A Faster, Simpler RTS: Interloper

Anything can catch my eye while browsing for new games. A gorgeous art style, my preferred theme of sci-fi, genres rarer in indie circles, the list of things that take my fancy is as numerous as it is seemingly random. Sometimes a game will hit all of these, like Interloper. It's a strategy game that wants to last no more than five minutes per match. It uses very literal interpretations of territory control, with units blocking off passages until they're destroyed, and supply lines, covering viable routes in your colour. Controlling the action looks simple, but the speed combined with the number of variables and map layout mean I suspect it's difficult to master. To cap it off, it's beautifully drawn from a top-down perspective with some lovely-looking alien tribes. See it in motion below.

It reminds me of Hearthstone in a way--taking a genre so often associated with over-complication and high barriers to entry then distilling it down to something quick and simple. With care and craft, games can both be accessible and keep a high skill ceiling. It's the sort of thing I find very exciting, custom-made for my short attention span and inflated perception of my own skill.

Presumably the next video mentioned in this video is coming shortly, as this one is a couple of weeks old now. Sign ups for the beta have started over on the website and here's the Steam Greenlight page. The developers are first-timers Monogon Games, a Dutch 3-man studio that came together to work on game jams and stuck with it. I'm keen to see what they can do.