Starborne: Sovereign Space is a sci-fi MMO strategy game developed by Icelandic studio Solid Clouds. The game debuted on PC last year, and it’s currently in beta testing. Although the writing suggests that it’s closer to the space opera genre, gameplaywise, this is similar to Civilization but set in space on a map with nearly 400 players.
Think of a massive board game where players give their orders and move on the map and then log off and return when they wish. In Sovereign Space, players build structures to gather resources, scan and map surrounding areas, as well as expand and defend their empires.
The game offers players the option to choose from six factions, each with its unique advantages and lore. Three other factions are available for purchase in-game, and an additional four factions are only available for the Dead Zone game variant.
Sovereign Space is surprisingly rich lore, which is probably one of the reasons it received so many favorable reviews. Set in a galaxy-spanning network of colonies, outposts, and industrial hubs connected by Tenebris-Rosen Bridges, tunnels in spacetime that allow faster than light travel, Starborne: Sovereign Space tells the story of three major powers that are holding sway: the Union of Sol, the Lunar Directorate, and the Martian Commonwealth.
It almost sounds like we’re playing The Expanse – The Board game, right? Anyway, we’re talking a little bit about Sovereign Space because the Starborne universe is getting expanded with yet another game, Frontiers.
Announced back in June, Starborne: Frontiers is a mobile game that has just been soft-launched in the Philippines, but only on Android. The folks at Solid Clouds say that Frontiers is meant to “offer new and old players the chance to get up close and personal with the galaxy’s shifting empires.”
Set in the same universe as Sovereign Space, Frontiers belongs to a completely different game genre. Regardless, fans of the franchise should expect expanded lore, original strategy, and a peek behind the curtain at the same major factions in the Sovereign Space.
We can safely assume that Starborne: Frontiers will be released on both Android and iOS platforms in 2022 at the earliest, but not until it’s been thoroughly beta tested.
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