Centauri Dominion

Centauri Dominion is a top-down space shooter set in the Centauri sector, where a new colony is under threat from others seeking to dominate the region. You patrol the sector, destroy enemy ships, mine minerals to strengthen your defenses, escort colonists arriving from Earth and fight to end the planetary invasion.

Waves and enemies

The game has ten waves, each introducing a new type of enemy ship with distinct characteristics and requiring different tactics. Enemy ships can complement one another’s capabilities, so you need to choose carefully which targets to engage when they attack in groups. You can outmaneuver most ships to attack from the side, and the main menu’s About screen describes each enemy ship. The waves begin at a casual pace, then grow into faster battles as the sector fills with enemies.

Your ship

Your ship has a powerful cannon and can also use high-explosive and heat-seeking missiles purchased from the base. Proximity mines become available in later stages and can deal considerable area damage.

Five main systems can be damaged and are repaired automatically while you have spare parts. Damage causes systems to fail: engines slow, radar becomes difficult to read, static fills the viewing port, weapons fire erratically and turn jets weaken. You need to monitor your systems, fuel and health, and return to base for repairs before enemy ships overwhelm you. The repair tower will not activate while your weapons are active.

Mining and upgrades

You mine asteroids and bring the minerals back to base to upgrade your ship and base systems. New upgrades become available before each wave, so gathering supplies ahead of time can help you prepare. An upgrade menu with a mouse cursor appears when you hover over the base. Maneuverability and firepower are suggested priorities, and a homing beacon can help you find your way back; environmental landmarks are another way to navigate home.

Escort the transports

A civilian transport arrives from Earth during each wave and must be escorted safely to the colony. Each transport that arrives safely brings an additional cargo ship, which supplies minerals to your base regularly. After an escort, you can use the jump gate near the colony to return quickly to base.