I do like my space games. I also like my strategy games, so when we get a space strategy title that’s both refreshing and a great time, that’s usually a good way for me to spend a weekend.
It’s been a while! I’ve been busy lately and have been playing a bunch of games, as is the norm. I finally picked up Mewgenics, which is a current addiction. Today’s game is pretty good, too, in the new 4X game Astro Protocol. It launched a few weeks ago and is the debut title of Null Vector Studios. While the 4X genre tends to involve playthroughs lasting dozens of hours (cough, Stellaris, cough), that is not the case for Astro. The game is built with plenty of depth, but playthroughs will only last a couple of hours if that. It is designed for a snacky experience, which is pretty rare for turn-based games.
Astro Protocol gives me the same happy feelings I had when I played Slipways, a space 4X title from 2021 with similar small-scope vibes. While I feel Astro Protocol could do with some more refinement, there is a lot to like here, and the game’s low price tag goes a long way.
Short but intense is how the dev team describes Astro Protocol, and that’s certainly the case. This isn’t an easy game, but it’s a perfect example of creating a game that’s relatively simple to play yet difficult to master. At its core, the game puts you in command of one of six cosmic factions vying for dominance within a simulated galaxy governed by Protocol. Each session offers a new challenge with procedurally generated maps, randomized technology trees, and victory conditions, and I rather enjoy the concept. Blending this with the simplistic gameplay makes a tasty snack of a 4X game, which is quite a feat to pull off.
Mechanics-wise, Astro Protocol doesn’t do anything new, but it does everything right with an excellent tutorial to learn the ropes. Exploration occurs on a hex-based galaxy map, where uncovering strange anomalies can yield powerful rewards or unpredictable challenges. Expansion across the cosmos is fairly intuitive, too, through colonizing planets and constructing space stations that extract resources, which then go into technologies and ships. Overall, I’m a big fan of the gameplay, which becomes quite diverse from the varied technologies and randomization. The combat is also simple, relying on one unit per tile on a hex grid and relying more on positioning than numbers.
Overall, there is plenty to like with Astro Protocol. Thanks to these randomized and modular systems, every playthrough feels somewhat different. With over a hundred technologies, a variety of minor factions, and multiple victory conditions, the game offers strong replayability for strategy fans who might not have much time after work for a long playthrough. I still think the game needs a little work, though, mainly on the UI side of things. The galaxy map feels a little cluttered, especially at first, and it can be overwhelming with the amount of information on screen. While the production quality is pretty good for a small man project, the game favors gameplay over graphical fidelity.
