Public Alpha[/p]
• [p]25 JAN: Kickstarter launch[/p]
• [p]Q1 2026 → Early Q2 2026: Early Access launch[/p]

[hr][/hr][p]Your feedback during this phase directly shapes what comes next.
WISHLIST ON STEAM // BACK THE KICKSTARTER (JAN 25)[/p]

[h2]// FIELD BRIEF \[OPN LIVE FIRE]
[/h2][p]On December 23, we deploy the Closed Alpha for Burned Horizons.[/p][p]This release establishes a limited-scope, ground-level experience: how operators move, fight, take damage, manage equipment, and carry consequences forward between engagements.
[/p][p]Operational state at deployment:[/p]

• [p]Multiple camera perspectives, including third person[/p]
• [p]Basic movement, firing, aiming, and body-part targeting[/p]
• [p]Hit probability governed by layered battlefield factors, starting with position, exposure, and target selection[/p]
• [p]A unified five-color status system used across wound severity, durability, hit probability, and core attribute state[/p]
• [p]An early four-tier wound model, focused on initial and residual bleeding over time[/p]
• [p]Early triage focused on stabilization, with recovery treated as a process rather than instant restoration[/p]
• [p]Basic reload and cover behavior[/p]
• [p]Looting and a structured inventory system in early form[/p]
• [p]Sample SCARs, Pathways, and Specializations to establish long-term operator development direction[/p]
• [p]Repeatable engagements with persistent outcomes[/p]
• [p]Early UI, placeholder interfaces, and initial AI behavior[/p]
• [p]SPARTA systems visible but restricted[/p]

[p]From here, development continues on top of what’s already in place.[/p][p]Between deployment and the Kickstarter — and beyond — this build will continue to evolve through updates that:[/p]

• [p]Deepen existing combat and survival mechanics[/p]
• [p]Add layers of interaction and consequence[/p]
• [p]Introduce additional systems as they are brought online[/p]
• [p]Tighten performance, stability, and usability[/p]

[p]Each update builds pressure, complexity, persistence and depth onto the same operational core.[/p][p]Access is expected to widen in early January as stability improves.[/p][p]This phase carries forward into our Kickstarter launch on January 25, which supports continued expansion of the systems already in place and the introduction of those still taking shape.
[/p][p]Always Forward.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]ROLLING SCHEDULE[/h2]

• [p]23 DEC: Closed Alpha deploys[/p]
• [p]Dec 23 → 25 JAN: Regular updates, fixes, and incremental content[/p]
• [p]Week of 12 JAN: Closed Alpha expands into Public Alpha[/p]
• [p]25 JAN: Kickstarter launch[/p]
• [p]Q1 2026 → Early Q2 2026: Early Access launch[/p]

[hr][/hr][p]
Your feedback during this phase directly shapes what comes next.

WISHLIST ON STEAM // BACK THE KICKSTARTER (JAN 25)

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