Bungie Aerospace, Halo creator Bungie’s initiative to help mobile and social game developers,  has launched its first title for iOS. Crimson: Steam Pirates is a free, iPad-exclusive strategy game from Harebrained Schemes and Jordan Weisman, the creator of FASA franchises MechWarrior, Crimson Skies and Shadowrun.

In this steampunk styled title, players are Captain Thomas Blood, a swashbuckling hero in command of steam-powered battleships, submarines and zeppelins. Eight missions employ more than a dozen variants of these vehicles, as players tap and drag to create paths for their war machines to follow. Gameplay unfolds from a bird-eye view on a hand-drawn world map.

Aboard their ships, special crewmates allow players to increase their gun range, boost their speed and other perks. Beyond just pulling alongside other vessels and opening fire, players can send crew members to attack and board their enemies’ ships, eventually commandeering them if victorious.

The game also offers a multiplayer mode utilizing a single iPad. This involves players passing the device back and forth between turns in two different scenarios: rescue and protecting a VIP.

Crimson: Steam Pirates was chosen as Apple’s iOS Game of the Week following its release and has remained in the top 10 iPad apps since. Although the game is free, its publisher is offering additional missions in the form of a $1.99 in-app purchase.

You can follow Crimson: Steam Pirates’ progress using AppData, our tracking service for mobile games and developers.