GameCyte

Some strategy games derive their challenge from their broad features, allowing one to craft a master plan involving dozens of different units and unique abilities. Others take the opposite approach, like Inventive Dingo's "Mayhem Intergalactic," a game which has only two possible moves yet dozens of potential strategies.

"Mayhem" is an independent game which has just become available on Steam, granting it achievements, automatic updates, and more. It also broadens the audience, which is ideal for "Mayhem:" The game's easy rules and fast play make it ideally suited for quick pick-up matches with strangers. "Mayhem," depending on the number of players and the size of the map, will last 5-15 minutes per game.

In an effort to conquer the galaxy, players of "Mayhem" are tasked with battling their opponents until only one player has any ships and/or planets left. There are only two moves in one's arsenal in order to accomplish this task -- moving ships, and upgrading planets.

Moving ships merely involves selecting their origin, destination, and number to move. Depending on the distance between planets, the ships may take more than one turn to arrive, but once deployed, they can't change course. Once they arrive at their destination, they will automatically engage any ships that may be stationed there, and the side with ships left standing at the end will seize control of the planet.

Held planets will produce additional ships. One can also be upgraded per turn, which will raise its future output at the cost of production for a full turn. Since moving ships is all you'll do in "Mayhem," the game lets you automate this process if you choose, establishing "rally points" between your properties to keep a steady stream of new ships where you expect to need them most.

The animation and effects during gameplay are minimal, making "Mayhem" look and feel almost like a board game. However, "Mayhem" is the sort of game that works best in a digital setting. For starters, unless the game rules are changed, all ship movements are invisible to other players until squadrons come into conflict. This is where some of the strategic choices come into play; one might attack an opponent's poorly guarded "supply" planets instead of fighting entirely on the front lines.

The automated rally points are also a boon, allowing players to mass an army for their next move, even while battling it out over contested planets. What's more, as the game rages on, it's not uncommon to get into battles with hundreds, or thousands, of ships -- and since there is a small element of luck to the battles (a fight between two evenly matched squadrons could go either way), that would be a lot of dice to roll in a physical setting.

"Mayhem's" elegant simplicity makes it something unique: A casual strategy title. Gamers can turn to "Mayhem" for a satisfying war without a long commitment. With a demo available and a reasonable price for the full game, strategy fans ought to give "Mayhem" a whirl.