
The Cycle
The Cycle is a Competitive Quest Shooter or PvEvP for insiders. You play as a prospector sent on Fortuna III, a living and unstable planet swarming with hostile alien wildlife. Compete or deal a fragile pact with other Prospectors to claim as many resources as possible.
What it feels like
The PvEvP format and extraction pressure create sustained edge-of-seat tension throughout each run. Alien creatures and environmental hazards present an active, present threat that clearly intends prospectors harm.
What it's about
An abandoned alien world with hostile creatures and advanced prospecting technology anchors the sci-fi setting. Surviving the planet's hostile environment, deadly storm, and competing prospectors is central to the experience. Prospectors operate on a hostile alien world cut off from civilization, with limited backup and high personal risk.
How it plays
The core loop is entering Fortuna III to prospect for resources and survive extraction with loot intact before the deadly storm forces departure. First-person shooting against alien wildlife and other prospectors is a primary interaction mode throughout each run. Shooting combat is fused with prospecting for randomized loot and resources as the core reward loop.
How it looks and sounds
The game is presented entirely from a first-person perspective as the prospector navigating the alien world.
How it's structured
Prospectors must contend with hostile alien creatures, environmental threats, and other players simultaneously in the same space. Direct competition with other prospectors for resources and extraction is a central dynamic, even if cooperative deals are possible. Each match is a discrete run where prospectors enter, gather loot, and extract or lose everything on death.
Kindred games
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