Real-Time.. Risk? Meets 4X??
Imagine playing Risk in real time, with new armies showing up continually and attacks occurring as fast as you and your opponents can order them. Or imagine a 4X space conquest game stripped down to the barebones essentials. With graphics that look like they come from a minimalist shmup. With games typically taking 5 minutes, and playable online against up to 11 other players...
Sounds wild? It is, and you've just imagined Galcon.
You start with control of one or a handful of stars, each with some number of ships. To attack another star, you click on the origin and then the destination; by default, 50% of the ships at the origin are sent on the attack, although you can change that with the scroll wheel. Overtime, every star you own generates new ships--the bigger the star, the faster. Initially, many stars are neutral, with some number of defending ships.
There's a short set of tutorial games to teach you the controls, and a series of 'missions' you can play by yourself (but only one is available in the demo). But where the game shines is in multiplayer--frenetic space combat with an element of diplomacy (there's a chat scroll, with messaging to other players for those quick, expedient alliances). The developer hosts a pretty well populated server, or you can set up your own for play over the LAN.
Fast, fun, multiplayer with the fiero engendered by crushing your foes under the assault of your massive fleet of starships... So fast, in fact, that you can get a cathartic half dozen games in during your lunch hour before going back to whatever brain-benumbing task your supposed to be accomplishing.
It Came From Ludum Dare
Phil Hassey decided to participate in the annual Ludum Dare competition, in which people are asked to program and upload a game within 48 hours. This game is the result (read Phil's blog post on his entry). It swept the competition, winning #1 in the categories of Fun, Graphics, and Sound, and #2 in the Innovation category. Since then, he's been expanding and updating the game, to produce the current polished (but from our perspective, still pleasingly lo-fi and indie) game.
If the gameplay sounds like something you'd like, you have to check it out.
The Developer Says:
Conquer the Galaxy in five minutes!
Galcon is an awesome high-paced multi-player galactic action-strategy game. You send swarms of ships from planet to planet to take over the galaxy.
Features
- It's arcade action Risk with planets!
- Anyone can play - only takes 30 seconds to learn
- Multi-player network game for up to 12 players with teams
- 15 different single player missions against 7 different computer players
- Attack planets with thousands of swarming ships!
- Short battles, epic warfare - only 5 minutes per round
- Net ranking of all net players
Reviews
"Simple graphics and a single audio track made this a bare-bones aesthetic experience. However, the gameplay and fast-paced clicking action kept me totally engrossed while playing. The gameplay is completely solid and offers players a right mix of frantic strategy and a sort of tic-tac-toe nostalgia."
- Game Tunnel
"Here is what you will find: Imagine 5-12 players using neon-illuminated starship armadas to campaign across a map of 10-100 planets. Sounds slow? This is a lightning-fast game where the winner will be decided in only minutes. The genius is in the extremely simple interface allowing even the most novice participant to feel comfortable in no time. Left click to select your resources, scroll wheel to adjust your percentage used, right click to fire them at your opponent. With the time you normally would be grappling with a user-interface, Galcon will have you assessing your competitors for weaknesses and scrambling resources for defenses."
- Linux Gaming World
Awards
Silver Award, Game Tunnel