Indie Spotlight - Star-Twine

Star-Twine is a real-time space strategy game with a simple premise: Blow up your enemy base before it blows up your base. Your battlefield is made up of a series of intertwining energy vines that combine to create different arenas with every match. On these vines, you build structures to defend yourself and attack your enemy. These structures consist of energy nodes that produce your currency to build other structures, turrets that fire upon all enemy units or structures, a black hole that absorbs enemy fire, a defender node that destroys nearby enemy structures, and a missile launcher that destroys multiple enemies at once. Each structure will behave differently, depending on where you place it. For example, if you place a black hole too close to your turrets, your black hole will absorb all friendly and enemy fire. Because there's no official home base, you're free to build anywhere.

Star-Twine energy nodes & defender nodes

The gameplay focuses on positioning and timing rather than the micromanaging found in most real-time strategy games. At the beginning of each match, you're given 150 points and one energy node to produce income. You can choose any style of gameplay, but Star-Twine discourages you from staying in one place by making the AI fire missile launchers instantly that destroy your base or by placing turrets right by your energy nodes that destroy those quickly. So, positioning and timing really come into effect because you must spread your base and attack from all sides; your enemy will usually focus on the newest built structure. However you play it, each match will deliver a challenging experience.

The demo offers a tutorial mode and easy skirmish mode that gives you a taste of what Star-Twine is all about, but for $9.99, you can pick up the full version that includes more skirmish modes, online multiplayer, and more. I found myself addicted to the demo and wanted more of a challenge, so I decided to pick up the full version, which definitely gives you tougher and more aggressive AI. You can find this demo and more like it at the GameSpot Downloads Page.