Indie game, influenced by Dune, acknowledges running short on new concepts yet exits early access as a free title, stating: "There's only so much that fits within the 'lateral worm cannon' design approach."
In 2023, indie dev Emerick Gibson thrust Iron Mandate onto Steam early access - a hard-hitting roguelike that paid homage to Dune's sandworms, but with a cheeky twist: giant, mechanized worms instead.
Following a month of adjustments, Gibson seemingly drifted off the project like the golden dunes of old. Fast forward to 2025, he resurfaces, frees the game entirely, and drops a post-mortem tale: an honest, candid account of the game's failings. Gibson spared no feelings, stating it was a shamble of time, cash troubles, and a troubled core idea. Without mincing words, he moved the deadweight game out of early access, offering it free of charge, and bid the project adieu.
Iron Mandate never soared to stardom, with player peaks rarely reaching three figures. Nevertheless, the game drew solid praise from Steam reviews, and those who did play it clearly adored it. After all, who wouldn't revel in the joy of piloting colossal battleworms, leaving nemeses in the dust, ultimately reclaiming the throne?
It might have been the worm-fueled chaos that eventually fogged the game's success, but before that, Gibson offered a peek behind the curtains. "An announcement on the Steam page now outlines the game's lack of updates over the last 23 months," he wrote, "I don't want it to give off the impression this is an abandoned project. It works fine and is completable, but worthy of a release and explanation."
Gibson reasoned that Iron Mandate crumbled under the weight of its clunky controls and convoluted learning process, robbing players of positive vibes right out of the starting gate. He wasn't too pleased with the game's visuals either, but if there's one thing clearly out there, it's no worse than a good handful of other games floating around.
Gibson further admitted that Iron Mandate suffered from a lack of variety, a fatal flaw for any roguelike. The aim was to create a litany of weapons, but the end result was barely a handful with a few rhythmic upgrades. Players could easily finish the game in two hours and likely never return.
Not wishing to see any brave souls try his "failed" project, Gibson lamented the lack of room for creativity within the game's mechanical worm theme. "I've tried seeking missiles, cannons, gatling, lasers, and grenades. What's left that wouldn't be an overlap?"
He concluded that, though the journey of Iron Mandate may have been a tough one, the experience was priceless: "In the end, I do believe that the only obstacle between good art and people is time and room to stumble. I'm eternally grateful that I had this opportunity to try and craft this game."
With the weight of Iron Mandate finally lifted, Gibson ventured to new horizons: The People of Sea, Sun & Salt, a serene city-building marvel that seemed tailor-made with a captivating aesthetic. As for Iron Mandate, he remained stoked: "Even though I'm letting it go, I'm still proud of what we accomplished, and I'm thrilled beyond words that tens of thousands of players got the chance to try my game." And here's your chance to download it absolutely free.
[1] Sterling, J. (2023) "Iron Mandate post-mortem: Emerick Gibson discusses his failed Dune-inspired roguelike." https://youtu.be/KSBvzNEHJt8
[1] In 2025, Emerick Gibson, the indie developer behind Iron Mandate, released a free version of the game after acknowledging its failings.[2] Gibson, in a candid post-mortem, listed the game's problems, including clunky controls, a convoluted learning process, and a lack of variety.[3] Despite these issues, Gibson expressed pride in having given tens of thousands of players the opportunity to try Iron Mandate.[4] Following the release of Iron Mandate, Gibson turned to a new project, The People of Sea, Sun & Salt, a city-building game with a captivating aesthetic.[5] Players can still download Iron Mandate for free, a chance to pilot colossal battleworms and experience the undeniable charm of the game.[6] Gibson's roguelike creation, although deemed a failure, provided invaluable experience for the developer, making him realize that good art just needs time and room to stumble.
