They Come! Demo

Since everyone assumes that any aliens we may come across are going to be hostile, we might as well just prepare ourselves the minute we become capable of intergalactic flight. Because it’s impossible to predict what may lurk in the dark corners of the galaxy, only the biggest and most powerful weapons will do, so that any kind of threat can be annihilated as quickly as possible.

They Come! is a turn-based strategy game in which you have to do one thing: defend yourself. However, although that’s the most important goal in the game, it actually takes very little gameplay time, and you have to fill the rest with exploration and preparation. There are some interesting mechanics at work in the game, some of which have the potential to keep you playing for a long time.

For starters, you have a limited number of moves at your disposal, and you have to do everything during this time: gather resources, scout the map, and even build your fleet. Granted, each tile on the map usually has some kind of resource you can harvest, whether it’s spaceships for your fleet, alien artifacts to improve your own ship, or a planet.

Some of your followers can be used to rescue planets and do various other chores, although they are lost in the process. On the other hand, you gain credits in exchange, which are quite valuable and can be used to purchase powerful ship upgrades in between the missions. In the end, the big battle happens after you finish your moves, and it’s auto-resolved depending on your resources and fleet size.

The most striking thing about the game’s technical side is just how easy it is to just pick up and play. However, if you still aren’t clear about what you should be doing and how, there’s a tutorial included for good measure, and it takes you through the basics. The graphics are quite simple as well, since the engine is two-dimensional, but there are some nice special effects to please the idea every now and again.

Although it’s true that They Come! does not revolutionize the TBS genre, it is light, versatile and very fun. Hence, if you’ve got some free time and you do not mind playing something more tactical for a change, this should definitely be part of your library.