[New Game] Spaceteam: The Multiplayer Star Trek Shouting Simulator Endorsed By His HOLOness Matias Duarte

Remember that one Star Trek space battle scene? You know, the one where the captain is wiggling around in his chair while the camera shakes, and all the bridge officers are shouting things at him? "Hull breaches on decks five through eight!" "Reversing the shield polarity, sir!" "We're running low on self-sealing stem bolts!" You know.... every Star Trek space battle scene? Now there's an Android game that captures the feel of a space battle from the perspective of the shouting bridge crew. It's multiplayer. There are switches. And lots of shouting.

The idea behind Spaceteam is sort of a more casual version of ARTEMIS. You get a group of 2-4 players together (local only) and start a game. Each player is given a console with a random assortment of controls, none of which make sense - instead of, say, priming the dilithium crystals, you'll have to activate the multispoon. But here's the kicker: you won't get an indication of what you have to do on your screen. Your teammates will get the instructions, which they will then shout to you, not unlike a tactical officer telling the con to vent warp plasma. As the game progresses, the instructions get more frantic, risking a shouty communications breakdown. Do it well, and your imaginary spaceship will keep flying. Do poorly, and it's lights out for the USS Bistromath.

androidpolice.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/nexusae0_unnamed-237.png">

Graphics are incredibly basic: you get a few random assortments of buttons, switches, levers, and dials, a little animation of the ship, and some explosion effects, and that's all. This is the sort of game that appeals to card and board game players (like yours truly) who are more interested in the social aspect than the actual gameplay. The iOS version has been out for about four months, but on the plus side, Android and iOS devices can play in the same group WiFi game. Reviews on the Play Store are overwhelmingly positive - it's sitting at a 4.9 right now. Game designer Adam Powell gave it a glowing recommendation on Google Plus, and none other than Android UI master Matias Duarte also chimed in with some kind words.

Spaceteam is a free download for devices running Gingerbread or higher. Be careful when reconfiguring the EPS manifolds - those bridge consoles tend to explode into sparks for no reason.