Offworld Trading Company is a real-time strategy game in which money, not firepower, is the player's weapon. Players lead their developing companies in cutthroat economic warfare against other companies looking to become the dominant economic power on Mars. Loosely inspired by such classics as M.U.L.E., Offworld Trading Company forces players to make tough choices on what resources to acquire, what goods to build and sell, how to interact with the planet's thriving underworld, and when and what stocks to acquire. Players compete against up to seven other AI- or player-controlled companies. The game is won when one player ultimately acquires all the shares of their competitors, thereby wresting control of the entire planet’s economy.
About the story
After the Great Collapse, hope died for most of us on Earth. The asteroids were supposed to provide us with limitless resources, but their promise was stolen by a corrupt monopoly. The powerful enforce a status quo dedicated to protecting their interests, leaving the rest of us fighting over scraps. Mars is the last chance for anyone who still believes they can make something of themselves. It's time to stake your claim. Time to head Offworld. The year is 2063. The last generation experienced a series of disastrous setbacks, making even the most optimistic of us doubt our futures. Earth suffered the Great Collapse: a world-wide market meltdown fueled by human greed and achieved by an artificial intelligence gone rogue. There was also the Red Disaster, leaving behind failed and dying government-sponsored colonies on the Martian surface. In this environment of fear, a powerful Syndicate took over and claimed exclusive rights to the resource-rich asteroid belt. Fueled by enormous deposits of precious metal and other materials, the Syndicate became the exclusive lender to world governments. No one was safe from their controlling hand, and after the reestablishment of debtors prison, the remaining free countries of the world decided something drastic needed to be done. The spark needed to ignite the human spirit lay offworld. The governments of the world determined to re-establish colonies on Mars, hoping to wrestle back control of their futures from the usurious Syndicate lenders. In an attempt to do things differently this time and avoid a second Red Disaster, a free market based on competition and meritocracy seemed our best bet. Long-gone were the days of subsidies and automated electronic transactions. Each colony's business would be won on the economic battlefield, and only the most successful ventures would be allowed to continue. The New Martian Colonies would be supplied and fought over by a strange variety of people, all with one hopeful idea in common: "Let's do it better this time around."
Platforms
Mac PCGenres
Indie Real Time Strategy (RTS) Simulator StrategyThemes
Science fiction
Languages: English and 8 more
| Interface | Audio | Subtitles | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portuguese (Brazil) | |||
| Chinese (Simplified) | |||
| English | |||
| German | |||
| French | |||
| Spanish (Spain) | |||
| Korean | |||
| Polish | |||
| Russian |
Media
Critic Reviews
Cubed3
By Eric AceFor a RTS where you do not attack the other player with units, there is a lot going on here. The raw amount of things to keep track of and options available, are in some ways overwhelming. The core of it all is great fun, and it is completely novel for a RTS to avoid just massing units and rolling out. The amount of stuff happening takes away some of the enjoyment, as playthroughs quickly get away from players if they are not using every option available to them. Finally, the pace is so fast that there is no enjoyment about surviving on these hostile planets.
The Digital Fix
By Edd HarwoodIf you’re into numbers there is much to love about Offworld Trading Company. It is all about the bottom line and getting those figures to add up. The novel use of money not just as a resource but as liquidity for your company allowing you to purchase all the other resources you require is initially confusing, but ultimately rather wonderful when you fully understand it. The trouble is that all these numbers begin to feel rather heartless after a few hours.
CGMagazine
By Kevin HamiltonMost often you'll feel, at best, looming dread or smug satisfaction and only rarely shock or triumph.
OnlySP
By Joanna NeliusI’m not the most strategically-minded person, but a shoot-first-ask-questions-later kind of gal. I just want to run in, guns blazing, and figure it out from there. Tutorials? Who has time for that? Offworld Trading Company said I did, and they not only sat me down and made me pay attention, but they did it in a way that didn’t leave me confused at the end.
Wccftech
By Dave AubreyOffworld Trading Company is by no means a bad game, it’s just difficult to recommend against the existing titans of the genres it borrows from. Still, if you really like the premise you could pick it up during a sale.
