At inkle, we love adventure stories. Jules Verne or Indiana Jones, Stargate or Star Wars: we love discovering new worlds, taking risks, and meeting mysterious strangers. And for our latest game, we’ve combined two of our favorite settings: the distant past – and the distant future.

Heaven’s Vault is the story of archaeologist Aliya Elasra, who sails the Nebula with her robot sidekick Six, finding and translating inscriptions written in the lost language of the ancients…

And when we say language, we really mean it: for Heaven’s Vault, we’ve created an entire language for you to figure out as you play.

The ancient glyphs you’ll encounter as you explore all have meanings. These meanings combine into words, and the words form the fragments and phrases you’ll find inscribed on the scattered artefacts and ruins of the Nebula.

It’s a puzzle mechanic, but one that comes with a narrative twist, because every inscription is part of the story. Everything you read was written by someone – and if you can figure out what they were saying, then maybe you’ll uncover another piece of the Nebula’s forgotten past…

But be warned – you can’t always be sure if the translation you’ve chosen is right: pick the wrong word, and you might get entirely the wrong idea about a place or what an artifact was for.

Because Heaven’s Vault isn’t just a puzzle game, it’s an adventure. Our previous title, 80 Days, won several awards for its adaptive narrative, which let you play through the story in any way you chose.

Heaven’s Vault is bigger, better and deeper.

Whether you’re delving into ancient ruins, or hanging out in the local bar of your home town, the storyline is always moving. Chances must be seized or they’ll be missed, and every decision you make will have its consequences.

This is a world filled with complex characters. Like Yazi, the labourer out for revenge against his former employer by any means; or Huang, the bookish nerd with a crush; or Mina, the heiress keen to escape her over-bearing father.

Some are friendly, some are cautious, and some are out to con you – but whoever they are, they will remember everything you say and do. Remember: everyone in the Nebula wants something.

We’ll be announcing a release date soon but until then, why not whet your appetite for ancient languages with the following inscription, found on a diagonally-cut black box sent back from the near future…

And be sure to let us know what you think in the comments!