Pistol Shrimp™ Games — an independent studio founded by Toys for Bob veterans — today launched the Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for Free Stars: Children of Infinity, a direct sequel to the award-winning science-fiction action-adventure game, Free Stars: The Ur-Quan Masters®.
The golden age of science fiction lives on in Free Stars: Children of Infinity, where fans will embark on an unforgettable adventure into a wondrous galaxy. It is here where hope and conflict are constantly at odds; thrilling stories are waiting to be told, and strange alien denizens (some friendly, some terrifying, others… we’re not sure of just yet) will be found. Most importantly of all, fans of The Ur-Quan Masters will finally witness a galaxy liberated by the eclectic Alliance of Free Stars.
After three decades, thousands of fan petitions, and dozens of game releases between them, the original creators of The Ur-Quan Masters and the beloved Free Stars universe return with the long-awaited continuation of this epic space saga. With the founding of Pistol Shrimp Games by Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford (the original founders of Toys for Bob), Ken Ford, and Dan Gerstein, the legacy of this celebrated part of gaming history continues under the Free Stars name. The previous entry in the series Free Stars: The Ur-Quan Masters® was released for free on Steam in February 2024.
“Happy days and jubilation, captains! Traversing the universe may be an endless venture, but we have finally reached the next destination in our long quest to bring Free Stars: Children of Infinity to life,” said Pistol Shrimp Games’ founders Fred Ford and Dan Gerstein in a joint statement. “Help us complete this journey through the stars, and — with enough backers, we might even get to infinity plus one.”
Free Stars: Children of Infinity brings the gameplay of its classic space-faring predecessor to the modern era, featuring a retro aesthetic, arcade-style combat, and a player-driven story.
As a captain in the Alliance of Free Stars, players will load up their starmap and explore a massive, living universe with hundreds of star systems and thousands of planets. As they navigate these many worlds, they’ll meet alien species whom they can befriend (or offend due to their human ignorance). By going planetside, players will collect resources and make new discoveries that will reveal more of the story while improving their starships and fleets. Players needn't face the various hazards and creatures of the galaxy alone; Free Stars: Children of Infinity will support online cooperative play among friends, plus competitive PvP Super Melee matches.
Renowned for its colorful cast of characters, rich story, and radically open universe, The Ur-Quan Masters has been called “one of the greatest games of all time” and praised by the likes of Tim Cain (Fallout, Fallout 2) of Obsidian Entertainment, Ken Levine (BioShock, System Shock 2, JUDAS) of Ghost Story Games, and Mark Darrah (Mass Effect), alumni of BioWare. The Ur-Quan Masters inspired countless other creators in the video game industry, including the visionaries behind No Man’s Sky, Subnautica, and Stellaris — to name just a few.
Pistol Shrimp Games seeks $100,000 to fund the continued development of Free Stars: Children of Infinity. The Kickstarter campaign ends on May 17 and offers various backer rewards, including digital content, a physical collector’s guide with behind-the-scenes content, and a printed starmap poster. Intrepid galactic adventurers can learn more about Free Stars: Children of Infinity and become Kickstarter backers at https://freestarsgame.com/kickstarter.