Game/Publisher/Developer
Master of Orion, MicroProse, SimTex Software
My Reaction
This one was outside my scope back in 1993-1994; I came to it later. It’s a turn-based game through and through, and the race you pick changes everything about how a campaign plays out. Psilon was my nemesis every single time; their research lead snowballs so fast that by the midgame they’re fielding technology nobody else can touch.
Overview
Master of Orion is a turn-based 4X strategy game released in 1993, developed by SimTex Software and published by MicroProse. Players lead one of ten playable races; Humans, Alkari, Bulrathi, Darloks, Klackons, Meklar, Mrrshan, Psilon, Sakkra and Silicoids; through exploring, expanding, exploiting and exterminating across the galaxy. Each race has its own specialty: Humans lean into trade and diplomacy, the Bulrathi dominate ground combat, the Silicoids ignore pollution and can colonize even the most hostile planets but grow slowly, and so on. Races are also predisposed to like or dislike each other, and each carries its own research strengths and weaknesses.
What I Liked
- The ten races genuinely change strategy, not just flavor text; a Silicoid game plays nothing like a Human game.
- The built-in diplomatic leanings between races make every relationship feel a little less predictable.
- Research specialization means tech races and military races approach the same galaxy completely differently.
- Ground combat mattering as its own system gave the Bulrathi a real identity.
What I Didn’t Like
- The Psilon’s research advantage can snowball hard; falling behind them in tech early is brutal to claw back from.
Verdict
Master of Orion holds up as one of the originators of the 4X space strategy genre. The race design alone gives it staying power; ten genuinely different ways to approach the same galaxy. Coming to it after the fact didn’t dull it at all, though I’d still rather not run into the Psilon.
Rating
79/100