Real-Based? Turn-Time? - Ex-Pixeljunkers' Nova-111

The first thing I noticed about Nova-111 is that it has a full-blown, always on-screen Science Meter. That is a bonfide part of the game. "Alright," I thought to myself and probably said to some modern mutant wizard who is cursed with the blessing of hearing all human thoughts at once, "we're off to a solid start, but is this game good or just cute?" So I dug deeper. Nova, I discovered, is a real-time/turn-based explorer mash-up that a) allows you to break the rules of both real-time and turn-based existence with all manner of abilities and b) integrates that conceit into its plot. I'm so delighted that I don't care if all the mind crime mutants in the world know. Trailer in the beneathplaces.

Here's the adorably meta premise, which has charmed my pants off and into a state of turn-based motion. In practice, the whole situation looks a bit like a stop-motion film. But anyway:

"Once upon a spacetime, there existed a team of intelligent scientists, who were living in a turn-based world. They were interested in expediting their scientific research, and thus began developing the 'Chronova Device' that will unlock the universal 'real-time'. All was fine and dandy, that is, until one day a science experiment went horribly wrong, and as a result created a cosmic real-time/turn-based time-vortex which mashed the two unlikely worlds together. You pilot the 'Nova-111' starship, a harmless research vessel which was improvised for rescue and survival in hostile environments."

And also look at this. LOOK AT THIS.

Playable parrot for president 2016.

Nova-111 will include both combat and puzzles, and combat already looks distinctly puzzle-like in nature. You'll slowly upgrade your ship over time, and all the while reality will gradually shift from turn-based to a brave new world of real-time possibility. Former Pixeljunk devs at Funktronic Labs, you have my attention.

Nova-111 will be out sometime this year. I am prepared to science. Are you?