Rymdkapsel (PC) Review: A Rhythmic ‘Zen’ Strategy Game You Wouldn’t Want to Miss

Rymdkapsel (pronounced Rimmed Cap Cell) is a zen strategy game that involves building bases with randomized tetris shaped blocks of different varieties in a rhythmic pattern while defending yourself and the base against enemies. The game has been out for PS Vita and iOS/Android for about a year now and it is phenomenal on touch. It is easily one of the best games you can play on your iPad and has a great soundtrack to boot. Rymdkapsel releases on PC/Mac/Linux today and the port is really great.

The core gameplay is the same as on the platforms it was available on with the addition of two modes that are exclusive to the Steam version right now. You start the game with two minions and build corridors from your starting base around the area trying to discover monoliths. You research monoliths to improve your abilities and can expand your base population through quarters. You work with three different kinds of materials. You can build corridors that are only used to extend your base, kitchens and gardens used to produce food, quarters used to add food and spawn more minions, engineering areas and defence areas to protect your base from enemies. Each defence area protects a certain boundary around it so you will need to build more as your game progresses.

Minions are assigned different tasks by dragging them from idle to another task at the bottom. Rymdkapsel has one of the best GUI you will ever see in a game. It could easily pass off as a minimalistic design project from a professional agency and its looks cannot be praised enough. While the mobile and Vita versions were controlled by touch which was awesome, the PC version is fully controlled by the mouse. You rotate blocks by right clicking, zoom in and out by the click wheel or a two finger swipe on the trackpad etc. The gameplay mechanics are simple and you form a rhythm that takes you from construction and research to defence when the bar at the bottom fills up.

The Steam version adds a Zen mode that is awesome. It allows you to build and research without enemies interrupting your progress. Achievements are disabled but this is a welcome mode to spend time in. Minutes fly by as you get into your rhythm and I found myself losing hours into the game often. The + mode is basically a new game+ and it doesn’t have the tutorial to help you at the start. These exclusive modes will make it to the other versions at some point in the future. The game is a bit repetitive once you’re done playing through it a few times to get all the achievements.

Rymdkapsel is a game you absolutely have to play regardless of platform. It was a handheld exclusive for a long time and I’m glad to see it come to steam where so many more players can spend hours in its zen strategy goodness. If I had to pick a platform, I would say this is best played on iPad or an Android tablet like the Nexus 7 but the other two modes and having leaderboards on Steam make it something you should own everywhere.