You know what’s popular? Pirates.

You know what’s not so popular? Escort missions.

In entwining these two distinctly separate entities in a marriage of unorthodox ramifications, A Sirius Game appears to be skating on thin ice from the onset. Making the escort mission dynamic, a device that lives and dies by the effectiveness of the game’s AI system, is a challenge that has proved beyond the wits of some of the most eminent studios in gaming history, and you might well suspect that the addition of swashbuckling pirates into the mix isn’t quite going to be enough to assuage any presumptuous doubts.

On the whole, it must be said that such doubts aren’t completely unfounded, even if the underlying reasons for your cynicism may not quite be on the mark. A Sirius Game is functional, approachable and generally well-rounded in its execution, but it’s a smidge lacking in that one vital ingredient – fun.

A Sirius Game puts you in the unenviable role of the titular Sirius, a spoilt, petulant wannabe pirate reminiscent of the pre-Warrior Within Prince of Persia, albeit without any of the Prince’s characteristic wit and charm. In a nutshell, Sirius has a blazing row with his similarly pig-headed father, culminating in his eviction from the household, and presumably the cessation of his birthday presents, pocket money and Chewits rations.

Rather than admitting defeat and reconciling with his old man, Sirius manipulates his brother, Dion, into joining him on a naval crusade to plunder booty, pinch gold and ultimately overthrow his father. But first, he has to earn the trust of the commercial bigwigs, and that means escorting merchant vessels across the ocean and protecting them from all the other pirate scumbags.

And, when it comes down to it, it’s this focal point of the gaming experience that is generally left wanting. And get this; it’s not down to problems with the AI. In fact, the NPC ships largely behave as they should and with minimal fuss to boot. No, my friends, the problems are much deeper rooted than that.

What takes the wheels off the wagon is the slow, plodding pace at which the ships drift across large open stretches of water, leading to all-too-long stretches of sterile boredom during which your mind drifts onto what you’d much rather be doing with your time. Naval combat, an element that becomes increasingly important as A Sirius Game progresses, is a relatively mindless affair of mouse clicking, whilst waiting for your ship to dock at a nearby port can take several mindnumbing seconds as the vessel judders to a laboured halt.

The game’s customisation options, though lacking in serious depth, are a little better, allowing you to deck your ship out with a reasonably ample range of perks, power-ups and weapons. Furthermore, the in-game trade system, through which gems and luxury materials you’ve acquired during your travels can be offloaded for monetary gain, is a welcome addition that adds a strategic element to the experience.

Visually, A Sirius Game is a mixed bag. The artistic style of the text-based cutscenes is quaint and admirable in its striking, hand-drawn nature, and the game sports a luscious range of environmental colours that enrich the sense of immersion that A Sirius Game has to offer. On the flip side, the environmental models themselves, such as the trees and buildings, are realised in a minimalistic, uninspired fasion, often taking the form of disfigured blobs surrounded by stick figures that might as well have been drawn on the back cover of a primary school pupil’s notebook.

Similarly mixed impressions can be drawn from an aural standpoint. The game’s sound effects are basic and forgettable, but A Sirius Game boasts a stirring soundtrack that captures the rough, yet romanticised ambiance of the pirate lifestyle. It’s clear that Phantasm Game Studio went all-out in creating a suitably melodious backdrop to the rich, memorable gaming experience they so clearly wanted to produce, and credit must go to the team for placing such impressive focus on such an overlooked section of game development.

Phantasm also evidently know what they’re doing when it comes to interface. The various menus, icons and hotkeys may appear daunting in screenshot form, but they’re all meticulously explained through the game’s solid tutorial system. It’s surprising how quickly the use of all the on-screen gizmos and gadgets becomes second nature, although it’s also a shame that the icons have a tendency to obscure parts of the gaming world from time to time.

A Sirius Game is a bold attempt to redefine how we think and feel about a number of existing gaming concepts and, for that, it merits recognition. However, its lack of that elusive X-Factor, pizzazz or any other nonsensical abstract nouns typically spouted by perverted photoshoot directors is what prevents it from establishing itself as a break-out indie title.

Find out more about A Sirius Game on its official website. You can also follow its distribution service, Cloud 9 Gaming, on Twitter.

In development for just over two years now, Warbarons is a turn-based strategy game currently in open beta for those who want that classic 90s feel back, the developer’s need funding to get it finished though so it’s time to show your support!

If you’re a fan of 2D strategy games such as Warlords, Heroes of Might and Magic and Civilization then you will instantly fall in love with Warbarons. It’s a turn-based strategy game as you remember it with gorgeous graphics and a few modern day additions which mean playing against your human opponents will be a lot easier than it used to be. As the game is based in the browser it’s incredibly more accessible to play against people and being written in JavaScript and PHP means it will also be playable on mobiles and pads.

There’s already a thriving “mature” community surrounding the game, making maps in the map editor and communicating with the developers to make the game as good as it possibly can be. Apparently, most of the maps are actually created by the community: “some are competitive symmetrical maps with ranked games in mind while others are classic setups between two sides such as Lord of the Rings Middle earth and Westeros from A Game of Thrones.” You can actually start playing Warbarons and become part of the community right now as the game is in open beta.

The developer’s say that the game is focused on balanced multiplayer games with between 2 to 8 players, with game modes including 1vs1, Free For All, Team games and Scenario games. The developer’s plan on adding more to the game though including matches between more than 8 players.

The game is currently in open beta so you can jump on and start playing right now. However, the developers, who have self-funded the project until now, are looking for funding so they can finish the game off how they feel it deserves, more specifically – graphics, marketing and server costs.

As always with Kickstarter projects, there are many rewards for those who help fund Warbarons, including designing parts of the game, getting your face in the game, infinite Gold level accounts and loads more of course.

To read more about Warbarons and to help fund the project, head on over to the game’s Kickstarter page.

For more information on Warbarons and to play the open beta version of the game, you will want to go to the game’s official website.

UFHO2 is a strategy/puzzle game that has players controlling little blob aliens in a hexagonal shaped spacecraft. The spacecraft is made up of seven large hexagons, with each containing an additional seven smaller hexagons. The goal of the game is to move around the map and collect blue tokens before your enemy can do the same. Each game starts with you facing your opponents from across the level and racing to the middle to grab the fist token.

You take turns moving your aliens based on a timer, with a set amount of ‘moves’ that can be used. Each turn will consist of 20 seconds or 6 moves. You can only move to a hexagon with a path that is connected to the one you currently stand on, so moving between each room (small hexagon) will cost 1 move point. If you are not connected to the surrounding rooms you will need to spend an additional point to rotate the room in order to open a doorway. Rotating rooms also costs 1 point and can be done from anywhere across the map. Lastly, it is possible to rotate the pods (large hexagons) in order to move between them the same way you do rooms. Rotating a pod will cost 2 points per rotation and can also be used anywhere on the level.

At first glance it might seem that whoever took the first turn would win the first token as long as they knew how to play, but then the real strategy comes into play since you can rotate any of the hexagons on the board. This means it is possible to anticipate the moves of your enemy and potentially screw them over by ruining their pathways.

Along the way to token hoarding there will also be power-ups that spawn around the level! There are nine in all that give extra moves, extra time, loopholes that act as fast teleports across the level, the ability to block spaces from your enemy, and many more. Players who wish to be good at this one are going to have to think many turns ahead in order to collect power-ups while also chasing the tokens.

UFHO2 has a tutorial that will teach the basics of the game and get you up and running against a computer opponent. Players should beware that these computers don’t mess around and will move across the level ever so gracefully to steal the tokens right out from under your nose. The other play options include 1 vs. 1 for player vs. player (PvP), and also 2 vs. 2. I am personally looking forward to some of the 2 vs. 2 action after playing the game with a group and seeing how fun it can be to make plans to outsmart the enemy team. Having a total of four aliens on the screen at once means the pathways are always going to be moving and you really need to work together!

Visually the game is great to look at with the vibrant alien blobs contrasting off the dark space-ship themed levels. The music also fits the bill by being great ‘thinking music’ with a tinge of sci-fi, but nothing annoying that will have you ripping your hair out. Tiny Colossus are currently in the process of adding different playable alien types with different gameplay abilities; these include the Tetrobot from Blocks That Matter and Commander Video of the Bit.Trip series, and it is expected that many more are to be announced.

UFHO2 is a game that at first glance looks a little simple, but will really shine once you take the time to learn some strategies and plans for the game. I’d say it is similar to chess in that players who plan their game a few moves ahead are going to be at a great advantage over those who just take the game as it comes.

UFHO2 was originally set for a 2010 launch that was pushed back to expand the game for more platforms. My preview is based on the PC version, but the game will also debut on Mac and iOS platforms. The new launch date is currently undetermined, but you can keep up to date with the game and also check out the original UFHO game at the official Tiny Colossus website.

UFHO2 is also seeking funding at the moment on Kickstarter and there are a huge amount of different rewards up for grabs, check it out over on the Kickstarter page.

After being hugely successful on Kickstarter the 4X action strategy game, StarDrive, is now available to everyone at a price in its alpha stage on Desura.

Many people have been getting pumped for what looks to be the most ambitious and impressive 4X strategy game in a while, StarDrive – a lot of those people were satisfied once they got their copy of the game, or at least an alpha verison, after funding the game on Kickstarter. How about those of you who missed out? You want this game, of course you do; it’s got a very deep and clever ship design mechanic and exciting combat gameplay along with it and invites you build a space empire. Who doesn’t want that?

Oh you don’t? Well how about we add the fact that BEARS COMMAND SHIPS?! It’s a sight to behold, isn’t it?

Well, if you were one of the unlucky few to miss out on StarDrive then you’ll be pleased to know that you can now pre-purchase the game in its current alpha state on Desura for a mere £12.99 on Windows only though unfortunately.

For more information on StarDrive head on over to the official website.

Proving indie game characters have more than just one game in them, UFHO2, the upcoming turn-based strategy game from Tiny Colossus, will be featuring no other than Commander Video and the Critters from Super Crate Box!

Tiny Colossus are still trying to find extra funding for UFHO2 but that hasn’t stopped them greeting their fellow indie developers and arranging a little character invading action. Commander Video is becoming quite the indie game tart – this isn’t the first indie game he has appeared in outside of the Bit.Trip games – as he will be leaving his rainbow trail all over the strategy game. It’s more than just a mere character model though, Commander Video can move seven times during a turn (versus the six moves of most other races) but rotating an area costs him three moves instead of two. The image depicting him in UFHO2 is quite odd though, the Commander doesn’t seem to be his normal perpendicular self.

The cute but often vicious Critters from beat-bopping action platformer Super Crate Box will also be nipping their way into UFHO2 to brighten things up in their own unusually hyperactive way. The Critters are actually so small that two of them can fit inside a grid, as such they each have their own mini turns but can only move three times every turn. The way they squeeze through the gaps is adorable!

As previously mentioned, UFHO2 is still looking for funding on Kickstarter, so head on over there and help the developers out and you can get some pretty neat bonuses for doing so too.

UFHO2 will be available on PC, Mac, iPad and Android tablets, smartphones will be considered after the initial release. More information can be found on the developer’s official website.

Smuttlewerk Interactive, a German indie studio, has released a new strategy/RPG blend for iOS called Time of Heroes.

Time of Heroes is a story-driven turn-based strategy game, with themes of Nordic myth. The game tells the story of prince Minos and his followers, who set out in search of a new land when their previous homeland was covered by ice and snow. This band will meet strange characters and dangerous enemies as they find a new place to settle. Players will use their wits and their combat strategies, as well as skill trees and items, to defeat the enemies of Minos.

With a fun and goofy trailer like this, we can hopefully expect a creative and engaging storyline.

A player’s progress in Time of Heroes will be saved in the iCloud, so players can switch between iPad and iPhone without losing their progress.

Smuttlewerk is currently working on the next installment, titled “Time of Heroes – The Prophet’s Revenge”, for fans of the story-driven strategy game.

More information on Time of Heroes can be found on the game’s official website.

You can now pre-order Rocket Bear Games’ upcoming strategy game Infested Planet and get immediate beta access, you could be squishing those scumbag bug-aliens all night long. Would you like to know more?

Infested Planet builds on the basic mechanic present in Rocket Bear’s Attack of the Paper Zombies to allow for a deeply strategical game but a very simple control interface. The visuals have been noticeably beautified compared to Rocket Bear’s previous titles, with a plush plum colour with bleeding pinks and oranges really making it something to catch your eye. Would you like to know more?

Essentially, Infested Planet is a reverse tower defense game in that the squishy bug-like aliens have a spawn point which you are tasked to destroy in order to stop them forming their masses and overwhelming you. Luckily you play as a troop of five veteran space marines with a devastating arsenal of weapons ranging from walking tanks with miniguns to field artillery. Would you like to know more?

Okay, enough of the Starship Troopers references. The aliens in Infested Planet are not going to make it easy for you as they mutate to your defend against your attacks unpredictably…it’s like they have a brain bug that learns things…sorry, that was the last one I promise. Infested Planet encourages its players to flex their strategic mind and boasts a high replayability due to having a random map generator. Check out the trailer below and then go and pre-order it to try it out yourself right now.

You can find out more information and pre-order Infested Planet for PC and Mac at the official website.

There’s also a regularly updated developer’s blog for those who would like to know even more.

The very unique and genius, word city building, Dream.Build.Play semi-finalist, Lexiv, has now launched on the Xbox Live Indie Game marketplace.

Yes, Lexiv does look a lot like Scrabble, but it takes the core concept of making words out of random tiles and turns those tiles into cities which are attacked by enemies, threatening your populations inside them. At first it may seem odd, but please give it a chance and it will impress you.

“Lexiv features an innovative design that blends city building and word game mechanics into an exciting strategic experience. Play through an expansive 10+ hour campaign, and grow your city into a thriving metropolis.”

It’s hard to know what to make of Lexiv initially, but there is a developer walkthrough that explains everything and exposes the game’s true genius. It certainly helps those who may be a bit sceptical about the idea of Scrabble with cities and turrets – I, for one, shy away from anything that even resembles a board game, but after seeing the developer walkthrough and being thoroughly impressed I find myself needing to try Lexiv out. It’s unique, very clever and exactly the kind of thing I want to play. Whether the XBLIG marketplace is the best thing for it, well, that seems doubtful. A PC version, I suspect, would thrive considering the PC audiences love of strategy games.

Check out the developer walkthrough below, I insist.

You can download both the trial and the full game of Lexiv for 240 MSP on the Xbox Live Indie Game marketplace, or you can go right here for the same effect.

More information on Lexiv can be found on the game’s official website, follow the developer on Twitter to keep up to date with Lexiv too.