Explore the galaxy of the Astral Union with your friends as you help make space a peaceful place. Pilot your mech companions around the stars together in this lo-fi Multiplayer TTRPG. A follow up to the ION Heart Solo RPG.
Get yourself ready to pledge on launch day.
Sign up to join BackerKit
or Log In to check if you are ready.
We know everyone is excited to fill in their surveys and secure their trip the Astral Union. We're working hard to get the Pledge Manager up and running, because we're excited too.
We've been getting a few similar questions, so here's a quick FAQ:
When will the Pledge Manager be ready? We're aiming to get things ready and open by the end of May.
Will there be Pre-Orders / Late Pledges? Yes! Absolutely!
When will I get my rewards? Check the timeline on the campaign page, we're still on track to meet that schedule. Pre-existing digital rewards will be delivered as soon as the Pledge Manager locks (closes).
If you have any further questions, or want to join the Parable Games community, you can email us at contactparablegames.com or join our Discord: https://discord.gg/StcqgYjv7u
If you're going to be at London Comicon or the UK Games Expo this May, come say hello to the team!
We did it 🎉 Thank you for bringing these Mechs to life!
From everyone at Parable Games, we just want to say a massive mech-sized thank you to everyone who has supported this campaign. We've been blown away by the enthusiasm and love this project has received, and cannot wait to fully bring this game to life for you all!
So now the campaign is finished, what happens next?
Next Steps - Pledge Manager and Surveys
Backerkit are processing the funds, and very soon the Pledge Manager will open for you to check, confirm, and add on to your pledges (the latter being an optional choice).
Be sure to fill in your survey as soon as possible, to avoid any disappointments further down the line.
We're already working hard on getting the books and all the other goodies from the campaign moving, and will be updating you all with the progress as on the project as we go.
Next Steps - Timelines
Please check the Timeline on the Ion Heart Multiplayer campaign page. It's still as accurate as we can currently be, and we'll update you here if anything changes!
Next Steps - Communication
From now on, the way we communicate with you will be a little different than during the campaign.
Once a month, we will send you an update here, on the campaign, along with an email notification. We'll do this whether there's been interesting progress, or not. As you might imagine, when making a game, there's a lot more boring bits than interesting ones, but we want to make sure you know we're still here and still going!
We don't want to overload you with emails, so it will just be that one update a month for this project - as regular to the day as possible, but at least one per calendar month. Please don't go straight to the comments with "It's been almost a month / 4 weeks since the last update and no new update!", because there will be one coming along that month.
Speaking of comments, we will be monitoring the comments and messaging through the campaign less now, as we focus on other aspects of game production and other project campaigns. The very best ways to get in touch with us directly are:
This is the best way to get in touch with us. Use this to speak to the team and other Parable Gamers like yourself! We can help with all sorts of quick and easy problems this way - and you get to meet lots of cool new people!
Use these for serious problems with your Backerkit Pledge or Parable Games product.
So if you have queries about our other games, other campaigns, payment issues, timelines, or anything else, please be sure to send them to the right place, at the right time.
Once again, thank you all for helping us make this game a reality. We can't wait to explore the Astral Union with you all!
Less than 48 Hours Remaining! Back now to recive a Free Mech Mini!
Free Mech Miniature for all Backers!
As we roll into the last 2 days of the campaign, we just want to say a big thank you to everyone who has supported this project so far! It means the world to us, and to show our gratitude, we twant to offer you all a gift. Everyone who has already backed the campaign (and anyone else who does before it closes) will receive a Free Mech Miniature STL!
Check the free miniature out below:
You may recognise this design from one of the pieces of art from ION Heart Solo! This heavy gunner mech was a test sculpt initially, but we love it so much that we want to share it with you. The sword pictured in the render is included, but has been separated for easier 3d printing and is all pre-supported, ready to go!
In all the excitement of the launch, I've managed to put aside some time to quickly paint up this mech in the Ion Heart colour scheme! My hobby skills may not do the model full justice, but we are excited to see more neon pink and blue mechs hit the tabletop.
After looking at the Astral Citizen Pack in our previous Closer Look update, today we are taking a look at the Astral Adventure Boxset! If you want an adventure experience like no other for Ion Heart, all neatly packaged up in one box, then this set is for you! Let's take a look at what you get inside:
6 Mech Miniatures
The stars of this boxset are the 6 Mech minatures, each one styled after one of the core 6 species you can play as in the game. These can be used as your player pieces, allies or even enemies, depending on what stories you are playing. We are incredibly excited to bring our first set of miniatures to life, and want to make sure you can too! That's why, alongside the physical minis, we have included free STL files for the Mechs so you can print even more!
We also want to give a shoutout to the fantastic team at War Scenery (who you can check out here) who made these fantastic sculpts. It's been amazing to see Ben's designs be formed into 3D, and we can't wait to see them on the tabletop.
For a closer look at the minis, we've rendered out some 3d turnarounds below for you to check out:
Apollonian Mech
Monau Mech
Kirvae Mech
Varziss Mech
Urvon Mech
Chiros Mech
Adventure Booklet
So what will exploring using these minatures? The box set includes a full adventure in a softcover booklet, filled with multiple encounters, mechs, items and rewards for your players. This easy-to-run story will have you set up and playing the game in no time at all, including preset characters for all your players if you want to jump straight in with no player prep.
Card Deck
To make the adventure even smoother to run, we've included cards for every element you'll find in the box set and its adventure. This includes:
New enemies
Weapons and items
Allies
Mech Cards for the included minatures
Token Sheet
Your Mech miniatures won't be alone on the map; we've also included a token sheet for all the enemies, hazards and objectives you'll find in the adventure booklet!
To be clear, as it is a question we've seen pop up a few times - the cards and tokens are unique to this box set and are not duplicated in the Card Packs or Map and Token Pack.
3 Days Left!
We have only 3 days left before the campaigns ends, so make sure to back before it closes!
After looking at the ION Heart Card Deck in our previous Closer Look update, today we are taking a look at the Astral Citizen Pack! There’s so much to delve into here as it filled to the brim with all kinds of Ion Heart goodies that make you feel like a part of its world, so let’s get started:
The Nephilim Net Book
We wanted to provide a small book which feels like it is straight out of the world of Ion Heart and something your Pilots would feasibly have on them. With the Emergence War breaking out suddenly, this threat was truly alien to all, and Pilots needed a guide on this new and strange enemy. This is why the Nephelim Net is styled as a military service manual for tackling this now-defeated enemy.
Although the Nephelim have been defeated, their remnants still pose a threat. The book will include story seeds for adventures where you will go toe-to-toe with the Nephilim and fight to prevent them from regrouping. With a whole host of Nephelim stat blocks too, this book will provide everything you need to face the Aegeic Galaxy’s greatest foes.
Aegeic Flora and Fauna Handbook
Exploring the galaxy will take you and your friends to a whole host of different planets, each with its own unique ecology. This 24+ page softcover book acts as a guide to the wild and wondrous worlds of the Astral Union. This is designed to feel like a traveller's companion, filled with facts and points of interest, as well as advice on how to keep safe no matter where you go.
Filled with story inspirations for different ecologies, stat blocks for megafuana you may discover, and items for interacting with the environmental wonders of the galaxy, this book is your perfect guide to exploring the natural world.
Metal First Player Token: Medal of Service
Another echo of your Pilot’s past is the metal first player token, forged to represent a medal of service in the Astral Union military. When you’re holding it, will you fight to the last like in your past? Or will you choose a different path?
Postcard Set
A set of 5 art postcards showing off the world of Ion Heart. Perhaps send a postcard to a friend from your Pilot, and tell them all about your adventures.
Dice Bag
Gather up your dice and store them in this bright pink and blue bag so they never go astray!
Iron On Patch
The piece of art for this fabric patch has become a team favourite as well as the players! This cosy patch of Mech's around the campfire is ready to attach to jackets, backpacks and blankets with a simple iron-on adhesive.
Art Print
An exclusive A5 art print perfect as a piece of peaceful wall art. Have a favourite piece of art you’d like to see hung up so far? Drop a comment below and let us know which is your favourite so far, or something you’d like to see!
Sticker Sheet
If you’re like me, you love to cover your notebooks (of which I have too many) in as many custom stickers as possible. This A5 sticker sheet will let you do just that!
Ion Heart Pen
Never lose your RPG pen again with this brightly coloured Ion Heart Pen. Keep detailed pilot logs, mark up your character sheet, and take notes as you explore the galaxy.
Luxury Fabric Tote Bag
A bundle as big as this would be remiss if it didn’t have something to carry it all! This durable, soft fabric bag with a zippable top is perfect for carrying all your Ion Heart books as well as all the goodies you get in this pack!
100K Stretch Goal Unlocked! - Print and Play Tokens
100K Stretch Goal Unlocked! - Print and Play Tokens
We have unlocked another amazing Stretch Goal! All backers will now receive a free print-and-play token sheet. Build your own mech standees, enemies and objective markers for playing with.
Our next stretch goal on the horizon will see another chapter being added to The ARK - our community PDF available for all backers - adding more lore and gameplay content to your game.
Have any questions or want to share tales from playing the Quickstart? Drop us a comment on this update or join our Discord server here.
Thank you all for your support. Passing 100K is such a huge milestone, and we are incredibly excited to see what the final week of the campaign brings!
Prepare to blast off into the stars with your friends! Explore the universe with your best Mech-companion in this cosy TTRPG where conflict can be resolved with warmth as much as war.
Following the release of ION Heart Solo, this campaign is launching the lo-fi Mech filled world of ION Heart into hyperdrive. Stepping back in time to the direct aftermath of the Emergence War, you will help your Mechs, and each other, find a place in this new post-battle world.
Stories in ION Hearts take place in the aftermath of a galaxy-spanning war against a common foe - The Nephilim. An entropic, all-consuming force focused on destruction, the Nephilim were defeated by a shaky coalition of factions that eventually became the Astral Union.
But whilst the war is over and citizens and Mechs try to discover what life now should be, pockets of conflict still exist in the far corners of space. Small bands of Nephilim and self-serving rogue forces all seek to further their own goals and don’t care about the cost.
As a Pilot, you will guide your former weapon-of-war Mech throughout the galaxy, striving to find your place again, after the horrors you have lived through. Will you take up arms again, hoping that the promised peace is worth it, or will you use diplomacy and hope to overcome even the most challenging of enemies? Will you find your place amongst the stars?
Mechs have become an integral part of the Astral Union; during the war as powerful weapons, and after the conflict as companions, vehicles, and transport. They come in variety of shapes, sizes, and weight classes, their design often reflecting elements of their Pilot's species and their culture.
Pilots and Mechs are uniquely connected by the Ion Core, a piece of technology that allows a psychic link between them, allowing for instantaneous communications . This mind-machine connection is called the Sync-Bond.
The Ion Core itself is an advanced intelligence system that grows over time and will inevitably develop new habits, idiosyncrasies, and some say even a personality of their own. A Mech’s Ion Core will naturally change over time, and is influenced by the relationship with their Pilot. Your actions matter deeply and will shape who your Mech becomes.
The AU is a federation of many different sentient species, each with its own cultural practices and modes of communication. The game features 6 fully-playable Species which include:
1 - Apollonian - Humans from the Apollo-Theta system, home of the sun-worshipping Unification of Apollo. The youngest of the space-faring species of the AU.
2 - Varziss - Reptilian inhabitants of the Varziss Triarchy, the largest nation in the AU. Varziss are cold-blooded and require thick clothing and heated Mech interiors for colder climates.
3 - Urvon - Towering bear-like mammals from the League of Urvo. The League developed the first Mechs for its enormous mining operations.
4 - Chiros - Winged nocturnal citizens of the Chiros Coalition. Chiros are capable of short-range flight and will happily sleep upside-down, hanging from the ceiling.
5 - Kirvae - Tall centaurian beings from the Kirvaen Prefecture. The Prefecture was the first society to study psionics, leading to the development of Ion Core technology.
6 - Mo’nau - Feline citizenry of the Mo’nau Republic. Their homeworld, Oskaw, is renowned as a centre of learning and culture.
The Astral Union may be free from the perils of the Emergence War, but this post-conflict universe is still fraught with dangers to overcome, enemies to fight, and citizens in need of help.
FIGHT the remnants of the Nephelim, corrupt corporations, and other dangers across the galaxy.
PROTECT the citizens of the Astral Union from a variety of threats. From bandits and greedy corporations, to natural disasters and wild alien creatures, do what you can to keep the Astral Union safe.
FIND PEACE in the new friends that you make, the scars of the past that you leave behind. Finding your place in a newly peaceful world may be the greatest challenge of all.
Based on the worlds of the fabulous ION Heart, this full tabletop RPG lets you become the Pilot of your very own semi-sentient Mech. With the war now over, what will you and your robot friend do now you no longer have to fight? Create a Pilot from one of the many Species and cultures that inhabit the galaxy, mod-out or disarm your ex-weapon-of-war, then figure out what you and your friends are going to do in a (mostly) peaceful galaxy.
From herding mega-sheep to helping rebuild the town hall, there’s always endless adventures to be had. As a Pilot and Mech team, you sail through the galaxy looking for new hope, new opportunities, and a new purpose. Alongside your friends you'll have to choose what path ahead is right for you and your robotic companion. Will it always be a peaceful life? Or will the ways of war follow you, always? Can you find balance in a galaxy in desperate need of both kindness, and defence?
