Cosmic Colony

The backdrop of space colonisation lends itself quite well to city-building games. But as the genre of space colony simulators becomes increasingly crowded it's difficult for games of this type to stand out.

If you're looking for a new freemium city-builder to sink your teeth (and money) into you could do worse than Gameloft's Cosmic Colony: it's as fun to play as it is to look at.

Cosmic Colony is built on strong graphics with a '40s sci-fi aesthetic. While some characters may have a bit of steampunk in their design, the majority of them look like they stepped off the set of Buck Rogers.

These characters amble about in a gorgeously rendered world, where pleasing environmental effects like passing clouds and birds help to liven up the atmosphere.

Because Cosmic Colony is a city-builder, this lush virgin landscape is yours to despoil. The game gives you plenty of options, from building design right down to the colour of the streetlights.

Cosmic Colony carries this preoccupation with aesthetics to the extreme, encouraging you not only to make a city but to make a city that looks great.

Like many social games, Cosmic Colony supports a friend system that rewards you for having friends to play with. You can visit a friend's settlement and generate resources for him while earning some experience for yourself.

Unlike many social games, Cosmic Colony handles the issue of enemies via a very casual mini-game. Every so often, pirates will attack your settlement, and you have to defend it by swiping at enemy ships while avoiding lobbed bombs.

While this Fruit-Ninja-in-space does feel like a slightly awkward fit for the game, it introduces a good amount of variety into the gameplay and keeps Cosmic Colony feeling fresh.

Even if you're not a fan of freemium city-builders, Cosmic Colony is well worth a download. It's relaxed in its resource and energy limitations, and so it's very easy to become invested in it.

Add to this relaxed approach some beautiful graphics and compelling exploration and even the most ardent opponent of freemium titles might catch themselves having some fun with it.