Tech Stack

Status: RESOLVED — July 19, 2026

Decisions

Unity Version

Unity 6 (6000.x) — Latest LTS. Better performance tools. Modern package ecosystem.

Rendering Pipeline

URP — Required for 2.5D hybrid rendering (2D sprites on 3D isometric plane).
2.5D Hybrid: Characters = 2D sprites (Aseprite + Pixellab). Terrain/Grid = 3D custom mesh. Isometric camera.

Visual Style

Characters: 2D pixel art sprites, rendered on billboarded quads in 3D space.
Terrain: 3D custom mesh grid with height extrusion and isometric projection.
Camera: Isometric fixed angle (TBD: 30° or 45°).

Target Platforms

PC only (Steam) for MVP.
macOS and Linux deferred.
Console (Switch) considered but not scoped for launch.
Mobile: no.

Key Packages

Package	Purpose	MVP?
TextMeshPro	All UI text	Required
Steamworks.NET	Achievements, cloud saves, co-op invites	Required
Unity Input System	Keyboard/Mouse input (+ future controller)	Required
Cinemachine	Isometric camera control (pan/zoom)	Required
Addressables	Asset management, future DLC support	Required
Shader Graph	Height indicators, sprite shaders, VFX	Required
Aseprite + Pixellab	2D sprite import pipeline	Required

Co-op Networking

Steamworks Networking with an abstraction layer on top — allows switching transport later without rewriting game logic.
Turn-passing model: serialize game state at end of each turn, send via Steam P2P reliable.
Steam-only for co-op at launch. No non-Steam fallback.

Input

Mouse + keyboard only for MVP. Controller deferred to v0.3.
Unity Input System with action map architecture (ready for controller when needed).

Assembly Definitions

Already defined in the project. Keep existing structure.

Open Questions

[x] ~~Isometric camera angle: 30° or 45°?~~ 45° — standard isometric. Better depth visibility for 2.5D hybrid.
[x] ~~Do we need controller support for Steam Deck verification?~~ Skip. Mouse + keyboard only for MVP. Revisit for v1.0.