Index
Formal Introduction
Hey everyone,
I want to formally announce the first project under STEENVAL Studios – GoldClaim.
GoldClaim: Starfall Nuggets is an industrial frontier mining RPG, focused on strong RPG gameplay, real mechanics, tangible systems, extensive economics and long-term progression. I’ve designed this idea from the ground up for players looking for an authentic gold rush experience,
The RPG layer isn’t about XP bars or arbitrary skill trees – it’s about who you become, the claims you build, the people you work with, and how your decisions shape your path through the world. Choices have consequences, often cascading further than you might initially expect, in ways that remain grounded and coherent.
You’ll buy and run claims, operate heavy machinery, uncover gold that actually behaves like gold, hire miners and interact with a world that responds coherently to your actions. Depth is there if you want it, but it’s never forced.
This is an indie, long-term project, built deliberately and without publisher pressure. Development is active, systems-first, and grounded in real-world logic rather than genre shortcuts. The difficulty? Cozy or gritty? Thanks to choices made in the design, it will actually be the player’s choice.
I’ll be sharing progress, design thoughts, and occasional behind-the-scenes notes here as things solidify. No hype cycle, just steady construction.
If that sounds like your kind of game, feel free to stick around. Thoughts and questions are welcome.
Full Game Overview
What is GoldClaim?
“An industrial frontier mining RPG” is its core description, and its built around systemic progression rather than scripted spectacle. It is a game about territory, infrastructure, risk, and long-term decision-making – set in a living frontier shaped by geology, economics, and human ambition. Every decision you make can have 2nd and 3rd ripple-effects.
At its core, GoldClaim asks a simple question: What happens if gold actually behaves like gold, and the frontier behaves like a frontier?
A World Built on Geology
GoldClaim does not treat resources as random loot nodes. The world is structured around layered geological logic. Resource richness increases with depth, motherlodes influence surrounding terrain, and deposits are distributed in ways that reflect environmental history.
Every claim sits within a geomorph type – fluvial lowlands, arid plateaus, volcanic highlands, coastal deposits – each influencing what can be found and how extraction behaves. Some claims are rich but difficult to access. Others are large but modest in yield. A remote mountain claim may hold rare potential but require significant logistical investment before it becomes viable.
Gold is not a generic resource. It appears as dust, flakes, small nuggets, or rare larger pieces depending on conditions. The systems that govern it are consistent and grounded, allowing players to understand and predict outcomes rather than relying on arbitrary randomness.
This creates a frontier where knowledge matters.
Claims as Strategic Units
The world of GoldClaim is divided into claimable territories. Each claim represents an economic opportunity, but also a commitment.
Buying a claim is not just unlocking a new area — it is taking on:
- Infrastructure requirements
- Transportation challenges
- Operational costs
- Environmental constraints
- Workforce management
Some claims sit near established roads and settlements. Others require off-road transport, new access routes, or significant preparation before operations can begin. Geography shapes strategy.
Over time, clusters of active claims influence the world around them. Increased activity may give rise to frontier towns. Economic growth can transform small camps into industrial settlements. Declining operations may leave ghost towns behind.
The world responds to sustained effort.
The Industrial Layer
GoldClaim embraces machinery, logistics, and infrastructure as central gameplay pillars.
Players begin with simple methods – hand panning, makeshift sluices, manual labor. As operations scale, heavier equipment becomes available: feeders, crushers, wash plants, transport networks, power generation, and workforce coordination.
But scaling up is not simply about placing bigger machines. It involves:
- Calculating throughput
- Managing operating costs
- Balancing risk and reward
- Investing in efficiency upgrades
- Deciding whether to expand horizontally or vertically
Each decision shapes your trajectory. Rapid expansion can bring high returns but also increased exposure. Slow consolidation can build stability but delay growth.
There is no forced playstyle. The systems support both careful planners and calculated risk-takers.
The RPG Layer
GoldClaim is not an RPG in the traditional “stat bar” sense.
There are no arbitrary experience meters or disconnected skill trees. Progression emerges from:
- Ownership
- Reputation
- Relationships
- Strategic decisions
- Consequences of risk
Who you become in GoldClaim is defined by the operations you build and the paths you take. The people you hire, the contracts you accept, the claims you prioritize – these shape your narrative organically.
Choices ripple outward. An aggressive expansion strategy might strain relationships or destabilize nearby settlements. Conservative management may preserve stability but limit influence.
The world remains coherent. Actions produce logical outcomes rather than scripted drama.
Economy as a Living System
GoldClaim treats economy as more than a currency counter.
Markets fluctuate. Transportation matters. Claim productivity influences local growth. Supply chains require maintenance. Overinvestment can destabilize operations just as easily as underinvestment can stall them.
Economic scale is earned.
Small claims can support modest livelihoods. Multi-claim industrial networks can reshape regions. But scaling introduces complexity – and complexity must be managed.
The goal is not simply to “get rich.”
It is to build something that endures.
Player Agency: Cozy or Gritty
GoldClaim does not force a single difficulty philosophy. Economics and industrialization too tedious? Lowball it or use your intuition instead – the game allows that type of gameplay as well.
Because the systems are grounded and interconnected, the experience naturally adapts to player choices. Conservative operations create a steady, almost meditative progression. Aggressive expansion introduces volatility and pressure.
The frontier can feel calm – or unforgiving. The tone emerges from your decisions.
A Deliberate Development Approach
GoldClaim is built systems-first.
Rather than designing spectacle and attaching mechanics afterward, the game is constructed from foundational rules: Geology, logistics, economy, and territory. The art supports the structure. The world map reflects claim logic. Frontier towns emerge from activity thresholds, and collapse when activity disperses.
This approach favors coherence over shortcuts.
It is a long-term indie project, built without publisher pressure, allowing systems to mature naturally rather than being rushed into spectacle.
From Claim to Empire
The guiding idea behind GoldClaim is progression through tangible growth.
You begin with a single claim.
You learn the land.
You invest carefully.
You expand deliberately.
Over time, isolated operations connect. Roads matter. Settlements grow. Influence spreads.
Empire is not granted.
It is constructed.
And like any structure, it depends on the strength of its foundation.
Final Thoughts
GoldClaim is built on systemic coherence. Mechanics are interconnected and grounded in consistent rules rather than artificial progression or genre shortcuts. Growth is earned through infrastructure, risk, and informed decision-making. The frontier is not a backdrop – it evolves through player activity, and it remembers.
Thanks for reading the full introduction.
– Litanic
