What Relentless Expanse is
Relentless Expanse is a 2D top-down space RTS built by a small team at Cowmera Games. You send ships out to capture planets, then spend energy to upgrade those planets so they produce and defend better. The aim of a match is straightforward: take the other planets in the galaxy and defeat every remaining enemy. The game is free with no monetization, and it sits in Early Access, so things can still change as it gets worked on.
Playing it with your group
You can play alone against the AI, or you can go up against your friends in online PvP. Either way you are working the same core loop: grab planets, upgrade them, and move your fleets to cut off whoever is opposite you. Because it is a real-time strategy game rather than a turn-based one, everyone is acting at the same time, so coordination matters. Talk through who takes which section of the map, which planets get upgraded first, and where the fleet should strike. Economy and trading feed your upgrades, while diplomacy gives you options short of open war — useful when you would rather trade than fight, or want to pick off the weakest player before turning on each other.
Before you start
Learn the energy economy first. Upgrading planets with energy is what makes them more powerful, so a planet you hold but never upgrade falls behind quickly. Expansion without upgrades leaves you stretched thin across the map, and a small group of upgraded planets will often beat a large spread of untouched ones. Keep an eye on your borders too: capturing a planet far from your core means ships spend time travelling there, which is time your opponents are free to expand. Since this is Early Access, expect rough edges and adjustments to balance over time.