When you hear the term 'asteroids,' chances are you default to memories of a tiny spaceship drifting through space, blasting chunks of rock apart, and dodging the splintering retro debris. Eufloria HD drops you into a series of asteroid fields, but instead of getting trigger happy, your goal is to colonize them using airborne seedlings. Some levels require you to occupy every asteroid, while others have you focus on reaching a single key asteroid and wresting control of it from the grey seedlings holding it captive.
Eufloria was never intended to use a standard controller layout because it was first released on the PC. On the other hand, a touchscreen-only control system acts as a very elegant substitute for pointing and clicking with a computer mouse.
Seedlings serve as both troops and cash. Tapping on an asteroid that you control will display icons. Ten seedlings are required to plant a tree and produce additional seed-based ammunition. Drag your finger from one asteroid to another to send your cloud of seeds to occupy it. Similar to the fog of war in other RTS games, you won't be able to notice opponents living in a nearby asteroid until you send a seedling there. As you advance, you'll be able to unlock additional kinds with enhanced strength, energy, and speed.
The rough aesthetic style reflects Eufloria's modest indie beginnings. Even by mobile gaming standards, this isn't a beautiful specimen. The only thing that changes is the color palette, represented by circles polka-dotting an empty background. Seedlings resemble swarming midges more than seeds. RTS enthusiasts will like the vast strategic options, but the sluggish pace and uninspired graphics will quickly bore them.