Independent developer Emerick Gibson has officially released Iron Mandate out of early access on Steam, making the Dune-inspired roguelike completely free while sharing an honest assessment about the project’s challenges. Originally launched in early access in March 2023, the game received updates for about a month before development stalled for nearly two years.
Gibson returned recently to fully release the game with a remarkably transparent post-mortem that addresses what happened. According to the developer, a combination of time constraints, financial limitations, and fundamental issues with the core concept led to the decision to make the game free and move on to new projects.
Giant Mechanical Worms with Limited Appeal
Despite never achieving significant player numbers—with concurrent users peaking in the low dozens—Iron Mandate maintains “very positive” Steam reviews from its small but appreciative fanbase. The game’s premise is certainly unique, as Gibson describes it: players must master piloting giant mechanical worms, destroying enemies and reclaiming their rightful place on the throne.
Gibson explained that returning to the project was partly prompted by Steam’s notification system, which now alerts users when games haven’t received updates for extended periods. The developer stated that he wanted to provide context rather than leaving the impression of an abandoned project, emphasizing that the game remains fully functional and completable in its current state.
From Dune Inspiration to Implementation Challenges
The origin of Iron Mandate stems from an unexpected source—an opening scene in the 2021 Dune film that sparked Gibson’s imagination. While acknowledging this might seem like an unusual inspiration, the developer shared that watching the scene made him want to create a game featuring similar visuals. Working within the constraints of 2D development and wanting to create a roguelike experience, Gibson eventually landed on the concept of giant mechanical worms firing missiles from side-mounted cannons, similar to historical warships. However, the developer admitted that what seemed like a perfect concept on paper proved difficult to implement effectively.
Gibson candidly assessed the game’s primary shortcomings, highlighting the clunky control scheme and poor player onboarding as significant obstacles. He acknowledged that while players could eventually master the controls, many would likely abandon the game before reaching that point. The developer also expressed dissatisfaction with Iron Mandate’s visual presentation and the representation of the tunneling mechanics, comparing it unfavorably to games like Pepper Grinder that execute similar concepts more successfully.
Limited Weapon Variety in a Genre That Demands It
Perhaps most telling was Gibson’s acknowledgment of the game’s limited variety—a critical weakness for a roguelike. While initially believing he could create numerous weapon types, the developer ultimately produced only five weapon categories with a few upgraded versions of each. Gibson summed up this creative roadblock with a memorable observation, stating that there are only so many things you can do that fit into the “lateral worm cannon” mold after exhausting options like seeking missiles, cannons, gatling guns, lasers, and grenades.
Despite these challenges, Gibson expressed gratitude for having the opportunity to develop Iron Mandate, noting that tens of thousands of players had tried the game. The developer has now shifted focus to a new project called The People of Sea, Sun & Salt—a city-builder with a distinctive visual style that appears more promising.
Iron Mandate is now available for free on Steam for anyone interested in experiencing this unique if flawed mechanical worm roguelike shooter.