March 18, 2025
The importance of merging storytelling with gameplay mechainics.
The story informs the gameplay which feels like a story, making Lifeship immersive and interesting every step of the way.
Who we are.
We are a team of four friends who have been gaming together for a long time. Decades even. We play role playing games, wargames, and board games together. In February 2023, Chris had an idea for a board game. He knocked out a simple version that week and then we tested it. That idea became a vision, and Lifeship was born. 18 months later, and we are demoing a prototype and working toward an end product. We have other projects on the horizon as well, including 'Pantheon' a TTRPG.
Ikarangi Labs supports human artists and creatives. We do not use AI in our products.
Our Values
Narrative Stakes
We are huge fans of stakes in our games and our stories. When you make choices in an Ikarangi Labs game, those choices will pay off. Whether it's rescuing 20k survivors, or as simple as stealing data from a console, our games will react.
Bespoke Experiences
We want to reward experimentation, odd decisions, and exploration. Providing a unique experience to each play group means that each mission, each encounter, each choice will be different and meaningful depending on your group.
Rule of Cool
We never let a bad idea get in the way of having fun. Design decisions come down to the player experience. If an idea makes sense but isn't that fun in practice, it gets the axe. If an idea is maybe a little weird but IS super fun, then we figure out how to justify it in the story.
Meet the team
Chris Jacobs
Creator and Design Lead for Lifeship
I designed my first board game at 17. A monopoly based game that incorporated Warhammer Fantasy characters. I have been playing TTRPGs with the rest of the Ikarangi Labs team for decades and I LOVE board games. My Father's Work, Sleeping Gods, and Gloom/Frosthaven are particular faves. I have a degree in English and Classics and have written several Science Fiction novels. I love narrative in games. I love choices. Making Lifeship is a dream come true.
Odin Jacobs
Lead Equipment, Salvage, Mutation, and Map Designer
I play games of all kinds, especially board and card games. One of my favorite things to do when I get a new game is memorize the rule book and all of the cards within, much to the annoyance of my fellow players. I was a games prefect in high school, where I first forayed into the realm of game design. I have continued to be passionate about board games, particularly ones with a narrative focus onto which I can lend my studies in philosophy and science to make sure they are compelling. Making Lifeship has been absolutely amazing and I hope that people enjoy it as much as I do.
Bradford Brizzell
Story Designer, Art Liasion
I have been an avid gamer for my entire life. Roleplaying, wargaming (Battletech mostly), and board games. I love creating mystery boxes and forcing players into difficult moral dilemmas.
Jesse Watts
Number Cruncher, Community Liasion
I am a gamer who has a deep appreciation for robust rules. I have played card and board games for half my life, often becoming the ‘rules guru’ and have judged Magic: the Gathering and Flesh and Blood at high levels. I also love seeing communities grow and thrive, seeing all the different personalities coming together for great board games, and the stories that come from them. I have an honors degree in linguistics, and find the many ways we interact with games as a “language” fascinating.
Conn Meyer - Cuttlefish INK NZ
Creature Artist
I'm an LGBT Wellington-based creator dabbling in digital design, zines and other art. I take commissions & non-profit requests, dye hair for koha, and love doing costume makeup.
Whiteghoul Studio
Character Artist
We are a digital art studio based in Medan, Indonesia.We do concept art, key visuals, character designs and also environment design.
https://www.instagram.com/whiteghoulstudio/
Mint Design
Website Partner
Our development partner is Mint Design Ltd. We worked directly with one of their Senior Developers, Richard Paterson, who also happens to be an avid gamer. "I loved working with Chris, Odin, and their team on this project. It combined two of my favourite things: writing code and gaming! We built a framework that the Ikarangi Labs crew can use to keep expanding the game themselves, giving them a sustainable model for Lifeship’s future growth. I can’t wait to see other gamers enjoy it."
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