One of our favorite parts of previewing games is discovering first-time releases on Kickstarter. Sure, there are the instant-hits that get fully backed in days. But there are so many interesting smaller games mixed in with the AAA style releases. One of those games that jumped out at me is Cosmos Defense.
Cosmos Defense Preview
At its core, Cosmos Defense is a strategic planetary defense game. The plan is for 115 different, playable grids. Each grid will be a part of a solar system, potentially containing a sun, planets, wormholes, and more. As you successfully defend the planet on your grid from alien forces, you will unlock other grids to play on.
The gameplay seems straightforward. You can employ up to 12 orbital turrets and 3 shield augments to defend against enemy forces. The types of weapons and shields are effective against different types of enemies. Helpfully, the UI will indicate the types of enemies you will be facing in each wave in an attack bar on top of the screen. Time is of the essence, because as time passes your enemies grow stronger.
Part of the challenge of the game is to manage your limited resources. As you unlock grids you will gain access to the resources hidden there. You can use those resources to upgrade your planetary defenses, which is necessary given the escalating threat the invaders offer. You are also able to develop Research Tech that can provide buffs across all grids. It is critical to continue expanding grids; you can only increase your maximum number of defenses by unlocking extra grids. Between the hard cap on defenses and the resources needed for upgrades, steadily expanding into new grids is important.
What’s Next
According to the Kickstarter, the game is currently 30% complete. That’s what is so intriguing to me about this game; developer David Link is looking to his community of backers to help flesh out the game. Having input on minor cosmetic changes is standard fare on Kickstarter, but this is different. Link is open to input on major parts of the game, and has even set up a subreddit to allow for discussion. The current plan once funded is to solicit ideas from the subreddit, put the best suggestions up for a vote, and then begin programming the winning features into the game. Democracy in action!
Verdict
It’s fairly early in the design process, and there’s no guarantee it will be funded. That said, Cosmos Defense looks like it has the potential to be a fun way to spend an afternoon blasting aliens and building a space empire. You can see more screenshots at the official site or contribute to the Kickstarter here. And be sure to check out the rest of our game previews here. Have a game you’d like us to take a look at? Let us know in the comments.
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