Pax Britannica

Published by: One Switch on 3rd Mar 2010 | View all blogs by One Switch

Image of four deep-sea 'factory ships' circling one-another deep in battle.
PC Windows - No Fun Games (freeware)

Pax Britannica puts you in control of a deep-sea "factory ship" that is immediately under attack. One button gives you the power to deploy an attack force of your own: Try to destroy your enemies before they destroy you. There is no "couldn't we just try to be nice to one another for a bit?" option.

The game can be played with one player versus the computer, or up to four players head-to-head. It's free and it's fun with highly atmospheric sounds and music.

"Keyboard controls: A, F, H and L for respectively player 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Otherwise if you have 1 to 4 joystick controllers connected, button 1 will work.

Holding down the button spins the needle on the radial menu in the middle of the player's factory ship. The needle will only travel as far as the player's current resources allow. Resources (gold? seaweed? who knows!) accumulate over time.

Releasing the button creates a ship that corresponds to the quadrant that the needle is pointing at.

1 : FIGHTER Small, fast and cheap. Great at chasing down Bombers.
2 : BOMBER Shoots slow projectiles that do massive damage!
3 : FRIGATE A big ship that fires volleys of heat-seeking torpedoes.
4 : UPGRADE Improve your factory ship to accumulate resources more quickly."

The game does require accurate tracking and comprehension skills. Play requires sustained held button presses with moderate timing skills. A latching switch or the latest 4Noah utility can offer a solution for those unable to hold a switch down.

Pax Britannica is one of many one-button games entered into the Gamma IV competition.

Download link: OneSwitch.org.uk library.