Space Colony is an innovative and deep strategy game that combines people building simulation a la The Sims with world building and some RTS elements. On top of that, the game has a very unique sci-fi flavor, going with a kitschy sense of humor instead of the more common dark and brooding theme commonly associated with science fiction games. The gameplay can be a tad slow and the interaction between the characters isn’t as fleshed out as it could be, but Space Colony compensates with these flaws by being fun and having a unique sense of style.

Space Colony takes place in the year 2153 A.D. Earth has been depleted of all resources, leaving many companies to search the galaxy for money making opportunities. You control a group of colonists sent to an unpopulated planet by Blackwater Industries, a company earning money by performing resource acquisition missions.

Since these acquisition teams are typically made up of the dregs of society, your team is quite the eclectic mix of maladjusted individuals. On your team, you have characters like Tami La Belle, a clingy, emotionally insecure alcoholic, Greg Chesterton, a chauvinist with no respect for others and Slim, an angry teen who thinks he’s a rapper. These conflicting personalities can and will clash quite often, leaving you the player to either come to some compromise between the fighting colonists, or pick up the pieces after their fight.

In order to appease your colonists, you have a variety of resources at your disposal. You can put items like a Jacuzzi or a dance floor in your space station, as well as beds, food stations and other more practical items. The colonists each have their own likes and dislikes when it comes to furnishings, so you’ll have to mix and match to make everyone happier, and thus, more productive. Happy colonists do more work, earn more credits and work together with others better than unhappy ones.

The gameplay is nice and varied, but often times moves a little slow. You’ll spend a lot of the game sitting back and merely watching, only briefly intervening when problems arise. Some missions are a bit more exciting than others, however, like the military excursions, are a bit more intense. You can build a group of robots and have them go around the planet killing off pesky aliens, or you can set up a perimeter of gun turrets to defend your base from them.

However, the game does have a few problems. The character interaction isn’t as dynamic as it could be. The interaction falls into set patterns with no real surprises; if you know that two colonists don’t like each other, then they are going to fight, ‘nuff said. Also, as I said earlier, the pacing is a little slow, and the characters are self-sufficient enough that the player only needs to watch for problems to arise, correct the situation, and wait for something else to go wrong.

The graphics are nice, but pretty simplistic by today’s standards. The game is presented from a top-down isometric view, and the characters and environments are all rendered sprites, no 3D polygon elements. The look fits in nicely with the game’s sci-fi style and the sprites are well-animated, but just don’t expect to be overly dazzled by the graphics.

The sound effects are pretty good. The voice acting is very well done, with the characters’ unique personalities coming through. The music is also very appropriate for the game and sets the light mood, and if it’s not to your fancy, you can import your own MP3's to the soundtrack.

Space Colony is a fun game that provides an interesting take on the sci-fi genre and innovates on the typical strategy formula by adding RTS and world-building sim elements to people building gameplay. While the game does have a few shortcomings, strategy fans (namely Sim fans) should find something to like here.

Gameplay: 8.0
The gameplay is an innovative mix of people building and world building and the characters have unique and vibrant personalities. However, their interactions are too predictable, and the pacing is a little slow.

Graphics: 7.5
The graphics have a nice look to them, bringing to mind games like Fallout. The sprites are nicely animated, and the environments keep with the game’s mood. However, it’s all pretty simplistic considering today’s standards, so don’t expect to be dazzled.

Sound: 8.5
The music is lighthearted and appropriate for the overall feeling of the game. The voice acting is well done, reflecting the personalities of the characters very well. If the game’s soundtrack doesn’t strike your fancy, then you have the option of putting in your own MP3's.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 8.5
Space Colony does a good job of mixing together a variety of different strategy gameplay styles, and the “happy” approach to sci-fi is a welcome deviation from the gloom in the current crop of sci-fi titles.

Overall: 8.3
Space Colony is a fun title that mixes various styles of strategy to create a unique experience. The lighthearted look at sci-fi makes for a light atmosphere that, unlike many sci-fi titles today, goes easy on the killing and wanton destruction. While the gameplay does have a few shortcomings, this is a game that sci-fi strategy fans might want to check out.