War Of Being
War of Being is a story-driven first-person action RPG built from TesseracT's concept album of the same name. Explore The Strangeland, uncover fragments of the album hidden in the world, and piece together what's really happening beneath the surface. The original alpha is also available now.
Developer
Publisher
Release
August 11, 2023
2 years and 357 days ago
Steam Reviews
Very Positive100 reviews93.0%
Does this feel indie?
Vote based on whether this game feels indie to you. You can change your vote at any time. Results earn an IGF score after 10 accepted votes.No votes yet
Game contextLatest: IGF Team
| ContextThe evidence factors used to assess whether this game belongs on IndieGame.Fan. | Status | Notes Latest Contributor: IGF TeamEdit notes |
|---|---|---|
Updated: Jul 13, 2026Developer scaleThe operating scale of the game's developer. | ||
Updated: Jul 13, 2026Publisher scaleThe operating scale of the game's publisher. | ||
Updated: Jul 13, 2026Publisher statusHow the game's publishing relationship is classified. | ||
Updated: Jul 13, 2026Creative controlWho appears to retain creative control of the game. | ||
Updated: Jul 13, 2026Release statusWhether and how the game has been released. |
Media
11 itemsAbout the Game
Wishlist War Of Being to follow development and know the moment the full game arrives.
War of Being began as an album. TesseracT's 2023 record explored a concept so layered, and so personal, that Daniel Tompkins, the band's vocalist, felt it needed a second form to be fully understood. So he taught himself Unreal Engine 5 from scratch and built one.
The game is a narrative-driven first-person action RPG made by a team of three. It spans multiple levels across two distinct planes: the surface world of The Strangeland, and the spaces beneath it, which are surreal and shifting and change the story into something it hasn't been yet. The tone moves between isolation and dread, between unsettling and outright threatening. No single genre fits it cleanly.
Playtime: 8 to 12 hours across the full release, accounting for exploration, story, and a narrative that gets heavier the further in you go.
The Strangeland is large and built for discovery. Environments range from the sterile interior of a research vessel where the game starts, to open alien landscapes, extreme terrain, underground sequences that shift the mood of the game entirely, and a final level where the perspective changes in a way nothing before it prepares you for.
Each area has objects to examine, lore to pick up, and characters whose relationships break down as the story moves forward. The details reward attention. The world doesn't explain itself upfront; it gives you more the more you put in.
There is no map. Navigation uses an in-game object that reacts to the environment around it, pulling you toward things that matter, changing as you interact with the world.
The music of TesseracT's album War of Being runs through the game, not as background, but as something that carries meaning.
The album's lyrics exist inside the world as fragments. They show up in the environment, come out of conversation, surface during exploration. Assembling them is part of how the game's deeper systems open up, and part of how the story starts to make sense.
For fans of the band, this is the closest access to the album's intent that exists outside of Daniel's own words. For players who haven't heard TesseracT before, the music arrives when it's been earned, with enough context around it that it lands differently than it would cold.
Level transitions play out as illustrated sequences set to TesseracT tracks. They show what you just went through in a visual style that's different from the game itself.
War of Being is currently in development, built on the foundation of the original alpha — a VR experience that first brought The Strangeland to life, and remains available now for those who want an early glimpse into its world.
The full game reimagines that experience for a wider audience: no headset required, built from the ground up as a first-person action RPG spanning multiple levels, environments, and a story that goes further than the alpha ever could.
The alpha is not a demo of the current build — it's its own complete chapter of The Strangeland, standing on its own as the place where this all began.
Current player reviews: 92% Very Positive.
Field recordings from The Strangeland. Materials not cleared for the public build.
Your first mission: find out how to get clearance.
Build this with us.
Why is the game still in development?
War of Being is made by a small independent team, and the full game is a much larger undertaking than the alpha that started it — new levels, a longer story, and a complete reimagining for non-VR play. We'd rather take the time to get The Strangeland right.
When's the full release?
Full release is targeted for 2027.
What's the difference between the alpha and the full game?
The alpha is a VR experience — a complete, standalone chapter of The Strangeland, playable today with a headset. The full game is being built as a non-VR, first-person action RPG spanning multiple levels and a longer story. They're two different ways into the same world, and owning the alpha doesn't require or include the full game.
Can I play the full game now?
Not yet — it's in active development. Wishlist War Of Being to be notified the moment it's available. In the meantime, the alpha is playable today.
How do players get involved?
The Discord is where we discuss development and run design polls. Patreon supporters get weekly development content, exclusive audio stems, and the option to have their names in the game world permanently. Materials not in the public build are at .
EXPERIENCE
War of Being began as an album. TesseracT's 2023 record explored a concept so layered, and so personal, that Daniel Tompkins, the band's vocalist, felt it needed a second form to be fully understood. So he taught himself Unreal Engine 5 from scratch and built one.
The game is a narrative-driven first-person action RPG made by a team of three. It spans multiple levels across two distinct planes: the surface world of The Strangeland, and the spaces beneath it, which are surreal and shifting and change the story into something it hasn't been yet. The tone moves between isolation and dread, between unsettling and outright threatening. No single genre fits it cleanly.
Playtime: 8 to 12 hours across the full release, accounting for exploration, story, and a narrative that gets heavier the further in you go.
EXPLORE
The Strangeland is large and built for discovery. Environments range from the sterile interior of a research vessel where the game starts, to open alien landscapes, extreme terrain, underground sequences that shift the mood of the game entirely, and a final level where the perspective changes in a way nothing before it prepares you for.
Each area has objects to examine, lore to pick up, and characters whose relationships break down as the story moves forward. The details reward attention. The world doesn't explain itself upfront; it gives you more the more you put in.
There is no map. Navigation uses an in-game object that reacts to the environment around it, pulling you toward things that matter, changing as you interact with the world.
DISCOVER
The music of TesseracT's album War of Being runs through the game, not as background, but as something that carries meaning.
The album's lyrics exist inside the world as fragments. They show up in the environment, come out of conversation, surface during exploration. Assembling them is part of how the game's deeper systems open up, and part of how the story starts to make sense.
For fans of the band, this is the closest access to the album's intent that exists outside of Daniel's own words. For players who haven't heard TesseracT before, the music arrives when it's been earned, with enough context around it that it lands differently than it would cold.
Level transitions play out as illustrated sequences set to TesseracT tracks. They show what you just went through in a visual style that's different from the game itself.
IN DEVELOPMENT
War of Being is currently in development, built on the foundation of the original alpha — a VR experience that first brought The Strangeland to life, and remains available now for those who want an early glimpse into its world.
The full game reimagines that experience for a wider audience: no headset required, built from the ground up as a first-person action RPG spanning multiple levels, environments, and a story that goes further than the alpha ever could.
The alpha is not a demo of the current build — it's its own complete chapter of The Strangeland, standing on its own as the place where this all began.
Current player reviews: 92% Very Positive.
THERE IS CLASSIFIED MATERIAL.
Field recordings from The Strangeland. Materials not cleared for the public build.
Your first mission: find out how to get clearance.
Build this with us.
FAQ
Why is the game still in development?
War of Being is made by a small independent team, and the full game is a much larger undertaking than the alpha that started it — new levels, a longer story, and a complete reimagining for non-VR play. We'd rather take the time to get The Strangeland right.
When's the full release?
Full release is targeted for 2027.
What's the difference between the alpha and the full game?
The alpha is a VR experience — a complete, standalone chapter of The Strangeland, playable today with a headset. The full game is being built as a non-VR, first-person action RPG spanning multiple levels and a longer story. They're two different ways into the same world, and owning the alpha doesn't require or include the full game.
Can I play the full game now?
Not yet — it's in active development. Wishlist War Of Being to be notified the moment it's available. In the meantime, the alpha is playable today.
How do players get involved?
The Discord is where we discuss development and run design polls. Patreon supporters get weekly development content, exclusive audio stems, and the option to have their names in the game world permanently. Materials not in the public build are at .
