Wastelanders

Wastelanders is a turn-based strategy game developed by Schell Games in collaboration with Twitch. Built on the Unity engine for Desktop, the game was designed specifically for the Twitch platform to explore the concept of "Stream-First" gaming. In Wastelanders, a streamer takes on the role of a powerful warlord in a post-apocalyptic desert, while the viewing audience participates directly in the gameplay through a custom Twitch extension. Viewers can join the streamer's army, vote on tactical decisions, and sabotage enemies in real-time. This project represents a major experiment in social synchronization, transforming the passive act of watching a broadcast into a massive, collaborative multiplayer experience.

• Schell Games
• Twitch
• Turn-based strategy
• viewer-driven gameplay
• real-time sabotage
• army management
• Unity Engine
• Twitch Extensions
• Integrated Chat APIs

What makes Wastelanders different from a normal strategy game?

Most games are designed for a single player or a group of players at their own computers. Wastelanders was designed for one streamer and thousands of viewers. The game cannot be played to its full potential without an audience; the viewers provide the units, the resources, and the tactical "chaos" that makes the game function.

How do viewers interact with the game?

Viewers use a Twitch Extension overlay. Without leaving the stream, they can click on the video player to: Deploy units to support the streamer. Vote on which enemy base to attack next. Trigger special abilities or environmental hazards (like sandstorms) to hinder the opponent.

Why did Twitch partner with Schell Games for this?

Twitch wanted to move beyond just "chatting" and see if they could create a game where the audience is the controller. Schell Games was chosen because of their history with "Transformational Play" and their ability to design complex systems that are still easy for a casual viewer to understand at a glance.

Is it a real-time or turn-based game?

It is turn-based. This pacing was chosen specifically to accommodate "stream lag." Because there is often a few-second delay between the streamer’s action and the viewer seeing it, turn-based mechanics ensure that the audience has plenty of time to vote and react without feeling like they missed the window of opportunity.