Eufloria is a strategy game developed by Rudolf Kremers and Alex May. It is an expanded version of Dyson, a game that was a finalist in the Independent Game Festival. As the developers put it, Eufloria is 'an ambient game of space exploration', where you need to explore and conquer territory to expand your empire. The game is based upon the concept of 'plant growth and bio mechanical evolution': you colonize asteroids in the space by sending seeds and growing trees on them. According to Eufloria's creators, the game's atmosphere was inspired by the book 'The Little Prince'; it shows a minimalist environment where action is marked by the rhythm of chill-out music.
There are two main game modes: the main game (Story) and Skirmish Arenas, and also an extra mode, Dark Matter, which is unlocked as you play the Story mode. This mode follows a storyline and consists of over twenty goal-oriented levels of increasing difficulty. It is the way to go if you want to learn the basics of the game mechanics. In this mode, action occurs in a neat environment where you will see a couple of asteroids with some seeds revolving around them. Grey circles represent the undiscovered planets that you have to colonize by sending your seedlings. Gathering ten seedlings on an asteroid will give you the ability to plant a tree, a Dyson tree, which in turn will generate more seedlings allowing you to conquer other sectors. So, learning to grow and use seedlings wisely is basically what Eufloria is all about.
Appearances can be deceptive, and higher levels demonstrate that the beautiful universe where your seedlings grow is not as peaceful as it seems. As you advance, you will encounter enemies who are able to take over asteroids and ruin their soil. To fight and eradicate the 'grey sickness', you need to invade the infected planet with an amount of seeds that outnumbers the enemies. This, apart from speeding the game up a bit, will require a good strategy based on the information provided. The 'grey sickness' will not give up and will attempt to attack and take over your conquered sectors. They can even hide in apparently empty asteroids, forcing you to devise new strategies to fight them. A very important aspect to take into account is that asteroids have different levels of energy, strength, and speed, and knowing these details will help you make the best decision when things get more complicated.
Even with the addition of hostile creatures attempting to invade your asteroids, the relaxed atmosphere prevails throughout the game. Those seeking for a more challenging game will find it in the Skirmish Arenas and Dark Matter mode, with new settings and a few twists in the gameplay. Another feature to highlight is that Eufloria is procedurally generated, it means that every time you load a game it will present a different scenario, offering endless replay possibilities. In short, Eufloria is a unique game in its own right. Besides being visually gorgeous, it proposes a game concept that is both original and innovating. I wholeheartedly recommend it to players looking for an immersive gaming experience.
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