Sid Meier’s Starships arrived rather suddenly earlier in March to very little fanfare. That’s a shame as it’s a very good little game. It isn’t directly related to the Civilization series yet it has similar characteristics and story and continues where Civilization: Beyond Earth left off.

Starships is set after you have colonised your planet in Civilization: Beyond Earth but is a completely different game. I love the Civilization series. The games are detailed, far-reaching and epic in scale. However, I’m glad that Sid Meier’s Starships isn’t similar as it allows me to view it with fresh eyes.

The idea behind the game is that you’re a fleet commander tasked with winning influence over a randomly generated universe. To do this you wage battle, do favours and perform tasks for the planets within that universe. As you expand in one direction, civilisations in that direction will either favour you or fight you. Some civilisations will work with you, some will coexist in peace and others will make war. It’s your duty to respond appropriately.

If you remember the purity, harmony and supremacy affinities from Civilization: Beyond Earth, you will also recognise them here. They influence how you go about your business, what kind of missions are generated and the appropriate response to challenges in this game like it did in Beyond Earth.

The actual Sid Meier’s Starships game is much broader in scope but much shallower in play. It was designed with tablets in mind, so graphics are basic but still pretty and the UI works better with touch than with mouse and keyboard. It’s still playable on PC once you get used to it.

Jesmond Darmanin is a technology enthusiast who has his own blog at www.itnewsblog.com.