Story
In 2432, the Interstellar War between the AWSC (Allied Worlds of Sol & the Core) and the Tri-Axis, which saw the whole of human space descend into seven long years of apocalyptic total war, drew to a close with a decisive Allied victory and the surrender of all remaining Tri-Axis forces save a scant few who fled toward the Rim. Humanity breathed a sigh of relief as the largest, bloodiest, and most horrific conflict in human history was finally at an end. That was five years ago.

2437 has dawned. It is a new year; a year of renewed hope and prosperity, where humanity has once again begun to dream. War production and research have been converted to industry, resulting in an economic boom the likes of which has never been seen. The powerful Allied militaries have ushered in a lasting calm, new colonies are being founded almost weekly, and peaceful human exploration has begun pushing out beyond the Rim worlds for the first time in twenty years. It is a good time to be alive, and with the destruction of the last major elements of tyranny in human civilization came a feeling of future promise that analysts and politicians alike dared believe was the beginning of a golden age.

And so it was for the outlying colony on Tau1 Gruis II, orbiting a star 109 light years from Sol. Being so far from the core worlds, the Colonials were often forced to fend for themselves over the course of the war, but no longer. Investment has returned to the colony, new colonists are arriving, and a newly established military presence meant the Rim’s marauders would no longer be an issue.

Come nightfall on February 28, 2437, humanity had never met a sentient alien race. Traces of long extinct alien presences had been discovered and researched on distant worlds, but contact with aliens alive in our time had neither been made, nor was there hope of such an incident ever taking place.

As March 1st dawned, that all changed. An eerily quiet starship of unknown design hung motionless high in the sky over Tau1 Gruis II. Everything we thought we knew, everything we had been told about being alone, was all proven wrong in the blink of an eye.

No one had seen them coming. No one was prepared.

Gameplay
Asylum focuses on two gameplay aspects: asymmetrical gameplay and map expansion. Colonial Guard players will have to push across the map with units that are weak by themselves, but strong in force and combination. Saiphans will be forced to dominate through persistence and denying the enemy resources to expand their own economy. There is no building one unit type; players have to mix and match units to match their play style to win.