Candy Crush games have been a huge success in the match-three puzzle genre, and their maker King seems to be trying its luck in another segment with the soft launch of a new mobile game called Stellar: Galaxy Commander. While the game still uses some matching gameplay mechanics that are well within King’s area of expertise, it also throws a combination of strategy and real-time player-versus-player battle into the mix to give players more excitement as they embark on a quest to smash space enemies. In case no human opponent is available to play against you, Stellar: Galaxy Commander will automatically pit you against an AI-controlled one.
The multiplayer game lets you become the commander of your own fleet, asking you to destroy your enemies and protect your ships by strategically arranging them. As you go on with your journey, the game allows you to recruit heroes who will help you annihilate your foes and increase your digital rank. In addition to real-time PvP matches, Stellar: Galaxy Commander also includes several features that allow you to upgrade your fleet by collecting ship cards, unlock hero cards and gather your crew, get XP and move on through five galaxies, join time-limited seasons, and amass digital spoils by winning battles. King claims that although the game is easy to play, mastering it shouldn’t be an easy feat.
The game is currently available only in Indonesia and the Netherlands, where it can be downloaded from the Google Play Store free of charge. It is not clear, though, whether King will ultimately release the soft-launched game, as the mobile game developer has a track record of experimenting with games that never make it to the market. Also, keep in mind that while the game is free to play, it also includes in-app purchases (IAPs) that are seemingly the only way it’s attempting to monetize its content. King is currently also said to be developing a Call Of Duty mobile spin-off, indicating the company’s intent to venture into other game genres as well. An update on the firm’s endeavors and other titles may follow later this year.
