ShipShaper demo launch — Tomas Sala on flow, minimalism, and creator-friendly exports

ShipShaper feels like a “flow-state” tool — and it’s 100% my kind of creative game

I first interviewed Tomas Sala back in 2025 (Bulwark and his design philosophy) — and if you missed that one, it’s right here: Innovation and Expansion: Tomas Sala on Bulwark’s Edge of the World update and game design philosophy.

So when Tomas reached out again — saying he’s back making something new after The Falconeer and Bulwark — I was instantly interested. This time it’s smaller, calmer, and nearly cozy: a relaxing boat design toy/tool/game called ShipShaper.

I’ve been testing it — and it’s for me. Totally. It hits that exact “just one more tweak” rhythm where you stop thinking about goals and just enjoy shaping something cool.

ShipShaper — Gameplay Video (PC)

Gameplay recorded by Fix Gaming Channel.

ShipShaper — Official Overview Video

Video courtesy of Tomas Sala.

Developer Q&A — ShipShaper, “flow-state” creation, and ships you can actually use

Answers provided by Tomas Sala.

ShipShaper started as a tool/toy for Bulwark users — what was the moment it became its own thing?

I think the moment I succeeded in making actual mesh generation worked, so the hulls aren’t a set of object stacked together (what bulwark mostly does) but rather a precisely welded set of hull shapes that get deformed and symmetrically mirrored. This was such a huge leap for me technically that I realised, this could be be more than just a little editor. It became fun to use just to mess around with

A stylized steamer ship cruising through dark waters.

You’ve described it as relaxing and “nearly cozy.” What did you deliberately not include to keep it that way?

hmmm preciese selection menus, other apps of this sort have lots of lists and precision placement,, I wanted something a bit more minimalist (I always do) and exploratory. So that’s more or less the trade off, you can still be precise, but it’s a little bit more searching.

“The Whispering Rigging” inside the ShipShaper editor, with the color wheel controls visible.

What’s the “click” moment you want new users to hit in the first 10 minutes?

Good question, I kinda need users to tell me this, for me its always the moment I make something cool and start to forget about what it’s for or why I started doing it.. getting into the flow of it.

For creators/modders: what does “ships are yours to use freely” mean in practice (exports / commercial use), and what credit line do you prefer?

I prefer nothing, I will include a license type that allows anyone to take the ships and use them for their own commercial projects such as games, mods, boardgame minis, 3d printing. I think there will be a limit to allowing a corporation to do that, but if you are just a small creator or team, then I want you to be able to use the models in your game, free of charge and without risk. I guess creative commons or something like that, but still looking into this if its free enough.. So I don’t neccesarly want some factory using my ships to create their own toyline, but on the other hand… perhaps who cares. Credit lines, in modding its something you ask but not demand,, if someone uses the ships they created in shipshaper a credit or link to shipshaper , but its not required. It’s a kindness. But you pay for ShipShaper you get to use it 😉

After the reveal, what’s the best way for people to support the project — wishlists, demo feedback, sharing builds, etc.?

Wishlisting is super helpful, and I love any kind of feedback, and sharing boats you made is always cool. To be honest, the app should be good enough that you enjoy buying the full thing and perhaps check out some of my other games or follow me on steam. But I always believe that the work should make you want to do that.. 😉

Related Reading

Innovation and Expansion: Tomas Sala on Bulwark’s Edge of the World update and game design philosophy.

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