ION Heart: As this lo-fi solo mech TTRPG wins crowdfunding hearts, we take a look at the game’s shady corporations

Parable Games’ solo mech RPG ION Heart is doing great on BackerKit. The target for the lo-fi game was £10,000, and three weeks left to join the action with the pledge counter at nearly £57,000.

The pitch for the game is that you play two characters: a pilot and a mech mentally bonded to the former fighter. The war is over, and so both have some soul-searching to do. What’s the point of them now that the galaxy is at peace? In this article, we’ll find out that a peaceful world is not a perfect world as we look at some of the game’s sly corporations.

You can support the game on BackerKit, and physical supporters will get an ION Heart art print.

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In the game, you explore the planets and cultures of the now-peaceful Astral Union. How was peace achieved? A single threat united the galaxy: the Nephilim Colossi.

If you’re already tempted, there’s a Pay What You Want Quickstart on DriveThruRPG.

ION Heart Corporations

Parable Games has been kind enough to share a sneak peek at some corporations.

There are countless corporations featured in ION Heart that are up to no good in about any way you can imagine. Ecological destruction, technological sabotage and even attempting to incite conflict in the current galactic peace are just a few of their dodgy clandestine activities. Here are a few notable large corporations in the Astral Union.

Dragnoss Industries

Holds the sole contract to produce the Heriot Class mech, and has a particular focus on ‘defence’ contracting and experimental mech alterations. AU citizens may have heard of this, but likely just know them for ‘making mechs’ without knowing how nefarious and militaristic they are.

Enveloper Holdings

This corp likes to hoover up smaller companies and has a particular fondness for establishing ‘company towns’ where it can monitor its employees’ lives. AU citizens have likely heard of its subsidiaries, which at any time are often not far away from being assets-stripped and closed down for tax purposes. 

Ipcriss Executive Outcomes

Notable for creating the template for the mass-produced Zenef defence mech. They insist that all their products are for use in ‘essential self protection’ out on the galactic frontiers, but they seem surprisingly popular with mercenaries, pirates and malcontents. 

Backers at £15 get the Pilot’s Handbook in PDF and digital stretch goals, while those at £30 get the same book in physical and PDF.

At £80, a popular tier, backers get the Handbook and ION Heart: Remembrance in physical and PDF, dice and the Pilot’s Journal.

Currently, the most popular tier is higher and at £125, which also adds the ION Heart Mech’s Toolkit, which completes the set.

There are two limited tiers and a retailer pledge. The first limited offer is the £200 Planetary Founder, which includes all the previous perks and the ability to name a planet in the Astral Union. The second is the Solar Founder, which lets backers name a solar system.

Parable Games estimates ION Heart will ship in March 2025. The crowdfunding finishes on the 16th of August.