MicroProse’s Master of Orion PC strategy game series holds a special place in my heart. The game and its sequel helped forge a love of 4X strategy during my formative years as a PC gamer, and remain some of my most fondly regarded examples of what the genre offers. So you can imagine the excitement with which I’m typing words of news that the game’s upcoming tabletop adaptation will be here in just a few months.
Cryptozoic Entertainment has partnered with Russian publisher Hobby World to bring Master of Orion: The Board Game to the Western market. Coming in early 2017, Master of Orion is described as a “competitive tableau-building game” playable in about an hour for 2-4 players. Players will pick one of several races, and then build out their empire using cards while managing resources.
True, this doesn’t sound particularly revolutionary, and with two unproven designers in Igor Sklyuev and Ekaterina Gorn at the helm, there’s cause to perhaps keep any excitement in check. Additionally, while Cryptozoic is certainly no stranger to transforming established IP for the board and card game space, its track record thus far has been met with admittedly mixed success. Still, my eager and hopeful brain will not be so easily abated, and it will be interesting to see how this classic computer game franchise makes the jump to the table next year.