Civilization 5 lead designer Jon Shafer forms new studio and Kickstarter

Jon Shafer has worked at Firaxis on Civilization 5 and at Stardock and today he’s revealed his new development studio called Conifer Games.

Based in Michigan, the indie studio will focus on the development of indie strategy games with their first title called “At the Gates” which is being Kickstarted from today. The studio is looking for $40,000 to get the project funded.

Set in the waning days of the Roman Empire, “Jon Shafer’s At the Gates” casts you as the leader of a barbarian tribe, ready to fill the power vacuum left by a great power in decline. You must compete not only against other nations, but with an environment that does not eagerly feed your people and armies. The resources of the world you are constantly depleting, requiring you to move your tribe in search of new ones – or to pillage those of your neighbours.

Will you be ready for a long, hot summer that scorches your fields, or a winter that freezes the river that once served as a wall to fend off the Huns? “Jon Shafer’s At the Gates” features seasons that transform not just the world, but the strategic options available to you.

Shafer is wanting to provide gamers with a “fresh experience that is challenging from beginning to end set atop a constantly evolving landscape” and believes that “the future of the games industry will be shaped by smaller, agile studios able to innovate and breathe new life into gaming.”