Down with the Ship is a fresh asynchronous autobattler that lets you assemble a spaceship from various parts and pit it against other players’ creations. The game just released a demo on Steam, giving players a chance to test their strategic skills in spaceship combat before its planned release in early 2026.
You start by choosing a faction and captain, then spend money drafting parts, weapons, and hull pieces to build your ship. Each captain brings distinct parts to the shop after every round, and picking specific components lets you mix factions for interesting combos. Like many autobattlers, you can buy multiples of equipment to level them up, adding depth to your strategy.
The gameplay reminds me of Backpack Battles, which gained some attention last year. But here, the spaceship theme adds a neat twist since you’re building your character piece by piece. It’s a bit of a slow burn at first, but the tactical choices start to pile up.
The demo features three factions: the imperial faction, known for precision and critical hits; the renegades, who prefer to fire everything all at once; and a tech-cult faction that applies rust effects to enemies, causing damage over time. Each offers a distinct playstyle that could suit different kinds of players.
Curious about how it looks in action? You can watch the gameplay trailer here:
Down with the Ship is available to try now on Steam, alongside its demo. The whole game will come out in the first quarter of 2026. For anyone who enjoys autobattlers and spaceship customization, this might be worth keeping an eye on.
What do you think? Does the idea of building your spaceship to fight asynchronously sound appealing? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
