Ready, Steady, Ship! — Everything We Know

If you’ve ever wondered what it’d be like to work on the other end of a conveyor belt at a multi-national shipping company, then boy, have we got news for you. As it turns out, Jollybits Games has just the thing stowed away in its upcoming couch co-op game, Ready, Steady, Ship!—a high-octane multiplayer game in which players must work frantically to build conveyer belts and transport valuable cargo across factory floors and other unstable environments. Think Moving Out, but with fewer fish tanks, more forklifts, and unreliable machinery, and you’ll have an idea of what we’re getting at.

Ready, Steady, Ship! isn’t due out for a short while yet, but if it has caught your interest, then be sure to read on for a few more details. Here’s everything we can tell you about the upcoming title.

What Is Ready, Steady, Ship!?

Ready, Steady, Ship! is an upcoming single-player and offline two-player co-op game that transports its players to the root of all evil—a factory floor, of all things, that poses more death threats than the average workspace. Either alone, or with another buddy, you will enter said space and carry out your duties as a jack-of-all-trades engineer. The goal, really, will be to connect various pieces to a conveyor belt, and use every item and tool in your arsenal to avoid natural disasters and other environmental collisions.

“Whoever designed this factory really needs to get their head examined,” the game’s description reads in part. “From acid pools, space vacuums to rooftop gaps to clear, or just outright chaos on the floor. As you progress, the factory will throw tougher challenges at you with more and more complex conveyor belt builds to figure out.”

As a reminder, Ready, Steady, Ship! will only be available as a single-player and offline couch co-op game, which means, if you’re hunkering for a good old-fashioned online tournament, then you’re going to be disappointed.

Story

From the looks of it, there won’t be a story mode, as such, but rather a slew of unique levels to complete, all of which will feature vastly different obstacles to overcome, team-building activities to sift through, and tools to utilize. Going by the blurb that was posted earlier this week, the game will progressively get tougher with each passing round, which means you’ll need to keep your wits about you in order to stay ahead of the curve and keep the accidents to a minimum.

“Your job is simple – rebuild the conveyor belts and get the goods flowing out of the factory,” the description adds. “As you progress you’ll be given all manner of tools, equipment, and conveyor parts to overcome obstacles. Forklifts, cranes, springboard conveyor belts, packing foam dispensers, the list goes on and on! So put on your thinking hard hats and start piecing together the puzzle.”

The good news is, there’ll be an offline option to soak up, too. However, whilst said mode will feature a lot of the same story beats and antics, it won’t necessarily be the “same” product. Or at least, not the product that its founders had in mind, anyway.

Gameplay

To put it out there, the devs have confirmed that the game will be available for solo players. With that said, they’ve also recommended that players aim to double up and experience the campaign as a two-piece. It isn’t exactly mandatory, but from the sounds of it, those partnering up as a team will have the added luxury of experiencing the campaign in its entirety, as intended by its creators. So, if you’re looking to scratch that one itch, in particular, then you’ll no doubt find something to like here.

“Keep the line moving! Chaotically assemble the most efficient conveyor belts to keep the goods flowing out of the factory! Use various tools and equipment to overcome the ever-increasing challenges and goods the factory throws at you.”

According to the folks over at Jollybits Games, Ready, Steady, Serve! ”is built around responsive yet simple controls, so almost anyone can quickly and easily join the fun.” Take from that what you will, but from the sounds of it, it won’t be the toughest cookie to crack — even for players with far less experience in the co-op scene.

Development

Get ready to get this line moving double time!
Together with @UntoldTalesHQ we are ready to get this title for you in one piece!

No worries, You don’t have to be forklift certified to wishlist Ready, Steady, Ship! on Steam: https://t.co/NXbSWwGJSY pic.twitter.com/gxpdLiyOwL

— Jollybits_Games (@JollybitsGames) February 8, 2024

Ready, Steady, Ship! is being created by Jollybits Studio, an independent firm based in Vilnius, Lithuania. In addition to Jollybits being at the helm, the game will also receive the full support of Untold Tales’ network, a Poland-based team that has been responsible for console ports of games including Beautiful Desolation, Golf Club: Wasteland, and Aspire: Ina’s Tale. Going by both teams' social feeds, the upcoming co-op title will launch in Q1 2024.

Trailer

Jollybits Games took the liberty of posting a short but surprisingly in-depth sneak preview over on its streaming channel earlier this week. Need we say more? You can check out the initial announcement trailer for the game in the footage embedded above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Ready, Steady, Ship! will be launching on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch, and PC via Steam and GOG at some point in Q1 2024. Can’t wait that long? You’re in luck. As it turns out, the devs did go on to release a short playable demo of the game on Steam earlier this week. You can go ahead and check that out here.

Interested in staying up to date with the upcoming co-op chapter? If so, then be sure to check in with the folks over at Jollybits Games for all the latest pre-launch notes via their official social handle here. If anything does change ahead of its Q1 2024 release, then we’ll be sure to fill you in on all the key details right here on gaming.net.

So, what’s your take? Will you be booting up a round of Ready, Steady, Ship! when it arrives on its chosen platforms later this year? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.