Last night, I discovered a new flash game on Addicting Games called "The Space Game." Despite its bland title, the gameplay is actually quite exciting, and of course, very addictive. The mechanics of the game are pretty simple. Players start with a single Solar Station in an asteroid field in space and a given amount of Minerals. The Solar Station is your base's source of Energy. Players then construct workers, which get their Energy from the Solar Station, to mine Minerals from surrounding asteroids. Constructing more workers results in a higher rate of Mineral acquisition. Of course, the game would be quite dull without some form of warfare involved, so players have the option of constructing various forms of weaponry, like lasers or missile launchers, to defend against the waves of enemy "Pirates." These weapons costs Minerals, with the more powerful weapons naturally costing more.
Players can choose between a mission mode, a survival mode, and a mining mode. In mission mode, once the player completes the mission, the game ends. The missions vary from mining 50% of the asteroid field to surviving for a set amount of time. In survival mode, the player has to try to last for as long as possible against ever increasing enemy numbers. In mining mode, the player has to mine a certain amount of Minerals while defending against enemy waves.
The graphics for this game are pretty decent given that it's a flash game. Each of the asteroids have their own unique rocky characteristics and the real-time energy consumption of your weapons is actually depicted by a glowing of your Energy Relays, which are essentially tubes that transfer Energy from one point in space to another. Players also have the option of zooming in and out, allowing them to get a bird's eye view of their base. I also find the space setting very appealing, as it not only gives me unlimited amounts of freedom in terms of building placement, but it also satiates my inner space geek. =)
I am still working on beating the last mission in mission mode. Nothing like having wave after wave of 50+ enemies rushing your base. -_- Overall though, "The Space Game" offers the Addicting Games community a fresh take on the defense-game genre, with vibrant, eye-catching graphics (literally) and a unique gameplay environment.
