As videogames take on increasingly ambitious scales, often rivaling Hollywood movies in terms of size and scope, while becoming more accessible and in the eyes of some, dumbed down, the rise of the indie gaming scene is bringing forth games that are going in the opposite direction. One such game is the upcoming Spacecom, a space strategy game developed by Flow Combine and published by 11 bit launchpad.
Sporting a very minimalist look, Spacecom is being touted as a game that “pushes your ability to strategize with a focus on real-time tactics and planning – not fast clicking – using a minimalist design inspired by military technology.”
Instead of having to worry about micromanagement and what types of units work against others, as is often the case in conventional strategy games like Starcraft, players of Spacecom will instead have to devote their mental energies to out-thinking and outwitting their opponents.
The game’s spartan superficial qualities are but a veneer of the complex strategies that players can employ to achieve dominance. According to the game’s description, the player can draw from real-world military tactics or create his or her own in order to conquer as many planetary systems as possible. The game offers both singleplayer and multiplayer for up to six.
Developer Flow Combine, which began work on Spacecom this year, teamed up with 11 bit launchpad, the publishing arm of Anomaly and This War of Mine developer 11 bit studios, to bring the game to fruition. “I’m happy that we found a partner that can back us financially and with the necessary experience,” said lead designer Kuba Stokalski, “It’ll enable us to make the most of what SPACECOM is, and what it can be.”
Among the staff at Flow Combine are several former members of The Witcher developer CD Projekt, including Programmer Maciej Czerwonka, Audio Designer Maciej Miasik, Graphic and Design artist Adam Kozlawski and Senior Producer Marek Ziemak.
Spacecom, which was approved by the Steam Greenlight community, will be released via Steam, Games Republic and other digital distribution platforms later this year for the PC, Mac, Linux, and Mobile devices. The game will be featured at E3 next week.