Star Trek: Voyager - Across the Unknown vs MENACE

• Perspective: Isometric / Top-Down
• Multiplayer: Single-Player Only
• Setting: Sci-Fi (Wayback System)
• Platforms: PC, Xbox
• Release Window: 2026
• Unique Feature: A deep turn-based tactical game featuring a high-stakes, persistent campaign with permanent losses, drawing inspiration from Battle Brothers and XCOM.

• PADD Holographic Assistant: Analyzes planetary scan data in real-time, providing statistical success probabilities for upcoming Away Team skill checks.
  Computer Subroutine Entity
• Neelix (Morale Guide): Serves morale-boosting alien meals in the mess hall and advises the captain on indigenous Delta Quadrant cultures and etiquette.
  Talaxian Native Guide

• Squads: The player commands multiple squads, each consisting of a leader and up to nine 'squatties'. Squads act as a single unit in combat, relying on synergy and discipline.
  Marines, Mercenaries, Criminals

• Starfleet Database Cylinders: Salvaged from derelict probe casings and ruined Starfleet beacons; unlocks advanced R&D technology blueprints at Astrometrics.
• Delta Quadrant Spatial Cartography Logs: Compiled from scanning uncharted nebulae and stellar rifts; unlocks navigation shortcuts that bypass dangerous enemy territory.
• Dilithium & Antimatter Canisters: Mined from deep asteroid fields or traded at trading posts; critical fuel resources needed to initiate warp travel and maintain life support.

• Promotion Points: Earned by completing missions and used to customize Squad Leader perk trees.
• Strategic Assets: Temporary benefits gained during operations (e.g., mortar base, intelligence network) that provide tactical advantages on the battlefield.

• Star Trek Lore
• Deep Space Survival
• Delta Quadrant Exploration
• Starship Deck Management
• Moral Choices
• Alternate Timelines

• Sci-Fi
• Tactical RPG
• Turn-Based Strategy
• Squad Management
• Permanent Loss
• Military Simulation

• Type X Phaser Array: Ship-Mounted Directed Energy Weapon
  Starfleet beam weapon mounted along the saucer and engineering hulls, capable of sustaining continuous thermal fire on hostile shielding.
• Photon Torpedoes: Antimatter Heavy Ordnance
  Standard matter-antimatter warheads fired from forward and aft tubes, delivering high-explosive concussive damage to unshielded enemy hulls.
• Quantum Torpedoes: Zero-Point Energy Ordnance
  Advanced tactical munitions utilizing zero-point vacuum energy detonation, penetrating fortified shields and armored bulkheads.
• Tricobalt Explosive Devices: Subspace Warhead
  Extremely high-yield warheads capable of tearing localized subspace tears, used sparingly against heavily fortified stationary space stations.
• Compression Phaser Rifle: Away Team Small Arm
  Standard Starfleet infantry rifle firing pulse and continuous beam discharges with variable stun, thermal, and disintegration power settings.

• Infantry Weapon (Primary): Assault Rifles, etc.
  The main weapon used by all squatties. Weapon selection is crucial as damage, penetration, and suppression capacity vary. The R14 A2 ARC Assault Rifle is an example.
• Infantry Special Weapon: Heavy Weapons
  Specialist weapons like RPGs, Sniper Rifles, Flamethrowers, and EMP Cannons. They can only be used when the squad is Deployed (crouched).
• Vehicle Weapons: Modular Weapons
  Heavy weapons like MMGs, light flamethrowers, or plasma rifles that are mounted on vehicles and chosen via modular weapon slots.

• Regenerative Deflector Shields: Shield Capacity +1000, Re-modulation Rate +35%; advanced energy barrier deflecting phased energy weapons and physical torpedo impacts.
• Ablative Hull Armor Plating: Hull Integrity +60%, Direct Energy Dissipation +40%; sacrificial layered titanium armor that vaporizes under fire to protect interior decks.
• Hazard Team Exosuit: Radiation Shielding +90%, Toxic Atmospheric Immunity +100%, Away Team Survival +30%; pressurized combat suit for extreme landing zones.

• Infantry Armor: Armor determines the squad's Armor Value. Different classes have different armor ratings (Class 2 for shrapnel, Class 3 for SMG calibers, Class 6 for heavy protection). Armor has durability and can be repaired during missions.

• Starfleet 2370s Duty Uniform: Classic black jumpsuit with departmental shoulder division colors (Command Red, Operations Gold, Sciences Teal) and rank pips.
• Maquis Leather Combat Vest: Rugged civilian leather vest adorned with utility webbings and customized weapon holsters worn by former freedom fighters.
• Hazard Team Armored Uniform: Reinforced ballistic combat fatigues featuring composite chest plating and magnetic utility clips for away-mission operations.

• Uniforms and Armor Variants: Customization is functional and aesthetic, with various armor types and accessories that can be equipped, influencing tactical performance (e.g., reducing suppression intake or increasing mobility).

Progression is split between crew specialization and starship engineering. Voyager's interior functions as a multi-deck cross-section where players clear debris, construct specialized rooms (Hydroponics, Astrometrics, Sickbay Bio-Beds, Torpedo Fabrication Bays, and Holodecks), and assign crew members based on their engineering, medical, tactical, and science proficiencies. Crew members possess unique Hero abilities: Janeway boosts tactical morale and command resolve, Tuvok grants precision targeting on sub-systems, B'Elanna Torres supercharges warp core efficiency and repairs hull breaches on the fly, Seven of Nine integrates Borg nanite upgrades for adaptive shields, and The Doctor deploys emergency medical protocols. Starship upgrades include regenerative shielding, bio-neural circuitry, quantum torpedo launchers, and ablative hull armor.

Progression is persistent and tied to the campaign's strategic layer. Players upgrade the mobile HQ (TCRN Impetus) to gain benefits like Intel Components (for seeing enemy positions). Squad Leaders gain promotion points from missions to customize their unique perk trees. The entire strike force benefits from acquired equipment (spoils of war, black market buys) and temporary 'Strategic Assets' (e.g., mortar base, auxiliary infantry) gained during Operations.

The campaign takes place across 12 expansive, procedurally generated sectors spanning the Delta Quadrant. Major regions include the Badlands Border (where plasma cyclones and spatial rifts first stranded the ship), the Kazon Expanse (a barren, resource-depleted territory dominated by warring Kazon-Ogla and Kazon-Nistrim sects), the Vidiian Necro-Space (a grim expanse haunted by Vidiian Phage harvesters), the Hirogen Hunting Grounds (vast asteroid belts and sensor-blind nebulas used as hunting preserves), the Malon Void (a toxic expanse polluted by theta-radiation waste transports), and the dread Borg Space (a horrifying sector dominated by transwarp conduits, assimilation stations, and Borg Cubes).

The game features multiple planets with different biomes, each containing complex 'Operations'. Operations are mini-campaigns with 3–5 procedural missions and branching paths on a single planet. The maps are detailed, tactical, and feature environmental factors like varying terrain, dynamic weather, and night cycles that limit visibility and line of sight.

• U.S.S. Voyager (NCC-74656): Intrepid-Class Starship
  Starfleet deep-space exploration vessel featuring variable-geometry warp nacelles, bio-neural circuitry, and 15 customizable interior decks.
• The Delta Flyer: Heavy Armored Shuttlecraft
  Custom-designed high-performance shuttlecraft engineered by Tom Paris and B'Elanna Torres to withstand intense gravitational and hostile combat environments.
• U.S.S. Equinox (NCC-72381): Nova-Class Science Vessel (DLC)
  A compact Starfleet planetary research vessel commanded by Captain Rudolph Ransom, playable in the Q Trials roguelite mode.

• TCRN Impetus: Mobile Headquarters
  The player's central base of operations, used for managing budgets, recruiting troops, upgrading components, and providing orbital support to ground troops.
• AATV / Troop Carriers / MLRS: Ground Vehicles
  Various vehicles used by squad leaders, including All-Terrain Attack Vehicles and Troop Carriers. They are immune to suppression and provide transport and heavy fire support.

• Kazon Hunting Vorn: Predatory Reptilian Carnivore
  Savage trained hunting beast utilized by Kazon raiding parties to track down runaway slaves and away-team scouts in arid badlands.
• Species 8472 Bio-Ship Organism: Extra-Dimensional Organic Entity
  Living, bioship organism made of dense biological tissue resistant to conventional phaser fire, capable of firing devastating planetary beams.
• Delta Quadrant Plasma Jellyfish: Spaceborne Energy Creature
  Non-sentient space-faring fauna that feeds on starship warp plasma conduits, requiring delicate evasive maneuvering.
• Talaxian Swamp Strider: Amphibious Delta Herbivore
  Docile tall-legged fauna found on swamp worlds, harvested by Neelix for nutritious culinary broth ingredients.

• Captain Kathryn Janeway: Commanding Officer, U.S.S. Voyager
  Determined and principled Starfleet captain holding the disparate crew together on an impossible 70,000-light-year journey back home.
• Commander Chakotay: First Officer
  Former Maquis rebel leader whose spiritual grounding, tactical insight, and diplomatic leadership bridge Starfleet and Maquis factions.
• Seven of Nine: Astrometrics & Tactical Specialist
  De-assimilated human Borg drone who uses cold mathematical efficiency and deep knowledge of collective technology to save Voyager.
• The Doctor (EMH): Chief Medical Officer
  Emergency Medical Holographic Program Mark I who outgrew his programming to become the compassionate, artistic healer of the crew.
• Captain Rudolph Ransom: Commanding Officer, U.S.S. Equinox
  Desperate captain of the stranded Nova-class vessel whose moral compromises test the limits of Starfleet ethics in the Equinox DLC.

• The Commander: Player Character
  The player, who commands the TCRN Impetus strike cruiser and all ground operations.
• Squad Leaders: Squad Commander
  Unique, handwritten characters (e.g., Edwin Pike, Jean Sai) who lead the infantry, vehicles, and mechs. They have unique perks and promotion paths.
• Squatties: Infantry
  The un-named, standard squad members. They are a finite resource, and their permanent loss in combat significantly reduces squad effectiveness.

• The Caretaker's Legacy: Prologue & Moral Dilemma
  Survey the Ocampa subterranean homeworld, extract vital supplies before Kazon warships arrive, and determine the fate of the Caretaker's Array.
• In the Lion's Den: Diplomatic Away Mission
  Conduct high-stakes diplomatic negotiations with a Kazon-Nistrim warlord to trade for clean water and deuterium without breaching the Prime Directive.
• The Scorpion Gambit: Tactical Fleet Battle & Alliance
  Forge a perilous tactical alliance with a damaged Borg Cube, coordinating phaser arrays to repel an extradimensional swarm from Species 8472.

• Operations (Mini-Campaigns)
  A series of 3–5 procedural missions on a single planet with branching paths. The goal is to complete all objectives to earn high rewards. Losses carry over between missions.
• Mission Prep
  The phase before deployment. Players review intel, position squads, and adjust loadouts based on the mission's logistics limit.

The game is intentionally designed as a purely single-player strategic survival simulator. Focus on solo play enables deep narrative branching, paused tactical decision-making, granular starship power management, and high-stakes ethical dilemmas where every crew member's life or death carries lasting emotional and operational weight throughout the 75-year journey.

The game is available in two main editions: The Standard Edition ($39.99 USD) contains the complete base campaign across 12 sectors, standard away missions, and the free 'Q Trials' roguelite update. The Deluxe Edition ($44.99 USD) bundles the base game with the 'Original Soundtrack' composed by Florian Bodenschatz, the digital concept art book, and unique bridge cosmetics. An Expansion Pass ($19.99 USD) grants access to all post-launch content, including the newly released 'Equinox DLC' ($9.99 USD standalone), which allows players to command Captain Rudolph Ransom's doomed Nova-class science vessel U.S.S. Equinox in Q Trials.

Gamexcite and Daedalic have supported the game with continuous post-launch content. Released on October 1, 2026, the free 'Q Trials' update introduced a fast-paced, run-based roguelite mode featuring John de Lancie's Q, complete with meta-progression, customizable modifiers, and procedural challenges. Alongside it, the 'Equinox DLC' added the playable Nova-class U.S.S. Equinox, its crew (Captain Rudolph Ransom, Maxwell Burke, and Noah Lessing), and the exclusive 'Spirits of Good Fortune' narrative questline. Further planned DLC packs will explore alternate quadrant factions and experimental drive technologies.

• Q: What is Star Trek: Voyager - Across the Unknown?
  A: It is an official story-driven rogue-lite survival strategy starship simulator developed by Gamexcite and published by Daedalic Entertainment, putting players in command of the U.S.S. Voyager in the Delta Quadrant.
• Q: When was the game released?
  A: Star Trek: Voyager - Across the Unknown officially released on February 18, 2026, with the Equinox DLC and Q Trials update releasing on October 1, 2026.
• Q: What is the core gameplay loop?
  A: Players manage internal deck construction, allocate ship power systems during real-time tactical combat, navigate 12 procedurally generated sectors, and resolve away-mission dilemmas.
• Q: What is the 'Q Trials' game mode?
  A: Q Trials is a free, run-based roguelite mode hosted by the omnipotent entity Q, featuring fast-paced challenges, meta-progression, customizable modifiers, and unlocked technology trees.
• Q: What platforms can I play on?
  A: The game is available on PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.

• Q: What is MENACE?
  A: MENACE is a deep, single-player turn-based tactical RPG with permanent losses, drawing inspiration from Battle Brothers and XCOM. Players command a strike cruiser and lead squads in tactical sci-fi battles.
• Q: Does it have permadeath?
  A: Yes. If a Squad Leader or any of their infantry members ('squatties') dies in combat, they are permanently removed from the manpower pool, emphasizing the high stakes of every mission.
• Q: What is the 'Per-Faction Turn Order'?
  A: It is a unique turn structure where every faction on the map (including enemies) takes a turn to move one unit. If the enemy outnumbers the player, they may move several units in a row, creating massive pressure and forcing careful positioning.
• Q: Is there a multiplayer mode?
  A: No, the game is a strictly single-player experience with a focus on a deep campaign and strategic management.

Built in Unreal Engine 5, the game renders the exterior of the U.S.S. Voyager and surrounding starships with exquisite fidelity. Hull plating displays realistic scuffs, scorch marks, and physical hull breaches following torpedo strikes. Dynamic lighting illuminates planetary rings, glowing plasma storms, and the eerie green hue of Borg vessels. Inside, the cutaway deck view provides charming animated dioramas of crew members working, sleeping in quarters, eating in the mess hall, or tending to injured officers in sickbay.

The game features an evocative musical score composed by Florian Bodenschatz, paying tribute to Jerry Goldsmith's triumphant Voyager theme while weaving somber, atmospheric synth chords reflecting the isolation of the Delta Quadrant. Sound effects are meticulously authentic to the franchise: the gentle low-frequency hum of the warp core, the iconic red alert sirens, chirp badges, transporter dematerialization hums, and thunderous phaser beam discharges. Official voice acting brings Captain Janeway and the bridge crew to life during key narrative cutscenes.

The user interface masterfully replicates the beloved LCARS (Library Computer Access and Retrieval System) aesthetic of 24th-century Star Trek. Featuring iconic curved color-blocked layouts in pastel oranges, purples, and blues, players navigate star systems, power distribution schematics, and personnel rosters with intuitive keyboard, mouse, or gamepad radial wheels. Clear warning indicators alert the bridge to hull breaches, plasma coolant leaks, crew exhaustion, and shield-facing depletion during real-time tactical combat.

Gamexcite has implemented extensive accessibility options: multiple gameplay difficulty presets (ranging from an easy narrative-focused 'Cadet' mode to the unforgiving 'Fleet Captain' survival challenge), fully rebindable controls, adjustable text scaling and high-contrast LCARS colorblind themes (Protanopia, Deuteranopia, Tritanopia), toggleable active-pause during space combat, and comprehensive subtitle customization with speaker labels.

• Engineered in Unreal Engine 5 utilizing high-detail volumetric nebula rendering, dynamic ship hull damage tessellation, and complex multi-room deck management physics. Requires a 64-bit Windows 11 installation and DirectX 12 hardware. An SSD is recommended for rapid procedural sector generation and seamless away-mission load transitions.
• Laptop Performance Note: Unreal Engine 5's internal lighting and volumetric particle effects during heavy tactical engagements with multiple capital ships put sustained demands on mobile GPUs and CPUs. Gaming laptops should maintain at least 75W to 110W TGP and run on elevated cooling stands to avoid thermal throttling during multi-stage space battles.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: Ensure mobile GeForce RTX or Radeon RX GPUs sustain at least 75W-105W TGP to prevent clock throttling when rendering volumetric particle storms and beam weapon arrays.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: Multi-threaded crew pathfinding and continuous starship power simulation demand sustained multi-core CPU throughput; active laptop cooling pads help preserve max boost clocks.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: Set Windows Power Delivery to High Performance to ensure continuous high instruction rates during chaotic multi-ship tactical skirmishes.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: Enabling discrete GPU mode via internal MUX switch minimizes latency and ensures smooth camera panning across Voyager's complex cross-sectional decks.
• Optimization Detail: Upscaling Tech: Supports AMD FSR 3, NVIDIA DLSS 2/3, Intel XeSS, and Unreal TSR temporal super-resolution.
• Optimization Detail: Key Settings Impact: Volumetric Fog Density, Screen-Space Reflections, Dynamic Lighting Quality, and Particle FX have the most significant impact on rendering performance.
• Game Name: Star Trek: Voyager - Across the Unknown

• OFFICIAL PC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS. The game is highly accessible and supports a wide range of hardware.
• Laptop Performance Note: Laptop performance will be excellent on all modern gaming hardware. Good cooling is essential for long sessions.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: Not a critical factor for this title, as it is not graphically intensive.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: The game is not demanding enough to stress modern cooling systems.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: Any modern mobile CPU will handle the game with ease.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: Not a critical feature, but beneficial for reducing latency in any game.
• Game Name: MENACE

• Upscaling Tech: Supports AMD FSR 3, NVIDIA DLSS 2/3, Intel XeSS, and Unreal TSR temporal super-resolution.
• Key Settings Impact: Volumetric Fog Density, Screen-Space Reflections, Dynamic Lighting Quality, and Particle FX have the most significant impact on rendering performance.

• G P U T G P: Ensure mobile GeForce RTX or Radeon RX GPUs sustain at least 75W-105W TGP to prevent clock throttling when rendering volumetric particle storms and beam weapon arrays.
• Cooling Thermals: Multi-threaded crew pathfinding and continuous starship power simulation demand sustained multi-core CPU throughput; active laptop cooling pads help preserve max boost clocks.
• C P U Power Limits: Set Windows Power Delivery to High Performance to ensure continuous high instruction rates during chaotic multi-ship tactical skirmishes.
• M U X Switch Optimus: Enabling discrete GPU mode via internal MUX switch minimizes latency and ensures smooth camera panning across Voyager's complex cross-sectional decks.

• G P U T G P: Not a critical factor for this title, as it is not graphically intensive.
• Cooling Thermals: The game is not demanding enough to stress modern cooling systems.
• C P U Power Limits: Any modern mobile CPU will handle the game with ease.
• M U X Switch Optimus: Not a critical feature, but beneficial for reducing latency in any game.