Addictive flash games #2: The Space Game

In my current casual gaming binge I've stumbled across The Space Game. It's simply titled but vastly addictive. Just as if I tell you that you will now have "The Final Countdown" stuck in your head -

Do-do-do-DOOOOooooooooo... do-do-do-d-do!

- The Space Game won't leave you alone.[break]

The principle is simple, but not original: you mine asteroids, powered by solar cells, and inevitably you have to defend yourself from alien ships who don't like you.

On the face of it it could be any shooter but unlike most casual games, this one is ludicrously difficult. Not content with forcing you to mine like an army of dwarfs on crack, build and upgrade defenses (not to mention choosing which type is appropriate - long range, short, high power, repetitive), the game also throws wave after wave of enemies at you.

It is frustrating at times, but surviving the timer of each level provides a wave of relief and satisfaction.


Joe would doubtless argue that the gameplay is flawed, but I think it's brilliant. It hones your skills of building as efficiently as possible to start with, and because the buildings take no time at all to pop up, keeping minerals spare for a mid-fight construction is always vital and means you have to constantly tend to your space fortress.

If you think that sounds easy, then there's always the side missions to pile on the frustration too. There are some effective training missions to teach you the ropes, and on easy they game is notably less difficult than at medium, so you can always step it down a notch if it gets too hard.

If you pine for the old school point and click defense games, give it a whirl and let me know what you think!