4x is an unpolished strategy game reminiscent of Civilization and Creeper World. Built by Nick Care, Azrea Amis, Robert Tomcik, and Kirk Pearson, it was developed under a strict deadline between February 10th and March 16th of 2016.
It was the first game the group made together (see the second) and does not present an entirely coherent or bug-free experience. It also eschews almost all in-game instruction, so I’ve included the instruction manual below.
Download for Windows
README - Game Instructions
Game Created by: Nick Care, Azrea Amis, Robert Tomcik, Kirk Pearson
Goal
You have been assigned the task of making a new planets surface habitable for humans. Harvest energy from nodes to warp in buildings and create a spanning energy network. The goal of the game is to get 6 warp gates. This will create a large energy burst that rids the surface of the planet of any dangers.
Controls
- Click on a hex tile to select it.
- Hit tab to select the next unit that has an action.
- Press shift to view the energy overlay. Nodes grant more energy when harvested, and the overlay is bluer closer to a node.
- After a unit is selected, you can command it to do 4 different things via
the large buttons at the bottom of the screen. Starting from the leftmost
button:
- Move - This button will move a unit. Select a unit, click the “Move” button, then click where you want the unit to move. Alternatively, select a unit and right click where you want it to move. Each hex moved by a unit will consume 1 stamina.
- Build - If you have a unit selected, this will open the build sub-menu. Click which structure you want to build and the unit will alert the Warp Gate to warp in the building on unit’s hex.
- Scan - This action will let the player search for energy nodes. It will reveal the energy levels of the tile the unit is standing on and all neighbouring tiles. The scan action will use 1 of the units stamina.
- Purify - When clicked, the unit will attempt to purify the miasma of the tile it stands on and all surrounding tiles. This action takes 2 stamina.
- The end turn button will end the players current turn. This refreshes stamina back to 4 on all of the units. Any buildings that are currently warping in will be progressed if there is enough energy in the network. The enemy also gets to take their turn.
Buildings
- Conduit - Transfers energy and connects buildings up to two tiles away. They are a cheap way to spread the reach of your energy network. A valid energy connection is shown by a light blue line connecting buildings.
- Harvester - Generates 8 energy per turn when built on top of an energy node and 1 energy per turn otherwise. Connect this to your Warp Gates via Conduits.
- Purifier - A defensive structure that clears the Miasma off of one nearby tile per turn. Must be connected to an energy network to function. Draws 5 power per turn.
- Warp Gate - Warps in buildings and units at the expense of energy. Each Warp Gate can warp in one building at a time. Two Warp gates can warp in two buildings concurrently. Any energy generated by Harvesters is stored in the Warp Gate for future use.
Miasma
A quickly spreading, unknown alien life form that destroys buildings and kills units. It can be cleared away by using units' purify action and by building purifiers.
Tips and Tricks
Because units have 4 actions, they can move towards Miasma, purify, then move back to safety each turn. However, when stationary, units can purify twice per turn, making a significant dent in the surrounding corruption. Use this for defensive formations only, as it places the unit at significant risk.
Drop pods are scattered around the planet, and contain more units or sensor equipment that scans the surrounding area. Move a unit over one to open it up.
You win when you have eradicated your enemy (manually or with the burst of energy from 6 warp gates). You lose when you have no more buildings or units left. You can only win or lose at the end of a turn.