Ivy Juice to Publish OfMiceAndMechs After Nine-Year Solo Development

Ivy Juice has formally revealed a publishing partnership with MarxMustermann for OfMiceAndMechs, a roguelike base builder and factory management game that has been in solo development for more than nine years. The announcement was timed to coincide with the Gaming Up Showcase, where a new trailer provided the first extended look at the game's systems and dystopian world. OfMiceAndMechs is now available to wishlist on Steam for both Windows and Linux, but no release date has yet been confirmed.

Publishing Direction and Studio Background

This partnership marks one of the first major moves for Ivy Juice since its recent rebrand and expansion of publishing services. The Berlin-based developer-publisher duo is aiming to support independent creators with focused publishing resources, following previous work on SCHROTT and My Little Cafe Nightmare. OfMiceAndMechs stands out as a significant addition to Ivy Juice's growing portfolio, reflecting a commitment to games that blend approachability with mechanical depth.

Gameplay Structure and Influences

OfMiceAndMechs draws inspiration from genre-defining titles such as Dwarf Fortress and RimWorld, but positions itself as a more accessible entry point without sacrificing complexity. Players are placed in a dystopian open world where survival depends on scavenging, base construction, and the automation of production chains that convert scrap into steel. The game features eight dungeons, permanent death mechanics, and a workforce system that allows progress to continue even after the player character's demise. Defensive play, resource management, and strategic automation are central to the experience, with the ultimate goal of collecting seven glass hearts to claim a throne in a world left desolate.

Trailer Evidence and Development Timeline

The new trailer, released during the Gaming Up Showcase, offers the first substantial gameplay footage, highlighting the game's open-world exploration, base-building, and automation systems. While the footage demonstrates a playable build, it remains unclear how representative this is of the final release. OfMiceAndMechs has been in active development since before 2017, with MarxMustermann handling all aspects of design and programming. The game is currently listed for Windows and Linux on Steam, and players can add it to their wishlists, but a launch window has not been specified. For context, other recent indie announcements, such as the public Steam playtest for HELLCARD II, have also used showcase events to debut new gameplay and attract early interest from the PC community-see the coverage of that approach in our report on HELLCARD II's Steam playtest.

What Remains Uncertain

Key details such as pricing, final release date, and potential post-launch support have not been disclosed. It is also not yet clear whether OfMiceAndMechs will expand to additional platforms beyond Windows and Linux, or if there will be early access or demo opportunities ahead of launch. The current trailer provides a promising look at the game's core mechanics, but independent hands-on impressions and technical performance data are not yet available. Players interested in the project can follow updates via the official Steam page and Ivy Juice's press channels as development progresses.

Permadeath, as featured in OfMiceAndMechs, refers to a gameplay system where the player character's death is permanent, meaning progress is lost or fundamentally altered upon failure. In some games, this increases tension and replay value, while in others-such as OfMiceAndMechs-mechanics may allow the world or certain systems to persist beyond the player's demise, offering a unique twist on traditional roguelike design. Understanding how permadeath interacts with automation and workforce management is central to appreciating the strategic depth promised by this genre blend.