RimWorld (Early Access)

Ever wanted to play a (relatively) hard-sci-fi Dwarf Fortress-type game, but with graphics that are a bit easier on the eyes? How about one set on one of the wild, untamed planets in the Rim of the 'Verse from Firefly? Well, RimWorld – from indie developers Ludeon Studios – may just be your cup of Mudder's Milk.

You and a few friends (well, sometimes they’re your friends) end up stranded on a planet well outside of the galactic core. Your goal: survival. Your job: Build and maintain a thriving colony long enough for you all to either establish a new and lasting faction on this brave new world, or to escape on the next passing star freighter. Good luck.

The Story and the Flow

A group could start off with a couple of crappy guns for protection and few days’ worth of food and building materials, or perhaps they'll have a bamboo spear and 3 dozen tame animals to breed. Still another might have a cache of high-tech gear and materials, with enough money on-hand to simply buy some of the other things they need to survive.

Along the way, your little group may make new friends – and enemies (darn raiders), even as they expand their fortifications and dig out the nearby hills for materials. In the meantime, they'll have to deal with the greatest threat of all – each other's personalities. Maybe one of your little dudes is a basket case or a pyromanic. Maybe one of the gals is a hot sociopath who's just so rude that she ticks off the others by her very presence. Maybe your best scientist is also a nudist – better keep that one indoors come wintertime. Maybe that sharp-dressed city slicker from a “Glitterworld” with the killer aim is also lazy as all hell, and will refuse to do anything resembling physical labor under any circumstances. It's all up the roll of the dice.

Graphics, Sound, Controls

The sound design gets the job, and it's pleasant to boot. What more can I say? There isn’t much that really stands out, though there aren’t any sounds that feel unpleasant or out of place, either.

The controls are a mouse-and-keyboard affair with shortcuts, and right-click menus for certain context-sensitive actions. So it’s drag-n-drop selection or clicks, at your preference. The game allows for three different speeds, and you can pause at any time. There are plenty of menu options, broken down into reasonable categories such as architecture, power, security, etc.

One place where the came could use some improvement is that it would be nice to be able to further drill down on crafting bills, or even automate the supply chain. For example, you need leather pieces to make a parka for the nascent winter – if you don't have enough leathers, have the cook butcher some animals; if not enough animals in the freezer, send a hunter out to snag some easy prey; etc). Would also like a command allowing player to force a pawn/survivor to drop everything else and just do this one specific thing.