Off the AppStore: Minding the processes of Mindustry

• Build a fully-automated mining empire on another planet!
• Gather resources, explore, and research new technology to advance
• Protect your systems from all sides with automated defenses and towers

Welcome to Off The AppStore, a weekly feature with a twist. Namely, that while these - as with all the games we cover here - are games that you can play on your phone, they're ones that operate outside of the realms of the big two ways to play: The Google Play Store and the Apple AppStore.

That means that there might be a bit of work required in downloading alternative AppStores or APKs, or that the games can simply be played in your phone browser. We'll make sure to detail that for each game though. Anyway, read on to find a new game or experience to play Off The AppStore.

It's not easy to run a business, but it's way easier when you have an infinite supply of automated machines to run the business for you. The challenge is that these machines don't grow on trees (yet), so you'll need to use your limited resources to acquire a few starter tools and build your company from the ground up. The good news is that there's a planet out there ripe with all the resources that you need to build your way to the top, but the bad news is that this planet is no secret. Anuke has dropped you onto this planet to enter the industrial world in Mindustry.

You've just found a nice plot of land on one of two available planets that are open to mining. To start, you have a drone with a mining laser that can cut through the metals and minerals you'll need to begin constructing your machine empire. You're doing your best to consolidate all the resources you've collected to build an efficient, fully automated mining and processing system. What makes things difficult is that there will be hostile entities and competitors that will try to stop you from achieving your empire. You must be ready to turn your machines nasty if the need arises.

The main focus is on trying to maintain your small patch of planet with a fair amount of resources to build your first machines and equipment. From there, you can research new units and tools to gather additional resources and expand your system. As you grow, you'll need to build defences around your perimeter to keep threats at bay and keep everything functioning optimally. This is one of the many costs of big business, and if you want to stay in business and thrive, you'll need to build to fight for it as you build to expand.

Mindustry truly is a 2D top-down combination of tower defence and simulator, as you've got to balance both to grow and succeed. The difficulty will continue to grow as you continue to grow, and you must prepare for every eventuality. You won't know what kind of enemies you'll be facing until they actually show their faces, so diversification is key. You truly will need to use your mind if you hope to run this industry well.

Mindustry is available for download and play on its itch.io page.