In case you haven’t heard of it (tsk, shame 0n you etc.), Star Command from indie developer War Balloon, is an iOS and Android title in which you’re cast as a starship captain and its your task to explore the dark cosmos, discovering new life and new civilisations… to bol….Well yeah, you get the point.

As well as discovering new life to converse and blast, you also have to keep your starship in tip-top shape; regularly fending off attacks from boarding parties, engaging in space combat and researching and installing new hardware to use within your ship.  Its not just the nuts and bolts which require TLC either; you have to look after your crew, train them up and make sure that they’re keeping your tightly run ship just that.

The game itself is perhaps best described as a mixture of Kairosoft titles such as the maddeningly addictive Game Dev Story and obvious small/big screen influences such as Star Trek.

Now, if that isn’t enough to get you to watch the triumphant thirteen minutes of gameplay footage that the developers have released after the jump, then you are beyond my help.

The gameplay footage does a great job of doing the exposition thing on the various gameplay facets of Star Command.

Everything from customising the interior of the ship, to recruiting new crew and engaging in various mini-game driven action sequences are shown in vivid detail; also brilliantly showcasing the game’s charmingly retro visuals.

Take a look for yourself.

Star Command is due for release sometime before the end of the year on iOS & Android platforms.