An upcoming indie game looks like a great example of how game worlds can play with the laws of physics. Orbifold, which is being development by four-man team Wild Vector Games, takes place inside a series of spheres, creating an opportunity for mind-bending traversal mechanics.
Orbifold is described as a frantic first-person shooter with roguelike elements. You scavenge for weapons, loot, and stacking upgrades while fighting through curved landscapes that generate an unusual sense of space (see our guide to the best game development software and the best laptops for game development if you’re inspired).
Check out Orbifold on @Kickstarter! It’s fun trying out tricks in spherical gravity.#gamedev #indiedev #gaming #kickstarter pic.twitter.com/nGDVOyFeOGFebruary 22, 2026
Orbifold is set on the broken planet of Sara 7 where a ferocious war led to an unexplained incident that turned surface into a series of inverted hollow spheres where gravity pushes outwards. This leads to new mechanics for travel since inhabitants can move quickly across the landscape.
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Players travel from sphere to sphere through elevators, engaging in cross-sphere firefights Projectiles curve in unexpected ways, and the unusual environment means that players will need to look up more than usual.
The New Zealand.-based developers say the levels have been designed to encourage exploration and creative combat. The game will support online and LAN co-op, and players can assemble a squad from a range of characters, including explorers, soldiers, and double agents. It is also possible to go it along, collecting weapons and stacking upgrades.
Chris Cullen, Wild Vector’s lead developer, said he started prototyping the game several years ago after gaining experience on other projects. He cites Dune, War of the Worlds, Halo and Risk of Rain 2 as major influences for the game’s concept and environment. He says Half-Life 2’s gunplay and movement influenced the mix of weapons, items and melee in combat.
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Intrigued by the mind-bending level design and creative combat mechanics? You can wishlist Orbifold on Steam and check out the Kickstarter project.