The basic design is familiar RTS territory and you can select various buildings to construct from the simple fold out menu on the left of the HUD. You generally start each level with an existing base though it may be small or in disrepair. The colonists arrive by shuttle and you have to assign them to a bed and make sure you cater for their needs. Depending on the mission, you construct the buildings you need and order the crew to perform various actions, like mining or research. The missions start out fairly easy but the learning curve is steep and it won’t take long until you run into a mission which requires a restart to complete.
In addition to dealing with your main mission objectives you also have to keep a close eye on your crew. While they occasionally cater for their own needs you will often have to tell them to go and eat or wash. It is also vital that you ensure their physical and mental health are cared for, if a crew member goes insane there is no telling what they might do! Each of the colonists has their own personality and they can form friendships by chatting but some of them have serious clashes and this can develop into violence if you don’t manage it carefully.
The missions are split into two fairly distinct categories, economic and military. There is no doubt that the economic missions are easier to manage and better designed. The military missions often feel very chaotic and can be frustratingly tricky as the base comes under attack from fast moving alien swarms. There is no multiplayer option in the game but the sandbox mode adds replay value and you can choose campaigns focusing on economics or warfare depending on your preference.
