Grimstar: Crystals are the New Oil!

If you’re after a quick single-player RTS fix, this one’s a great pick. The visuals are clean and colorful without being overly busy, and the gameplay is easy to pick up, perfect for newcomers but with enough challenge to keep things interesting. Controls are smooth, the story gives just enough context without dragging things down, and the persistent hero units add a nice sense of progression. For the price, it’s a real gem. Definitely worth a look if you enjoy strategy with a sci-fi twist.

x-- 7/10 --x Very enjoyable RTS. Simple and satisfying! I also quite enjoyed the story, it's definitely unique enough to hold it's own against other indie titles!

Grimstar: Crystals are the New Oil!, developed by SvenRahn Games and published by indie.io, presents itself as a compact real-time strategy experience that blends classic RTS sensibilities with a light layer of modern progression systems. The premise revolves around a future where Earth’s traditional energy sources have collapsed, forcing corporations to seek alternatives on distant planets. Players step into the role of a contractor tasked with extracting valuable crystal resources from hostile alien environments, driven not only by profit but also by a personal connection tied to a lost family member. This narrative framing gives the game a slightly more grounded emotional hook than many strategy titles, even if it remains largely in the background. The core gameplay loop is rooted in familiar RTS mechanics such as base construction, resource management, and tactical combat. Players gather crystals, expand their infrastructure, and build military forces to defend against or eliminate alien threats. What sets Grimstar apart is its emphasis on efficiency. Missions are not just about survival or victory, but about maximizing resource extraction while minimizing waste. Any remaining…

This is actually a fun little RTS game, reminds me a lot of C&C, just you call troops in like reinforcements rather than building. army size does seem limiting at first, though it does get bigger and you never need them lol, some missions are stupidly easy, one i just finished had me move all over a decent sized map, 88 troop supply, briefing that u have to collect all on the map and will have to go through nests.. yea 3 little baby nests that don't fight back, im guessing the enemy was supposed to build up and fight.. if not.. then that mission is far to easy for mid game. that said though, i do enjoy the game so far, its well worth the small cost.

Its bad, bland, boring and difficult right at the start. And you will realize later, that the game rewards replaying the "safest" mission for crystal grinding with better stats for the rest of the game! Just stay away.

Not my cup style of game