Stephen Hoban
Game developer
Ithacan Media
OpenGalaxy
The OpenGalaxy is a customizable personal mythology and planet builder. It puts the player in the position of god at the moment of creation, to develop civilizations with unique customs of worship, set in a multiplayer universe of fellow gods and planet holders. It’s an expansive and open project, by definition. I think of it as a UGC application of the infinite monkeys theorem applied to the evolution of human belief: how differently would our understanding of the supernatural develop, given another chance? The player’s exploration of that question finds its expression in a powerful PvP battle mechanic called the Strike.
The openGalaxy’s cosmos can be browsed on the web through the project’s galaxy map, and an expanded planet maker tool designed for iOS is currently in closed beta. It supports, but does not require, the blockchain. The central game is tentatively set for mobile release around the 2024 Perseids.
Project Dates: 2020–present
Published platforms: Web, iOS
Select assets on Polygon chain
SHFT game incubator participant, 2023