Clash of Clans-inspired Star Wars: Commander out today on iOS

There's no denying that the success of Supercell Games' Clash of Clans has spawned a number of combat strategy, base-building games. The latest comes from Disney Interactive, who today released Star Wars: Commander on the App Store for iOS devices — iPhone and iPad.

There's certainly some similarities between Star Wars: Commander and Clash of Clans. For starters, Star Wars: Commander adopts a similar gameplay mechanic in which you build a base, construct an army and attack other players, while simultaneously defending your own base. The twist, however, is that you'll be able to choose which side you fight for: the Rebel Alliance or the Galactic Empire. Items, story details and even the game world you experience will vary based on your faction choice.

Should you join the Rebellion, you'll encounter iconic Star Wars characters like Han Solo, Chewbacca and Princess Leia. Siding with the dark side will see you control AT-ATs, TIE fighters and Stormtroopers.

Aside from PvP, there's also narrative-drive missions which Disney says will tell side-stories of things that were happening in the galaxy during the period spanning Episodes IV-VI. You start the game on Tatooine, but Disney plans to introduce additional planets as post-release content.

Like Clash of Clans, Disney's Star Wars: Commander is free-to-play. However, it comes with in-app purchases that allow you to pay real money for Crystals that you can use to to progress faster in the game (by accelerating your build times). Disney is adamant that it will not become a pay-to-win game.

Star Wars: Commander is available today for iPhone and iPad, though there are plans to release an Android version in a couple of weeks.