In a world of tactical shooters and games which require nearly every key on your keyboard to get anything accomplished its almost ludicrous to think a game company would release a strategy game using only the mouse a few gestures to do just about everything there is in the world.

Enter Darwinia, a pseudo-real time strategy game that boasts a very unique way of look and interfacing with the world. Rather than taking place in a sprawling cityscape, or caves locked under a mountain range, Darwinia takes place inside a computer which has become infected with a virus. The world’s lead programmer tasks you with the job of cleaning everything out and returning the digital world to its glory days.

To accomplish your tasks you’re giving the ability to run different programs, which act as building units in the traditional RTS sense. As you ramp up in the game new and upgraded units will become available in your battles versus the invading virus.

Darwinia is so simplistic to play, the first time you boot it up you wonder if you possibly missed something. Your avatar is basically a floating camera who can manipulate certain units inside the computer, namely the programs you run. To activate a program you enter the interface screen and gesture with your mouse on a circular plane. The program then loads and asks you for a starting location. It’s as simple as that, no overly complicated resource management or zergling rushes here, just pick up and play RTS-lite gameplay.

The encompassing goal is to save the Darwinians, small, sentient beings that inhabit the digital world of the computer in their own society. The viruses have all but wiped them out, but you’ll soon be able to create more by harvesting their souls from the worms that ate them and give them a new life. Since the little guys can't be controlled directly, you'll have to do what you can protect them or this digital war will all be in vain.

The graphics, although only composing of 2D sprites and sprawling polygonal islands, are highly stylized in knowing that they could have been so much more, but the artists at Introversion decided to take things another way, and it pays off. You’ll visit a variety of different environments, all which look vaguely familiar, but still have a sense of individuality due to the great level design. The music also screams originality with a custom soundtrack that definitely fits the mood of the game.

Darwinia has sleeper hit written all over it with a fun, innovative way of approaching a pick up and play video game. The title lends it self well to both 20 minute play sessions as well as much longer in an attempt to save all the little green Darwinians. While some may take one look at the screenshots and shun the game off as a PlayStation reject from 1996, Darwinia is nothing of the sort. It’s oozing with style, pumping out a great soundtrack, and, most importantly, the game is incredibly fun and addicting. Give the game a chance, and you’ll see that there’s more to gaming than coordinating your left flank attack or calling in that air raid.

Download the demo for Darwinia at darwinia.co.uk, or pick up the full game via Steam.