AHOY THERE! TAKE CARE! Beacon Patrol IS Addictive!

Wiesbaden, Germany – 9th September , 2025– Assemble Entertainment is excited to announce that their up and coming release, Beacon Patrol, is due for release on Steam on 17th September 2025 - priced at 11.99€.

Beacon Patrol can best be described as one of those 'moreish' games that will  have you coming back for another stint to progress even further. Its simple objectives and challenging implementation to succeed easily  is  never quite mastered and will have you hooked to become the ultimate captain -  it's a cooperative and relaxing tile laying exploration game that offers hours of gameplay!

PLAY ME AND SEA!

The player assumes the role of Captain of the Coast Guard, navigating the coast of the North Sea to secure its beacon buoys, lighthouses, and waterways. Start at the Coast Guard HQ and build your own coastal map from there. Try to build a compact map with as many open water edges as possible. The biggest mistake at the beginning is blocking too many sides off by placing several land edges next to each other. Your goal should be to always have a reachable water edge in each of the four directions.

 

OH BUOY!

A nice feature, one that is delightful, is that you can work together with your friends and score points by creating the most complete map. Playing the game, once you start, becomes very intuitive, and each turn you can place up to three tiles, connecting to your ship's current location. Your ship immediately moves onto the newly placed tiles and you can spend tokens for additional movement. With such simple execution and straightforward implementation of your turn, it could easily become monotonous, but that's the great 'tag' it doesn't! There are so many factors and nuances to consider, Beacon Patrol soon unfolds into an enticing adventure/experience!

DEEP WATER

As you play the Exploration Mode and fulfill missions you unlock additional tiles and ships. Each ship comes with special abilities which change how you play the game. For each unlocked ship there are associated tiles to unlock which highlight the ship's abilities. The ships unlocked early are easier to master than the ones you unlock later. Also the missions for unlocking them become more difficult.

 

TIPPING POINT

What initially looks a straight forward, formulaic game soon manifests itself as a clever and ingenious set of collective, strategic and tactical challenges that are there to outfox, outsmart or are merely just out there to satisfy the gamer's ingenuity!

 

Some simple tips and guide hints........ Keep options open – Always leave accessible water edges in all four directions to maximize placement flexibility. Plan ship position – Think ahead about where your ship ends its turn; avoid dead ends, and sometimes move back toward the center for better reach next turn. Manage bad tiles – Some tiles may never fit well; don't be afraid to discard a few, but try to keep it under 2–4 per game. Track tile supply – Rare tiles (like bays or diagonals) are limited; keep count to know if certain gaps can realistically be filled. Prioritize value – Place tiles in ways that set up high-value tiles (lighthouses, buoys) for later.

PASSIVE DANGER AHEAD - GOOD LUCK, CAPTAIN!

ABOUT SHAPES AND DREAMS & BRUTALHACK

Shapes and Dreams is the solo studio of Torben Ratzlaff, designer, artist, and license holder of the board game Beacon Patrol, which was originally released in 2022 and later published by Pandasaurus Games. BrutalHack is the development label of Benjamin Justice, specializing in strategic video games that emphasize planning and tactics over reflex-based gameplay. While often turn-based, BrutalHack's titles are united by their thoughtful, strategy-focused design. After meeting through the IndieTreff e.V. community, the pair began working on the digital adaptation of Beacon Patrol in October 2022. The result is a faithful yet enhanced version of the board game, expanded with new features and designed to offer a relaxing, cooperative gameplay experience.

 

About Assemble Entertainment

Assemble Entertainment is an independent game publisher based in Wiesbaden, Germany. Founded in 2016 by industry veteran Stefan Marcinek, Assemble is known for critically acclaimed indie hits such as Sticky Business, Roadwarden, Lacuna and Asgard's Fall. The company also owns in-house developer Gentlymad Studios, creators of the Endzone franchise. Assemble has twice won the German Developer Award for "Best Publisher" and organizes GermanDevDays. Learn more at www.assembleteam.com and www.germandevdays.com