The holidays were coming up and indie game developer BlackBird Interactive had a lot to celebrate, including the acquisition of the Hardspace: Shipbreaker IP. When this game first came out, the studio teamed up with a LEGO® artist to bring an incredibly detailed brick version of their mackerel ship to life. At almost 4 000 pieces, that set was an expert-level undertaking.

Now that Blackbird Interactive was celebrating the IP acquisition of the same game, they were inspired to celebrate with a set that would offer a nod that the original set, but with something that could be bulk manufactured so they would have 500 sets to give out. For this, they turned to Playwell Bricks.

The subject of this ship would be a minimalist version of a Mackerel ship. In the game’s lore, the Mackerel is a class of salvageable ship that was once used as a personnel shuttle.

Playwell’s contact at Blackbird Interactive chose the colour scheme for the Mackerel in this set. In the game, the protagonists’ employer is LYNX Corp, and this internal-to-the-game branding is what the final set, designed by Playwell Bricks designer Jared Oswald, displays.

“This project was interesting,” Jared recalls. “The target part count was 25-30 for the ship, which is very small, and it forced an odd build. The front and back halves of the ship are built separately and then are connected in the final steps of the build. It’s a very satisfying little model, and they seemed very happy with it.”

Playwell Bricks always encourages clients to carry on their branding in the build instructions as they offer some unique marketing opportunities, and Blackbird Interactive definitely took advantage of these in a way that fans of Hardspace: Shipbreaker will love.

Included in the instructions is a letter from Megan Rai-Paulsen, the CEO of LYNX Corp. As previously mentioned, the game’s protagonist works for LYNX Corp, but they also owe LYNX Corp. a lot of credits, enough so that the company is the main antagonist of the game as they gauge their employees for credit after credit. Blackbird Interactive had some fun with this, including making sure that LYNX Corp (fictional)employees understand that they were getting this Mackerel set in lieu of a holiday bonus.

“The Mackerel is easy to disregard as insignificant and mundane, and yet it has become the backbone of humanity’s ascent into space. Just like you!”

This kind of inside joke and camaraderie is one of the many aspects of gifting that can help bond employees and teams to your brand.

After these sets were delivered, the team at Playwell Bricks was delighted to see them appear on social media, from the Blackbird Interactive team and some of their gift recipients. “Hats off to Playwell Bricks,” wrote Alex Delamaire of Blackbird Interactive in a LinkedIn post, “who were a joy to work with to get this done.”

Elevate every gesture. From milestone gifts to client appreciations, Playwell Bricks helps you brand well, build well and gift well, transforming ordinary moments into extraordinary connections. Contact us to book your discovery call today.