Incandescentgames
1 known investors
Incandescent Games develops PlanetSmith, a sandbox survival RPG set on procedurally generated spherical voxel planets where players build, fight creatures, and travel into space across a solar system. It offers survival and creative modes with solo or multiplayer play for up to a hundred-plus players on a shared world.
Also known as Incandescent Games · Incandescent Games Limited
Investors · 1
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Incandescent Games (Incandescent Games Limited) is a small independent video game studio based in Auckland, New Zealand, founded by Kenneth Ward. The studio's announced title is PlanetSmith, a sandbox building, crafting and survival voxel RPG in which worlds are fully spherical, procedurally generated planets rather than flat maps. Players explore alien planets, gather resources, craft tools, build structures, fight creatures, and can launch rockets to travel between worlds in a solar system.
PlanetSmith is planned in two modes. Survival mode starts the player on an Earth-like procedurally generated world where they must find resources, craft, and build shelter against night-time creatures, then progress through quests, dungeons and bosses to obtain technology for a spaceship, travel to other planets for advanced resources, and build a gateway that opens an interstellar endgame. Creative mode lets players pick a starting planet type, use an infinite supply of all building blocks and fly. Both modes can be played single-player or on servers supporting more than 100 players on a shared world.
The studio previously focused on puzzle games before Kenneth Ward began work on PlanetSmith to explore other genres.
Founding story
Incandescent Games was founded by Kenneth Ward, who had prior experience developing several other titles with a focus on puzzle games, and subsequently began development of PlanetSmith to move into other genres with the intention of expanding the studio.
Business model
The studio develops and self-publishes its own game title. PlanetSmith is planned as a premium game sold on Steam Early Access at a regular price of $25, with mobile and console platforms indicated after the 1.0 release. The company's site also runs a direct pledge/support programme offering backers exclusive rewards.
Premium one-time game purchase, with a stated regular price of $25 on Steam PC; a supporter pledge programme with exclusive rewards is offered directly through the company website.
Traction
A teaser trailer was published in 2024 and a gameplay trailer in 2025, with a press kit offering downloadable screenshots and branding assets. The game is not yet released; Early Access is targeted for 2027. The credited team consists of six people covering design and programming, art, music and audio, marketing, and concept art.
Latest developments
The press kit lists an Early Access release timeline of 2027 on Steam PC at a $25 regular price, following a 2025 gameplay trailer, with a supporter pledge programme running on the company site.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography
Market position
A small independent studio positioning PlanetSmith against other voxel sandbox games on the basis that its worlds are spherical planets rather than flat maps.
The stated point of difference is that, unlike other voxel games, PlanetSmith worlds are spherical planets, enabled by a hexagonal voxel building system, with seamless transition from planetary surface to space and travel to other worlds in a solar system.
Technology
PlanetSmith is built around hexagonal voxels, which allow block-based terrain and building to curve into a true sphere. The game uses procedural generation for planets, a simulated climate model that places deserts, rainforest, tundra and ice regions, planet-scale render distance allowing seamless rendering from orbit down to the ground, a physically based atmosphere with a full day/night cycle, and server-based multiplayer supporting 100+ concurrent players. Planets are described as roughly 100 km² in surface area.
Go-to-market
Direct-to-player launch via Steam Early Access, supported by an owned website and press kit, trailer releases (teaser trailer in 2024, gameplay trailer in 2025), an email newsletter for updates, release dates and playtests, a pledge/support programme, and community channels on Discord, YouTube, TikTok and Bluesky. The studio grants blanket permission for monetized video coverage of PlanetSmith.
PC players of sandbox, voxel building, crafting and survival games, initially on Steam, with mobile and console audiences targeted after the 1.0 release.
Geography
Based in Auckland, New Zealand; distribution is planned digitally via Steam PC, with mobile and consoles after 1.0.
Compiled by commissioned research from 3 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 2
launches, deals, and filingsIncandescent Games published a gameplay trailer for PlanetSmith.
Incandescent Games published a teaser trailer for PlanetSmith.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 3
primary sources listed
- Incandescentgamesincandescentgames.net · web
3 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Incandescentgames do?
- New Zealand indie games studio building PlanetSmith, a sandbox survival voxel game set on fully spherical planets.
- Who are Incandescentgames's investors?
- Incandescentgames's investors include Alt Ventures.