Anno 2205 vs Meeple Station
Anno 2205
Anno 2205 is, in some way, a "grand simulation" game and a city-builder that is set in the far future where Earth has already been developed to its maximum capacity and it's time to take to the stars. However, this game is no space exploration sim. Instead, you'll still be focusing much of your development effort on Earth but this time around, you'll get to expand your influence to the moon; to mine the resources there and bring it back to Earth. The gameplay is also further enhanced with a unique Session mode where you can play on multiple locations and then connect all of these regions together. And of course, the map of the region you can play in is a lot larger (five times, to be exact) than the previous game.However, many fans of the game have pointed out that the combat system is rather boring in this game. Though admittedly, the combat in other Anno games isn't particularly exciting either. It's just something that's necessary.
That said, the gameplay might still be interesting enough for you to buy the game, maybe at a discounted price, but for some, the game might not be comparable to any of the other Anno titles. It's up to you to decide which camp you fall into.
Meeple Station
Meeple Station is a space-themed, sandbox simulation game that focuses a lot on exploration, trading and team management. In this game, you’ll need to build your starter space station and then venture out into the galaxy to find a place to set up shop, so to speak. Mine nearby resources and refine them into valuable bars and other alloys, and trade the resources you have with passing spaceships for resources that you don’t. Don’t forget to assign your meeples with tasks that suit their respective personalities, and give them everything they need to be content despite being cooped up in a tightly-packed space station.The game doesn't have a multiplayer mode (yet), but I can see the potential of having the game mode added in the future where players will be able to trade with each other and even raid other player’s stations to plunder resources. It’ll probably be somewhat similar to Minecraft’s multiplayer mode.
Overall, Meeple Station is definitely an early access game with plenty of potential. Despite the bugs and game issues, it is a rather fun sandbox game to play where you can build your own space station, explore the galaxy, mine and trade for resources, and manage your team of adorable meeples. If you’re interested, Meeple Station is currently available for purchase on Steam. Check it out!