This is a simple but deep game of strategy with beautiful intuitive controls and stylized graphics. You could think of it perhaps as a cross between "Risk" and "Go". It is highly addictive once you figure it out. Unfortunately, the online manual and guides don't spell out the basic rules of the game very clearly and I ended up discovering important details by fooling around with the easy levels. Most importantly, you need to realize that you must aim to *capture* enemy forces by isolating them before defeating them. Defeating a position which offers escape routes allows (almost) all of the defeated forces to restrengthen immediately and to regroup. That same fact can be exploited beautifully for defensive strategies. I didn't warm to the real-time aspect of the game and ended up using the "pause" button systematically to play it more like a turn-based game. I'm sure books could be written about this game and its strategies, but the developers should start by improving their documentation first. As it is, it may take a new user some effort to appreciate this wonderful game despite its simplicity.

Haven't played the game, but why does EVERY shareware game claim to be "addictive" and "fast paced?" Synonyms, people, synonyms!