Vertex Dispenser

About

Vertex Dispenser is a single player and multiplayer real-time strategy game. It was developed by Michael Brough and was released on June 10, 2011. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Vertex Dispenser is an abstract real-time strategy game with mathematical puzzle elements. Move around a geometric surface and lay claim to your territory. Protect it by capturing solid faces for defense. Manipulate the colours of your vertices to gain power for special abilities. Balance your time between attacking, defending, expanding and colouring to survive and defeat your enemies.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Skip User Reviews

72%

Audience ScoreBased on 32 reviews

graphics2 positive mentions

story1 negative mentions

Unique and innovative gameplay combining real-time strategy with spatial and color-based puzzles, offering deep strategic depth and high skill ceiling.
Minimalist and clear visual style that enhances readability of the abstract geometric mechanics, supported by chill electronic music.
Highly engaging for players who enjoy cerebral challenges, puzzle-solving, and competitive multiplayer, with rewarding moments of discovery and mastery.

Steep learning curve and insufficient onboarding make the game initially confusing and difficult to approach for new players.
The real-time pressure combined with complexity can feel overwhelming, leading to frustration especially against challenging AI with seemingly unfair scenarios.
Technical issues reported on some platforms and lack of polish in user interface and graphics detract from the overall experience.

gameplay
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The gameplay is characterized by unique, complex mechanics with a high skill ceiling, blending fast action and strategic spatial puzzle solving centered around territory and color control. While it offers deep strategic depth and rewards persistence, some players find it slow, unpolished, and ultimately more tedious than fun. Overall, it appeals to those who appreciate challenging, minimalist gameplay without unnecessary embellishments.
- “Nothing's really like Vertex Dispenser, with its uniquely strange mechanics, ridiculously high skill ceiling, and its combination of fast action and deliberate spatial puzzle solving.”
- “Control of territory is not just a score metric but a defensive mechanic, as owning faces strengthens your position and makes it harder for opponents to encroach.”
- “Color mechanics form the heart of the game’s strategic depth.”
- “I mean, nothing's really like Vertex Dispenser, with its uniquely strange mechanics, ridiculously high skill ceiling, and its combination of fast action and deliberate spatial puzzle solving.”
- “I have to say that I never got a single achievement in this game - after over 60 hours of gameplay.”
- “One of very few games in the CRTS genre, its depth and complexity stem from mechanics reminiscent of a falling block puzzle game.”
graphics
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The game features simple and minimalistic graphics that may lack polish, but its engaging gameplay and chill electronic music more than compensate for the understated visual style.
- “A deceptively simple and graphically minimal game with chill electronic music, Vertex Dispenser is both fun and challenging - offering one part problem solving and one part competitive strategy.”
- “Don't get disturbed by the graphics, it is very fun and you really have to use your brain if you want to be good at this.”
- “The game could do with a bit of polish in its UI and graphics.”
story
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game features no traditional story, with player satisfaction deriving from the moment of understanding and mastering its abstract logic rather than narrative or plot developments.
- “No story.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game is generally seen as unpolished and slow, quickly becoming tedious rather than enjoyable. Users find it lacks engaging gameplay and fails to maintain interest over time.
- “Looks interesting but in the end is not very fun, looks and feels unpolished, gameplay is slow and after a short while becomes more tedious than fun.”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music is described as chill electronic, complementing the game's minimalist style and enhancing its fun, challenging atmosphere.
- “A deceptively simple and graphically minimal game with chill electronic music, Vertex Dispenser is both fun and challenging - offering one part problem solving and one part competitive strategy.”