Another batch of Death Spiral aircraft fresh out of the resin wash and coming off the build plates.
It’s pretty satisfying watching these go from digital models to actual 1/144 game pieces. These will be cleaned up, cured, and then it’s off to the paint table.
The Death Spiral air forces keep growing.
Death Spiral™ playtest prep is underway!
Aircraft records printed, maneuver cards sleeved, and a fresh batch of 1/144 aircraft waiting for paint.
Getting ready to put the latest version through its paces on the table—test it, break it, tweak it, and test it again.
Getting closer to public playtesting!
A couple of the newest Death Spiral production models getting some paint.
I think we’re finally hitting the balance I wanted—WWI aircraft that still look the part at 1/144, but are tough enough to actually game with.
How are these looking?
A little sneak peek at something we’ve been working on for Death Spiral™.
These are the latest prototype aircraft cards for the Fokker Dr.I and Sopwith Camel. We wanted each card to put the aircraft’s flight characteristics, current state and damage tracking right in front of the player, with the critical damage tables on the reverse.
One of my favorite additions is the layered damage diagram, where damage is tracked directly against the aircraft’s wings, engine, fuselage and tail.
Still a work in progress, but they’re getting close to where I want them.
What do you guys think of the new direction?
Seeing them together on the table is pretty satisfying. The German Hexflight™ roster for Death Spiral™ is steadily growing, with the Fokker Eindecker being the latest aircraft off the workbench.
All of these are 1/144 scale, designed and 3D printed in-house as durable gaming pieces rather than delicate scale models. They’re shown here on the HexAxis™ flight system, which handles altitude as well as physically banking, climbing and diving the aircraft.
Still plenty more WWI aircraft to build, but it’s finally starting to look like a squadron.
What German aircraft should join them next?
Hexflight™ aircraft on the Hexaxis™ flight system—built to put banking, climbing, diving and altitude directly onto the tabletop.
All designed and 3D printed from the ground up for Death Spiral™.
After a lot of design work, printing, testing, and painting, the first modular HexLink game board for Death Spiral is finally on the table.
The board is built from sixteen locking 6”×6” tiles that assemble into a seamless 24”×24” battlefield. It was designed to be durable, expandable, and easy to set up while keeping the hex grid clean and readable during play.
Seeing the aircraft on the finished board really makes the game start to feel real.
Still plenty of work ahead, but this is a milestone I’m excited to share.
What do you think of the battlefield so far?
We’ve been refining the player reference system for Death Spiral™, our upcoming WWI aerial combat miniatures game, and wanted to share the latest prototype aircraft and maneuver cards.
The goal is to keep everything a pilot needs in front of them:
Aircraft performance and handling
Hit locations and damage tracking
Speed, altitude, energy, and stress management
Maneuver cards with movement diagrams and requirements
We’re aiming for a system that’s easy to reference during play while still giving each aircraft its own personality and flying characteristics.
These are still prototypes, so I’d genuinely love to hear your thoughts. Is there anything you’d add, remove, or present differently to improve readability or usability during a game?
We’ve been iterating on the HexAxis™ Flight System for our upcoming WWI aerial combat game, Death Spiral™, and this is the latest prototype.
The goal is to make altitude changes intuitive and tactile on the tabletop while keeping the stand durable enough for regular play. This version uses a telescoping altitude mechanism with physical climb and dive representation instead of tracking altitude separately.
It’s still a work in progress, and every prototype teaches us something new.
I’d really appreciate any feedback from fellow designers, modelers, or 3D printing enthusiasts. What would you improve or change?
Prototype shown. Work in progress.
Spent some time test fitting the latest version of our modular battlefield for Death Spiral, our WWI aerial combat game.
The board is made from modular 3D printed tiles with sculpted trench lines, shell craters, and a hex grid built directly into the terrain. We’re also testing our altitude stands to make vertical positioning part of the tabletop instead of tracking it separately.
It’s still very much a work in progress, but it’s finally starting to look like the battlefield we’ve had in mind.
I’d love to hear your thoughts:
Does the terrain read well from an aerial perspective?
Would you add more detail, or keep it relatively clean for gameplay?
Any features you’d want to see before we start refining the final version?
The S.E.5a enters the fight.
One of Britain’s finest fighters joins the skies of Death Spiral™.
Designed in-house at Hexwerks Studios.
Follow the project: www.hexwerksstudios.com
Hell Below. Death Above.
The iconic Fokker Dr.I joins the growing roster for Death Spiral™. Every aircraft is designed, printed, assembled, and painted in-house at Hexwerks Studios.
This is just the beginning.
1/144 Scale
Hex-based aerial combat
Dynamic climb, dive & altitude gameplay
More prototypes and sneak peeks coming soon.
Would you fly the Red Baron into battle?
#DeathSpiralGame #HexwerksStudios #WW1 #WW1Aviation #FokkerDr1 #RedBaron #TabletopGames #MiniaturePainting #Miniatures #Wargaming #IndieGame #GameDevelopment #3DPrinting #ResinPrinting #FromTheForge #AerialCombat #TabletopWargaming
The vision is starting to become real.
Prototype aircraft, prototype altitude stands, and the first modular battlefield tiles all together.
Nothing here is finished yet, but for the first time it actually feels like a WWI dogfight over the trenches instead of planes sitting on a table.
Feedback is always welcome.
A legend of the Western Front takes to the skies.
The Albatros D.Va joins the growing roster for Death Spiral™, our upcoming WWI aerial combat miniatures game.
Every aircraft is designed to work with the HexAxis™ Flight System, where altitude, climb, dive, and positioning are just as important as pulling the trigger.
These are still prototype models, but with every print, every paint job, and every playtest, Death Spiral gets one step closer.
Hell Below. Death Above.
Prototype shown. Work in progress.
#DeathSpiral #HexwerksStudios #HexAxis #WW1 #Miniatures #TabletopGaming #Wargaming #3DPrinting #GameDev #IndieGameDev #AlbatrosDVa #WesternFront
Not every battle is fought in the skies…
Some begin on the ground.
Here’s your first sneak peek at the
Death Spiral Battlefield System™—our modular 3D battlefield designed specifically for aerial combat over the Western Front.
Every tile is built with gameplay in mind:
Modular 4” × 4” FDM-printable tiles
Engraved hex grid for precise movement
Allied trenches, No Man’s Land, and German trenches
Endless battlefield layouts
Designed to be finished with your own terrain, weathering, and battlefield details
What you’re seeing is just the foundation. Once painted, weathered, and dressed with barbed wire, duckboards, shell debris, and battlefield scatter, it’ll become a living section of the Western Front beneath your aircraft.
This is just one more piece of the Death Spiral vision coming together.
More to come…
#DeathSpiral #HexwerksStudios #FromTheWerks #WW1 #TabletopGaming #Miniatures #3DPrinting #FDMPrinting #Wargaming #IndieGameDev #WesternFront #ComingSoon
Latest prototype for our game Death Spiral
Introducing HexAxis™—our new flight stand system for Death Spiral. Pitch, climb, dive, and track altitude with a stand designed to make every maneuver feel like real aerial combat. Still a work in progress, but we’re excited to share the journey.
TOP SECRET // FIRST LOOK
No teasers.
No announcements.
No hints.
This is the first time anyone outside the studio has seen or even heard about our newest project.
Introducing Death Spiral.
A World War I aerial combat game where every climb, dive, turn, and burst of machine-gun fire could be your last.
These are our very first prototype aircraft, fresh off the printer. They’re still rough, still evolving, and represent the first step toward bringing intense WWI dogfights to the tabletop.
There’s a long road ahead, and we’re excited to have you along for the ride.
More details will come when the time is right…
For now, welcome to Death Spiral.
Hell Below. Death Above.
Prototype models shown. Work in progress.
TOP SECRET // FIRST LOOK
No teasers.
No announcements.
No hints.
This is the first time anyone outside the studio has seen or even heard about our newest project.
Introducing Death Spiral.
A World War I aerial combat game where every climb, dive, turn, and burst of machine-gun fire could be your last.
These are our very first prototype aircraft, fresh off the printer. They’re still rough, still evolving, and represent the first step toward bringing intense WWI dogfights to the tabletop.
There’s a long road ahead, and we’re excited to have you along for the ride.
More details will come when the time is right…
For now, welcome to Death Spiral.
Hell Below. Death Above.
Prototype models shown. Work in progress.
The first aircraft are starting to take shape. Three iconic WWI fighters, designed from the ground up for fast, support-free 3D printing at 1/144 scale and built specifically for our upcoming aerial combat game.
Still plenty of refinement ahead—panel lines, proportions, print testing, and production tweaks—but seeing them together on the build plate is a milestone worth sharing.
Every prototype gets us one step closer.
What aircraft do you want to see join the roster next?
#HexwerksStudios #WIP #3DPrinting #WW1 #TabletopGaming #Miniatures #GameDevelopment #IndieGame #DeathSpiral #STL