Often space sims lean more towards the stark realistic spectrum, but Riveted Games' Lightspeed Frontier plans to deliver a lighter, more arcade-y take on the genre. Currently seeking funds on Kickstarter, Lightspeed Frontier combines voxel-based shipbuilding and a focus on action spectacle with an expansive space playground and a touch of humor.

Lightspeed Frontier's world is one dominated by corporations, factions, and space news. Rather than a typical quest structure, you must keep an eye on the game's news reports and business ads found at stations and across space to discover job opportunities. From salvaging and mining to bounty hunting, business is booming, and your ship can be upgraded and constructed to suit any playstyle. Lasers, engines, shielding, scanners, and other blocky parts can transform your basic fighter into a freighter or even a fearsome Dreadnought.
Your journey across the galactic frontier will no doubt be a dangerous one, and Lightspeed Frontier's combat looks to be fast and frenetic, as you ram into enemies and unleash lasers and projectiles against a backdrop of asteroids, planets, and nebulae. In the aftermath, stealing the modules of destroyed ships offers a smart way to gain new weapons and parts, letting you mine and craft more effectively.

Lightspeed Frontier is expected to release on Windows and Linux, and can be found on Kickstarter and Steam Greenlight. For more details, you can visit the game's site and developer's Twitter an...