Frost Wars is built for core gamers, focusing on cross-platform player vs. player combat. Lantern is currently building the game with the Unity engine, and has been soliciting ideas from players in order to guide and influence the game’s development. Players testing the pre-alpha version have already seen hundreds of their suggestions deployed into the game’s weekly releases. As Lantern cherishes the idea of community-designed gaming free from censorship or corporate influence, the players serve as the game’s designers and constructors, sharing ideas and voting on what to add next. The best ideas go into the game to be play-tested and refined by everyone within the game’s community.

“We understand why the big studios choose to keep the audience out of the process. It’s a real risk to invite people in this early. What if there’s bad press for your unfinished game?” says Austin Hice, co-founder of Lantern. “But over the last six months we’ve seen that nothing can top the ideas that players bring to the game.”

The chaos of Frost Wars begins as Toxi Co., an international mega-corporation, travels to the Arctic in search of the purest ice on earth. When a freak drilling accident unleashes mysterious goo that mutates the native animals, a war for survival breaks out between the native Eskimos and Toxi Co.’s work-a-day employees – a war that’s masterminded by an arms-dealing polar bear named Fatty Sparkles.

Players can jump into the turn-based Arctic madness with two primary modes of play. “Speed Play” is a synchronous game mode that allows up to four friends, or random opponents, to join together and battle it out in one sitting. “Extended Play” is an asynchronous game mode that offers gamers a more relaxed style of play spread over multiple days, allowing multiple battles to be fought at the same time. Featuring a heap of unique game modes, an already vast array of specialized squads/weaponry, and the chance to be part of a community that is literally shaping the future of the game, there’s plenty of reason to be excited about Frost Wars.

A closed alpha for Frost Wars will begin in September, to get early access to the madness, visit the official website or Frost Wars facebook page.