Deck building is an endlessly engaging and often surprising component of many popular board and card games. There’s so ??much variability to this type of tabletop gameplay, and whether you’re playing a classic of the genre or trying out the latest and greatest title that utilizes this mechanic, you and your game night group are sure to h??ave a blast. In the list below you’ll find just a few of our favorite deck building card games that you should try out for yourself now.

1. Clank! A Deck-Building Adventure

Deck building meets classic dungeon crawling in Clank!, an engaging card and board g??ame that just about everyone will enjoy. Delve underground, seek treasure, and defeat enemies to claim loot. Spend cards from your deck to move or fight, and avoid the dragon at all costs. If you escape the dungeon before the game ends, you’ll tally up the points on your artifact and loot tokens, then add that value to the points on your cards plus your remaining gold. If you take too many risks, your opponents can win just by surviving.

2. Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game

The Rebel Alliance’s fight against the Galactic Empire is the perfect setup for a two-player card game duel. You and your opponent will start a round of Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game with a handful of basic characters, ships, and bases. As the game progresses, you’ll add more powerful allies to your deck, unlock interesting card combos, and hopefully manage to destroy thr??ee of your opponent’s bases. Iconic faces from the original trilogy like Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader bring unique, thematic effects to the table. 

3. The Quest for El Dorado

In The Quest for El Dorado, you’ll need to assemble a team of explorers, sailors, and other travellers to help you cross different types of terrain in the South American jungle. Your?? goal is to reach the Lost City of Gold before the? other players. Each round you can buy cards from the market to make your deck stronger and give you more options for traversing the map. The game also offers a variety of board layouts to make the journey easier or more difficult, depending on your preference.

4. Dune Imperium: Uprising

Dune Imperium: Uprising mixes elements of deck building card games with worker placement board?? games to great effect. Every round you’ll send your team of agents to different locations that are either on Arrakis or related to the Landsraad. Then, you’ll reveal the remaining cards in your hand and spend your persuasion points on a new card for your deck. You can also remove weaker cards ?from your deck thanks to the power of the Bene Gesserit. As you continue to amass spice and gain ground on the four influence tracks, your turns will get even more active and exciting.

5. Dominion

No deck building card game list would be complete without the classic, genre-defining title Dominion. This endlessly customizable entry first hit shelves in 2008, and has been popular with tabletop gaming enthusiasts ever since. The goal is simple: end the game with the most victory points in your deck. Unfortunately, these victory points don’t do anything during the game itself, so you’ll need to mix in some interesting treasure and action cards instead. With the release of Dominion Rising Sun, there are no?w sixteen different expansions that help guarantee a different experience every time you si?t down to play.

6. Trains

Trains is an easy-to-learn board game that mixes the best elements of the acclaimed Ticket to Ride series with deck building gameplay. It’s your job as a railroad manager to link together the best transportation network in Japan, and to do so, you’ll need?? to lay rails, set up signals, and build stations. Unlike other deck builders, you won’t need the aid of additional cards to trash ??the waste cards in your hand. Instead, you can simply spend a turn to get rid of them.

7. Shards of Infinity

Unlike most other deck building games, Shards of Infinity allows players to upgrade the worst cards in their possession gather than just adding more powerful ones to their deck. However, spending time on this mastery point system might? be costly. If your opponent can reduce your health to zero before you reach thirty mastery, then it’s game over. Some cards also allow you to play them as soon as you buy them, which also flips the standard deck build??ing formula on its head. The theme is great, and the strategic combinations feel endless.

8. Star Realms

In Star Realms, two players compete to determine whose authority and spaceships hold sway over the galaxy. Your bases and outposts will remain in play and give you fixed effects, while you’ll instead play and discard your ships each round. Trading for better cards has its merits, but you may also want to consider focusing o?n combat to prevent your opponent from reducing your authority score. Your strategy will change completely from game to game, which means replay value is quite high.

9. Aeon’s End (2nd Edition)

If you’re looking for a deck building board game that focuses on player cooperation rather than competition, Aeon’s End is a great pick. Players team up to hold back the hordes of a horrifying nemesis monster from the deep. When it’s your turn, yo??u’ll spend gems to pick up new additions for your deck and cast spells to deal damage. Unlike other deck builders, you won’t need to reshuffle your deck. When you’re out of cards, instead simply take your discard pile and flip it over.

10. Ascension: Ten Year Anniversary Edition

The classic deck building card game Ascension is a great solo gaming experience that never gets old. Each round the players will attack monsters using strength cards and purchase upgrades that appear in later turns. Constructs apply status effects that trigg??er each round, and cards from the same faction also offer interesting combinations when you play them together. The anniversary edition brings some significant upgrades to the card art, as well as a new p??lay mat.

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The shifting sands of Arrakis are home to the most precious substance in the universe: spice. As the leader of one of the Great Houses in Dune Imperium: The Board Game, you’ll need to conquer the desert planet, win skirmishes, and expand your influence with factions like the Bene Gesserit and the Fremen if you hope to claim victory. In this article, we’ll be looking at the different editions and expansions of the game and answering some of the mos??t common questions about this modern tabletop classic. Let’s start by looking at the two core versions of the game. 

Dune Imperium vs. Uprising: What’s the Difference?

The Dune Imperium board game essentially has two different versions of its core game: Dune Imperium and Dune Imperium Uprising. The gameplay in the two editions is largely the same, with each centering around deck building, agent placement, and desert combat. However, there are several key differences between the original Imperium release and Uprising. To start, Uprising features an all-new set of Dune Imperium leaders, with characters like Feyd-Rautha, Lady Margot Fenring, and Princess Irulan all entering the fray. In addition?, many of the board spaces have new functions. To top it all ??off, there is also a new six-player mode in which the players will be divided into opposing teams.

Gameplay Changes in Dune Imperium Uprising

In terms of new game mechanics, Dune Imperium: Uprising has a lot to show for itself. It drops the Mentat token from Imperium, which originally allowed you to purchase an additional agent for a turn. It also drops the foldspace cards, which made it much easier to level up your standing on the game’s four influence tracks. In exchange, Uprising adds spy tokens that you can place between board spaces in o??rder to draw cards or unlock ?adjacent locations that are already occupied by enemy players. 

The newer edition of the game also adds sandworms to combat, which doubles the rewards you earn for winning a round’s conflict. This mechanic makes fighting more important than ever and might change up your favorite Dune Imperium strategy, though all of the combat cards have been edited appropriately to make the game less swingy. Uprising also adds contracts, which essentially function as single-use? board spaces that give substantial rewards when you send an agent to them. The intrigue cards are also altered to match the new gameplay mechanics.

Should You Buy Dune Imperium or Dune Imperium Uprising?

If you’re just getting started with Dune Imperium, then Uprising is a great place to start. However, there are no bad options here. If you already own and enjoy Dune Imperium, Uprising can still be a great pickup if you’re a big fan of the game. However, you might want to prioritize expansion content first since it adds even more mechanics than the changes from Uprising.  

Dune Imperium Expansions

Each Dune Imperium expansion adds more cards and dramatic new gameplay elements, along with additional board space actions that open up new pathways towards conquering Arrakis and claiming victory. Below you’ll find details about each addition to the game, listed in our sug?gested purchasing order.

1. Dune Imperium: Rise of Ix

The Rise of Ix Expansion for Dune Imperium expands the game board with new game-changing board spaces that allow you to purchase technology, boost your shipping and smuggling efforts, and obtain the coveted dreadnought units. The dreadnoughts add three combat power to your side and can temporarily hold territory in your name, which ups the stakes in each conflict. There is also a new selection of powerful yet difficult to master house leaders that are perfect for more experienced players. If you’re going to get one of the expansions, Rise of Ix is definitely the best choice.

2. Dune Imperium: Immortality

The Dune Imperium: Immortality expansion adds an additional board to the play space that represents the players�interactions with the Bene Tleilax and their genetic advancements. The expansion also adds graft cards, which allow you to combine the cards in your hand into a single action for more powerful effects. These cards are definitely fun to use, though not as much of a game-changer as the Bene Tleilax board or the components of the Rise of Ix expansion. Immortality also includes a family atomic token for each player, which is an underrated addition that allows you to clear out the cards?? available for purchase from the Imperium deck and draw new ones. 

3. Dune Imperium: Deluxe Upgrade Pack

If you love Dune Imperium and just can’t get enough, you can upgrade your game experience with a beautiful selection of miniatures that replace approximately sixty of the game’s more basic-looking tokens. Unlike the other two expansions, this pack is entirely cosmetic. However, the visual upgrade it provides is substantial, especially if you enjoy painting the miniatures. There’s also a Rise of Ix Dreadnought Upgrade Pack available through the Dire Wolf store that offe??rs similar cosmetic benefits but for the expansion’s components.

Can You Play the Dune Imperium Expansions With Uprising?

Every Dune Imperium expansion is compatible with both the original release of the game and Dune Imperium: Uprising. However, when adding the expansions to Uprising, there are a few cards you might need to remove, such as the Rise of Ix conflict cards, in order to maintain a balanced game. Further directions on these changes are available at the back of the Uprising rulebook. 

The post The Complete Dune Imperium Board Game Buyer’s Guide (2024) appeared first on Destructoid.

Love board games but tired of setting up all the pieces and organizing times when everyone can get together? Digital b?oard games make it easy to sit down and enjoy a session of strategic combat, cooperative exploration, or competitive engine-building with friends online. In this list you’ll find a lineup of some of the best digital board games that you can dive into right now. 

1. Dune: Imperium

In Dune: Imperium, your goal is to take control of the planet Arrakis and its spice. Increasing your standing on the game’s four influence tracks, which represent the Fremen, Bene Gesserit, Spacing Guild, and Empire, is just as essential as winning conflicts with other players. You’ll play as a great house leader, utilizing their unique passive and signet ring ability. The game is part deck-building and part worker placement, and one of its key expansions, Rise of Ix, is making its way to the digital port soon.

2. Terraforming Mars

As a rich Earth-based corporation, ?it’s your goal to make Mars habitable and take over as much of the planet as possible. The game gives you an incredible variety of ways in which you can do this, from building cities and greeneries to crashing one of the planet’s moo??ns against its surface. By increasing oxygen levels and temperature, as well as placing ocean tiles, you’ll accumulate terraform ratings and move towards the planet’s completion.

3. Scythe

It’s the 1920s, but the Great War is entering its next round of conflicts, in which giant mechs roam throughout Europe and destroy everything in their path. In this alternate history, engine-building and resource management are the name of the game. As the Nordic, Saxony, P?olonia, Rusviet, or Crimea faction, you’ll conquer territories, engage in conflicts with other players, and work towards control of The Factory at the center of the board. The game also earns bonus points in my book for its fantastic artwork.

4. Wingspan

Whether you’re a bird enthusiast or not, Wingspan is an awesome strategy game. Here your goal is to play birds?? in each of the three biomes in your play area: wetland, grassland, and forest. As you continue building each of these spaces, you can launch a series of satisfying effects based on the bird cards in each row and collect the points necessary for victory.

5. Everdell

Everdell is a fantastic worker plac??ement game in which it’s your goal to build a thriving city inhabited entirely by adorable animals before the next winter. Playing cards from the meadow and managing your resources are at the core of the gameplay, but you can also host fun events, send your workers on journeys, or visit one of the game’s randomized forest areas. The music and atmosph?ere that the digital port brings to the game are fantastic.

6. Elder Signs: Omens

Elder Signs: Omens leans into classic Lovecraftian horror, with players trapped inside the Miskatonic University Museum with an ancient dem?on that must be sealed away before time expires. It’s a cooperative or single-player dice-rolling experience in which your investigators will need to best a series of scenarios to collect the coveted Elder Signs, which close the portal to the beyond.

7. A Game of Thrones: The Board Game

One of the biggest problems with the physical edition of A Game of Thrones: The Board Game was that you needed six pla?yers in one place for four to six hours. Thankfully, the digital edition fixes this. As one of the great houses of Westeros, players conquer as many of?? the map’s castles as possible, allying with neighboring players or perhaps engaging in conflicts with them instead. Bidding power tokens for control of the Iron Throne, the Valyrian steel sword, and the messenger raven are also essential to achieving victory.

8. Mysterium

Mysterium is a cooperative game in which a team of psychics investigates a murder at an old manor, where a ghost attempts to communicate the details of its death to the living. Players are given strange, artistic clues that must be correctly interpreted before the clock runs out. Along the lines of Clue, you’ll need to successfully identify the co?rrect person, place, and weapon to solve the case.

9. Carcassonne- Tiles & Tactics

In Carcassonne, it's your objective to build a kingdom using a series of tiles containing fields, roads, cities, and monasteries. Cities with completed walls, roads that successfully link two cities, and monasteries all work for increasing your score, as long as you’ve got ‘meeples�tokens in the correct space. It’s a classic game ??that starts out simple, but you can also add any of the game’s six DLC expansions to make it even more fun.

10. Root

Root might look like a cute game based on its art, but it’s an intense war game. Players control one of four factions: Marquise de Cat, the Eyrie Dynasty, the Woodl?and Alliance, a??nd the Vagabond. The strength of the game lies in the differences in play style of these four factions, all of whom seek control over the woodland and its resources.

11. Dominion

If deck-building games are your favorite, Dominion is a must-play. The objective is to have the most victory points. However, these points are mostly tied to the worst cards during the game because they slow down your deck’s engine. Instead, you’ll want to buy gold and add a few of the game’s ten kingdom cards to your deck. These kingdom cards rotate each game, and there are hundreds to choose from if add on the game’s numerous expansions.

12. Gloomhaven

Gloomhaven is a dungeon crawler RPG in which you’ll play through an epic campaign as one of seventeen mercenaries, collecting loot, upgrading skills, and making critical decisions that affect the game’s story. Scenarios in the campaign play out following addictive turned-based exploration and combat. The world of Gloomhaven is original and deeply engaging, and the game’s complexity makes it suitably challenging, even for? experienced board gamers.

The post 12 Great Digi??tal Board Games You Can Play Right ??Now appeared first on Destructoid.

The joy found in science fiction novels is, of course, entirely subjective. Some love a series that keeps things only galaxy-wide, spanning maybe only a millennia. Others prefer multi-dimensional, million-year space epics. To keep th?is 'best of' list fai??r, I have tried to pick some of my favorite all-time science fiction book series that cover all bases.

Best Science-Fiction Book Series (Quick List)

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#10 Wayfarer Series - Becky Chambers

The Wayfarer Series by Becky Chambers is one of the most recently published science fiction series on?? this list, but it still deserves its place. For anyone new to the genre, it is a fantastic gateway into the world of space-based drama and adventure.

Becky Chambers brings the notoriously galaxy-spanning stereotype of sci-fi and reduces it down to three relatively small worlds. Her first book, 'A Long Way t??o A Small Angry Planet', is based almost entir??ely on a single spaceship, bringing the reader on a journey to a remote planet destined to set the crew up for life. The first book in the series is a wonderful character study, using the medium of aliens and AI to create some fantastically diverse characters.

The next two books, which are planet-based, follow loosely on from this. Without giving too much away, both of these novels look at the complexity of the human spirit when confronted with people who are outside of their comfort zone. They dissect love, prejudice, fear, and many other very ??human emotions, using the science fiction backdrop to really delve deep into what makes us... human?

#9 The Expanse - James S. A. Corey

Earth is a bloated and failing planet, Mars has become a technocratic threat, and the? asteroid belt hosts a vast population of long-limbed outcasts. James S. A. Corey has created a universe in which he has based a phenomenal nine books delving into the conflicts, relationships, and adventures that revolve around these th??ree populations.

The Expanse books stray away from becoming wildly futuristic, instead focusing on the technology we have now, or maybe in the not too distant ?future. For some, this realism isn't what they're looking for in the best science fiction series, but for others, it gives the series the verisimilitude it requires to truly connect.

The Expanse has everything you need from a magnificent space opera, with space battles, politics, relationships, a looming alien threat, and warring factions. If you're looking for something that may very well take years to read, The Expanse saga won't leave you wanting. However, if you're finished and looking for something similar, we have you covered.

#8 The Forever War Series - Joe Haldeman

Haldeman is a veteran of the Vietnam War, and I feel this trauma and disillusionment come through in his collection of Forever War science fiction narrative very clearly. In this collection of books, interstellar has become possible through 'collapsers'. However, doing so will only take moments for the traveller but years in real ti??me. These are used to transport troops across great distances to fight with the alien 'Taurans'.

The first book follows?? Mande??lla's path as he goes through his training and is sent to war on a distant planet with an enemy he has never met. While only two years pass for him, almost 30 pass on earth. When he returns after his tour of duty, the earth has changed. His disconnection from a world he once remembered leaves him 'travel shocked', and he finds himself completely unable to reassimilate, driving him to sign up for another tour, once again leaving his family and world behind.

The books focus on the way the world moves forward over and over again, leaving Mandella to?? return to civilizations he no longer recognizes. He is ostracized and outcast despite his many accolades. The books expand on the tragic ways in which war can change a person. I feel The Forever War has deep elements of Joe Haldeman's personal experience and provide a view into the world of a veteran from a tragic science-fiction perspective.

#7 Enders Game - Orson Scott Card

Depending on how deep you want to get into the monstrous Enders Saga by Orson Scott Card, the story can span five books or 20. Ender's game, or at least the core five Ender's Series books,? follows Ender as he first fights a war that leaves him in possession of? perhaps the last hope of the civilization they wiped out in the form of an egg.

Over the next few books, years pass, opinions on the war change as Ender writes the story of the now-extinct Formics, and humanity spreads itself across the galaxy. The Ender's Universe, even over the first five books, is vast, infinitely complex, and incredibly engaging. Summing it up can't be done in a few brief paragraphs. If you are looking for a science fiction saga that spans generations, planets and includes vast and complex ideas, this is the one to pick up. The Ender's Game saga is magnificently written and infinitely in-depth, rarely not included in any 'best of' science fiction list.

#6 Hitchhikers Guid?e to The Galaxy - Douglas Adams

For something light-hearted yet still written with incredible skill and world-building, there are few science fiction sagas better than The Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy. Douglas Adams puts us in ??the shoes of Arthur Dent, a regular, everyday Englishman who has been robbed of his home planet and left drifting through the universe.

While the idea of hitchhiking from? planet to planet may be many science fiction readers' dream, f??or Arthur Dent, it is all just a bit annoying. Douglas Adams wrote this collection of books with the dry humour and satire that is only found in English writers. The worlds and concepts that the books produce are hilarious and incredibly inventive.

Each of the books in the series is a gem in itself, introducing amazing new characters and concepts. Although wildly alien, the world beyond the borders of our atmosphere still suffers from many of the problems we face today. Having Earth turn??ed to rubble for the sole reason of building an 'Intergalactic Highway' is one ??of my favourite planetary destructions in science fiction of all time.

#5 Commonwealth Saga - Peter F Hamilton

The Commonwealth Saga by Peter F. Hamilton is a monstrous pair of books, but ones that I tore through. These two novels take us through a serious case of 'curiosity almost killing the cat'. When a star mysterious??ly disappears from the ??sky, a spaceship is sent to find out why.

A Dyson sphere su??rrounds the sun, enclosing it completely. However, when it is approached, it disappears, releasing a genocidal hive-mind alien into the universe, previously trapped for everyone's good. The next few books cover the relentless spread and devastation of this all-encompassing life form.

These books highlight the futility of war against an alien life form that is phenomenally better suited? to genocide than even humans. The sense of fear and dread that Hamilton creates in this science fiction saga is second to none for me. The foul, polluting, planet-devouring parasite that begins its journey to 'The Commonwealth' is truly an? alien to fear.

These books create a universe rich in action, relationships, politics, and d??ifficult decisions. Despite their vast length, they rarely feel like they drag and will keep you flipping pages cover to cover.

#4 Hyperion Cantos - Dan Simmons

Dan Simmons breaches many topics, from religion to sex and everything in between, in his Hyperion Cantos. Although the first t??wo books mostly focus on the lives of the central five ch??aracters, as the science fiction saga opens up, so does his universe.

The Hyperion Cantos saga presents us with a universe populated by humans, a seemingly benevolent AI, and other humanoid but friendly aliens. Humani?ty has spread itself across galaxies, utilising the wormhole technology provided by AI. However, there are factions of aliens who choose to remain separate from AI, ??and war is breaking out.

On the planet of Hyperion, tombs are opening up, moving backward through time, and with them is coming an evil never before witnessed by humanity. As the time tombs start to emerge,?? alien forces fight over the control of Hyperion.

The Hyperion Cantos explores where this evil is coming from, who created it, and what humanity can do to save itself. Dan Simmons is not afraid to go big when it comes to the events in his science fiction saga, creating some of the best 'Oh Shit' moments of many in this list. The saga span?s thousands of years and shakes up everything the foundations of the first books lay out.

#3 Dune - Frank Herbert

Hell, you can't have a 'best of' science fiction saga list without good old Dune on there, can you? Sandworms, future sight, rebel forces, and interplanetary genocide are always going to be a recipe for a good time.? Frank Herbert created six books before his death, and then his son capitalised and wrote three preludes after.

These books take you on a journey based around the production of Spice, a material only found on the planet of Arrakis. This Spice powers interstellar travel and provides?? extra sensory perception, making it one of the most treasured resources in the universe.

However, there is a boy prophet. The Dune series covers the rise from a small freedom fighter cell to galactic-wide genocidal warlords of the inhabitants of Arrakis under the guidance of a boy hopped up on huffing interstellar spaceship fuel. The writing of these certainly tails off after the first three books, but Dune always must be included in any best of science fiction list??.

If you're finished with this saga, and looking for something in the same thread, try one of these on for size.

#2 The Foundation Series - Isaac Asimov

Isaac Asimov is widely regarded to be one of the granddaddies of science fiction, and rightfully so. Many will know the film I, Robot, starring Will Smith. This is loosely based on the book of the same name from the Foundation Series produced by Isaac Asimov.

If you want to dig into some of the earliest science fiction novels e??ver written and witness phenomenal world-building, prediction, and galaxy-spanning writing, I cannot recommend the Foundation series highly enough. Beyond the wonderful storytelling, the cultural significance and genre-defining work these books hold cannot be ignored.

There are seven books in the saga, but three core ones. Due to t??heir vast reach, reading them all in order isn't essential. The books cover many theories both in technology and psychology of the time, capturing the paranoias and fascination of the 1950s.

#1 The Culture Novels - Iain M Banks

As I mentioned at the beginning of this piece, of course, any 'best of' science fiction list is going to be heavily subjective. The Culture Novels by Iain M Ban?ks are, for me, where I have found the most joy in any science fiction writi?ng.

The universe Banks creates with his many varied and creative wor??lds never fails to pull me in. The books in his science fiction saga can really be read in any order, with some crossover in characters and planets. Each book is a standalone tale captured within the Culture universe.

These novels take place in a future utopia, with everything living in a post-scarcity society. The AI of the planet-sized ships is beyond our understanding of intelligence bu?t entirely benevolent, seeing humanity as a sweet pet rather than a threat. Humans live how they choose, deciding on the paths they want to take, aided by the ships.

This doesn't mean the universe of The Culture Novels isn't without its drama. Many incredible and beautifully crafted narratives are pulled from this world. Rather than creating?? stories from struggle? and conflict, Banks chooses to take the path of resistance and arm humanity to the hilt but still create adventure and struggle.

The Culture Series has, for me, some of the most interesting ??concepts and beautiful writing in Science Fiction sagas. The many varied books that ??have come from it are each incredibly individual, with each one digging into a new concept or conflict. Pick any one of these up, and you'll immediately understand why.

The post The 10 best Science-Fiction Book Series Of A?l?l-Time (Ranked) appeared first on Destructoid.

The Dune series from Frank Herbert has unbelievable influence on the science fiction genre of novels, but there are only so many of these books to go around. Fans of the Dune series will inevitably get through the six mainline books and couple of adaptations in a decent amount of time. If that happens to be you, here are 10 science fiction books like the Dune series.

These particular sci-fi books carry elements or ideas similar to the classic millennia-spanning series from Herbert. Some of them carry the heavy political themes, while others focus on the “chosen one�ideas. Still more carry some of the weirder features of the Dune series, such as strange powers and characters. Any Dune fan should?? check out ?the 10 science fiction books and series below.

Hainish Cycle Series

This series of sci-fi novels from Ursula K. Le Guin takes place in a far future setting where humanity evolved in space, rather than just on Earth. This resulted in some rather wild and odd groups of people in the solar system, such as one colony that has dreams while awake. The connections and communication between the various interstellar colonies leads to the rich political elements Dune fans might enjoy.

Hyperion Cantos

This sci-fi series from Dan Simmons encompasses four core books and a number of short stories. The main series divides itself between the Hyperion half and the Endymion half, telling different parts in the history of this futuristic civilization. It also has one of the most flexible and weird storytelling systems, with writing styles changing between novels. For instance, the first book has a Canterbury Tales-style split between main characters while the second books is told through a ??series of dreams.

A Canticle for Leibowitz

This fascinating book from Walter M. Miller Jr. could almost feel like a spiritual predecessor to Dune, at least in its histori??cal and thematic sense. The novel is best experienced without knowing much about it, especially in regards to its unique twists, but it centers around a monastery in the United States after a nuclear war and the monks trying to rebuild humanity there.

VALIS

Pretty much Philip K. Dick novel is worth a look if you like the Dune series. However, if there is one we recommend in particular, it is VALIS. It has the? stranger parts of scien??ce fiction but kicked up to an unfathomable notch. It its equal parts pseudo-autobiography and bizarre religious sci-fi. There is even a sequel in The Divine Invasion, though it lacks Dick’s memorable alter ego protagonist, Horselover Fat (yes, that is the actual name).

Lord of Light

Roger Zelazny came out with Lor??d of Light in 1967 as a? collection of seven different short stories following a crew of humans who mutated their bodies to gain supernatural powers to survive upon their new world. The heavy imagery and symbolism makes for a complex tale with several different characters and ideas to keep up with.

The Expanse

James S.A. Corey’s award-winning series begins with Leviathan Wakes and continues through nine different hefty books. The series has a wide cast of characters, much like Dune, and several different point of views throughout the books. There is enough variation in the story to keep fans engaged, including a more detective-style plot with Joe Miller and even interactions with an alien civilization. Like Dune, it also has a fantastic adaptation as well.

Remembrance of Earth’s Past Trilogy

Also known by the name of its first novel, The Three-Body Problem, t?his series from Cixin Liu takes place throughout human history as Earth discovers and engages with the Trisolaran alien race. The series is trippy and can be hard to keep up with as it shifts back-and-forth between eras, but it has some of the most compelling and thoughtful science-based fiction in the genre.

Safehold Series

This heavily underrated sci-fi series from David Weber doesn’t get talked about enough. It follows the last remaining humans taking refuge on a distant planet after the near-annihilation of humanity at the hands of the Gbaba aliens. What follows is a tale of a corrupt new religious society that wiped out history and ?technology to stay hidden. Its deep religious and political themes are some of the most gripping in the genre.

Culture Series

Iain M. Banks came out with this series, beginning with Consider Phlebas, in 1987. It focuses on the war between a utopian alie?n society and the other civilizations that surround it. The series spans thousands of years and each book pretty much acts as its own standalone tale within the overarching history. This provides a ??wide selection of different genres, writing styles, and even protagonists.

Pandora Sequence Series

Anyone who loved the Dune series from Frank Herbert might want to see the other novels he wrote in his time. Perhaps the closest in style to his iconic series is the Pandora Sequence set of novels. These start with Destination: Void, which follows a group of isolated clones bred and put in a stressful situation to create the first true artificial intelligence. It feels just familiar enough whil??e forging its own trippy sci-fi universe.

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Frank Herbert's Dune series is a hefty one to get into, but one that's very much worth giving a go if you're at all into sci-fi. The books te??ll a very long and sprawling tale that goes beyond most other sci-fi series, but it pays to read it in order to have the best experience.

Regardless of whether you've been playing a Dune game, have watched the movies, or just know about the novels and want? to give them a try, there's a reason Frank Herbert told this epic story in a specific order. However, Herbert's son, Br??ian Herbert, and Kevin J. Anderson have also contributed to the series with prequels and expansions of the universe. Not all Dune fans enjoy these books, and they definitely impact the reading orders you could use. That's why I've offered a few of them below.

How to read Frank Herbert's Dune series in order

Frank Herbert carefully crafted the first six books in the Dune series, though many fans know he had a seventh planned based on notes?? found for it, the conclusion of the sixth, and hints thro??ughout each book. These are the books that started it all, and they're what I recommend everyone reads if they want to get into the series and read the story that sparked so many people's imaginations.

• Dune - Frank Herbert (1965)
• Dune Messiah - Frank Herbert (1969)
• Children of Dune - Frank Herbert (1976)
• God Emperor of Dune - Frank Herbert (1981)
• Heretics of Dune - Frank Herbert (1984)
• Chapterhouse: Dune - Frank Herbert (1985)

If you enjoy these books and want to di?p into the other novels that have bee??n added to the universe over time, the next two reading lists allow you to do so and show where they fit with these original six.

The entire Dune series in order of publication

This reading order features every Dune book??, including those written by authors other than Frank Herbert, in order of publication. Outside of the original six, this is the order in which I'd recommend reading the books because it's going to be the best way to digest every extra bit of information about the universe.

• Dune - Frank Herbert (1965)
• Dune Messiah - Frank Herbert (1969)
• Children of Dune - Frank Herbert (1976)
• God Emperor of Dune - Frank Herbert (1981)
• Heretics of Dune - Frank Herbert (1984)
• Chapterhouse: Dune - Frank Herbert (1985)
• House Atreides - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (1999)
• House Harkonnen - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2000)
• House Corrino - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2001)
• The Butlerian Jihad - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2002)
• The Machine Crusade - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2003)
• The Battle of Corrin - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2004)
• Hunters of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2006)
• Sandworms of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2007)
• Paul of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2008)
• The Winds of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2009)
• Sisterhood of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2012)
• Mentats of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2014)
• Navigators of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2016)
• The Duke of Caladan - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2020)
• The Lady of Caladan - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2021)
• The Heir of Caladan - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2022)
• Princess of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2023)
• Sands of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2024)

The way I see it, every book released in the Dune series uses the knowledge of what was available before it. So, even if a book is a prequel, it's bas??ed on every book that's been released so far at the time of publication. I'd say that means you need to know everything the authors did at the time so you don't miss out on the more subtle elements of the storytelling.

The entire Dune series in chronological order

This last order is a controversial one. Some Dune fans don't see the books outside of Frank Herbert's original six as canonical. I don't think you should let that influence you, though. Instead, you should read them and then decide for yourself. The list below is the chronological order of every Dune book.

• The Butlerian Jihad - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2002)
• The Machine Crusade - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2003)
• The Battle of Corrin - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2004)
• Sisterhood of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2012)
• Mentats of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2014)
• Navigators of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2016)
• House Atreides - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (1999)
• House Harkonnen - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2000)
• House Corrino - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2001)
• Princess of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2023)
• The Duke of Caladan - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2020)
• The Lady of Caladan - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2021)
• The Heir of Caladan - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2022)
• Dune - Frank Herbert (1965)
• Paul of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2008)
• Dune Messiah - Frank Herbert (1969)
• The Winds of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2009)
• Children of Dune - Frank Herbert (1976)
• God Emperor of Dune - Frank Herbert (1981)
• Heretics of Dune - Frank Herbert (1984)
• Chapterhouse: Dune - Frank Herbert (1985)
• Hunters of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2006)
• Sandworms of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2007)
• Sands of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2024)

The strongest argument I've seen against reading in this order is that the writing is much less complex in the prequel novels, making the jump to Frank Herbert's ?work feel jarring.

A note on Sands of Dune: I've included it at the bottom of this list because it's a novella and collect??ion of three stories set in underexplored parts of this universe. I think you should read it if you're trying to read every book, but it's hard to say exactly where it should fit in the chronological order.

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Denis Villeneuve's movie adaptations of Frank Herbert's seminal sci-fi novel, Dune, has become a cultural and commercial hit. That's big for Team Hollywood, but I still have a hard time believing that Dune has done more for movies than it has for video games �so long as you ignore the kerfuffle over whether it influenced Star Wars.

Even though the Dune games are far from occupying our most vivid memories of the real-time strategy boom of the '90s, the whole genre owes its existence to this series. Also, there's more to Dune games than just RTS. Not all of the series' forays into other genres generated success, but even its failures have stories worth telling. Let's rank all Dune games out there.

7. Frank Herbert's Dune (2001)

This was Cryo Interactive's final game, a French studio that now solely exists in the memories of many as the creators of average to not-very-good games. That's an unfairly uncharitable descri??ption, but more on t??hat later!

Even though it was not their best work, most knew Cryo for the Atlantis series of adventure games �which they wrote off as boring Myst ripoffs. Whether the haters were right or not, even at their blandest, those games were at least playable. Frank Herbert's Dune was not. Cryo developed it during its death knell and the game ende??d up coming out in a clearly unfinished state. The result is an attempt at a stealth-action game with political elements woven in that didn't work on any level.

Frank Herbert's Dune got an expectedly poor reception from players and critics alike as a myriad of bugs prevented players from even getting to the just mediocre parts.

It's saddening that the worst possible adaptation is the one that puts the name of the poor guy who came up with the story right there in the title. If even David Lynch disowned his merely average adaptation of Dune and credited it to Alan Smithee �??a nonexistent guy Hollywood directors made up to pin their ??failures on �th?en imagine how much farther poor Frank Herbert would’ve?? tried to distance himself from this.

Luckily, over twenty years later, Funcom seems to be hard at work on a Dune experience that'll revi?ve the game series much like the m??ovies just did.

6. Dune 2000 (not from 2000)

We might be living in the remake era right now, but remakes were already a thing when Dune 2000 came out back in, ugh... 1998.

Dune 2000 is the remake of a much better title that I'm not going to talk about here because that'd be just disrespectful. Dune 2000 added those sweet C&C-style cutscenes with CGI backgrounds, but it simply failed to improve much upon a game that was just five years old at that point and also didn't bring anything that new to the table. It's not terrible, but it doesn't feel that much better than its predecessor �nor as good as the Command & Conquer games of its time.

5. Emperor: Battle For Dune (2001)

The good news for fans of Dune, back in 2001, was that Cryo's unfinished game wasn't the only Dune game to grace that year. Though probably too heavy on the average systems of the time for its looks, Emperor: Battle For Dune was gorgeous nonetheless.

The first (and only) fully 3D Dune RTS still echoes in my mind, as I sometimes remember the first time I saw a massive sandworm showing up to destroy my army, just because it could. Battle For Dune was a visual feast, though ??not all that innovative when it comes to gameplay, and that's why it doesn't get higher on this ranking.

4. Dune Wars (2009)

I find it hilarious that whoever holds the rights to Dune seems to always be either all too eager to sell the rights, or not at all. Dune Wars came about at a point when the fountain was seemingly dry, as it's a mod for Civilization IV and not an actual licensed Dune property. Still, it's too good to ignore. It's also a unique title on this list because it's not another RTS or political strategy sim, or in Frank Herbert's Dune's case, an unplayable mess.

Give this turn-based foray into this universe a try if you want a new app?roach to a familiar thing done inside an already great game.

3. Dune: Spice Wars (2023)

If Dune Wars isn't a spicy enough title for you, then perhaps you'll like Dune: Spice Wars. To avoid confusion just for the sake of a great joke, I have to inform you that the two games are completely unrelated. This is an actual official release by Shiro Games that seems to accompany the 2021 film, bringing the Dune name back to its former glory.

It's a 4X strategy game, which means that it gives players a mix of real-time and turn-based strategy mechanics that they can use to bring Arr??akis?? to their feet. It also invites new great houses to the fold, looks great, plays great, and should get anyone hyped to see the future of the series under Funcom.

2. Dune (1992)

Hah, remember all the merciless clowning on that Cryo suffered throughout the years? It's time for the studio to get its revenge, Atreides style. Way back in 1992, for DOS and the Amiga, Cryo made a political strategy adventure adaptation of Dune that interwove the story of the book with some of the looks from the actual movie �and it?? was damn goo??d.

Dune was Cryo's finest hour, not just for combining so many complex elements, but also because it featured one of the best soundtracks in the history of gaming. Yeah, much like David Lynch's poorly received adaptation, the game also featured a banger of a soundtrack. Why am I talking about this? Because if that's of any interest to you, the soundtrack of the original Dune game has been remastered, and it's just beautiful.

1. Dune II (1993)

Sadly for Cryo, even its finest hour wasn't good enough to prevent the company's greatest accomplishment from getting overshadowed by something even better. In a move that history would later repeat, Cryo would end up having its Dune game competing with a different Dune game.

Despite a title that indicates a continuation of both the themes and the mechanics of the original game, Dune II was anything but. Heck, Dune II wasn't even made by the same company as Dune. It was helmed by Westwood, the studio that would later create the highly successful Command & Conquer serie??s, and you guessed it, this is where they wrote the blueprint that would dominate the gaming?? landscape for a while.

Though the old-time graphics might look off-putting nowadays, this game is still the stuff of legends. Dune II was not just a fresh concept by the time of release, but already a fully-fledged near-masterpiece all on its own. We've all been waiting for a new Dune RTS for too long now, and the?? task of dethroning this emperor is one that will still prove a hefty challenge.

The post Ranking the Dune video games, from worst to best appeared first on Destructoid.

Gear up squad, we’re going to Arrakis. Activision has revealed skins for its operators revolving around the upcoming Dune: Part Two for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone Season One.

No date was attached to the announcement, but the models for the skins are shown. The characters Paul Atreides (Wonka’s Timothee Chalamet) and Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen (Elvis�Austin Butler) got revealed and they look�a little uncanny. They both look like they’ve had a bit too much spice, in Dune terms. It’s not known if the Oscar-nominated actors will reprise their roles, as other actors like Anthony Starr for The Boys�Homelander or Nicki Minaj as, well, Nicki Minaj.

Dune and Dusted

You’d be right to be a little confused with the timing of the promotion and I don’t blame you. Originally, Dune: Part Two was scheduled to release on November 3. However, due to the Hollywood strikes, the sequel was pushed to March 15, 2024. The decision to delay the highly-anticipated adaptation came in late August, so it’d be too late to push them out of Season One. Still, it is weird to see the movie be promoted through, of all means, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

Granted, Dune is no stranger to video games. For promotion for Denis Villeneuve’s epic, characters Paul Atreides and Chani (Euphoria’s Zendaya) appeared in Fortnite back in 2021. Outside of shooters, Dune sticks to strategy-style gameplay, which is befitting of the book's political landscape. Last year, Shiro Games launched Dune: Spice Wars, which made it’s way to Xbox Game Pass just recently.

Furthermore, the series is venturing into MMO territory by the folks at Funcom with Dune: Awakening. It’s a strange but nice time for Dune fans. Hopefully, Activision will include sandworm riding in Modern Warfare 3 as a vehicle option. If you can ??put Nicki Minaj in the game, you c??an also put in sandworms.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is available now for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S

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I just wanna see my Queen Myrrah

The Netflix adaptation of Epic Games' blockbuster series Gears of War is now entering its pre-production phase, having scored Academy Award-nominated writer Jon Spaihts to pen its grim tale of the down-and-dirty conflict between the dwindling human ??race and the ruthless, subterranean Locust.

"We’re thrilled to partner with Jon and the Netflix team to bring Gears of War to life,�stated dev?eloper The Coalition in comments to Variety. "Jon is a master storyteller with a talent for creating epic, science-fiction universes, and he truly loves Gears of War. We couldn’t ask for a be?tter partner to honor our franchise and deliver an au?thentic story to our fans."

Spaihts is no stranger to dark dystopias, having penned the 2021 adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune, alongside director Denis Villeneuve and co-writer Eric Roth, a role which saw Spaights up for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 2022 Academy Awards. Alongside Dune, Spaihts also wrote Doctor Strange (2016) for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as well as Alien spin-off Prometheus (2012). Along with the Gears of War gig, Spaihts also resumed work alongside Villeneuve for Dune: Part Two, which will premiere in November of this year.

Netflix' partnership with Gears developer The Coalition is expected to result in the initial live-action feature, to be followed by an animated series and further unannounced projects. This latest endeavor is the closest the sci-fi/action series has come to a live-action adaptation, following on from years and years of repeated attempts to bring the world of The COG and The Locust to the screen. Gears of War has a deceptively? deep story and universe. Correctly executed, a big (or small) screen versi?on of the original trilogy could be a genuine televisual event.

Netflix’s Gears of War Movie Taps Dune and Doctor ?Strange Writer Jon Spaihts [Variety]

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Renegade of Spice

Since the release of Denis Villeneuve's fab Dune adaptation in 2021, it seems that several game studios are looking into developing their own digital takes of Frank Herbert's literary universe. Last month saw the release of RTS title Dune: Spice Wars, and it seems that Funcom also has an op??en-world adventure planned, set upon the acrid and hazardous planet of Arrakis.

The survivalist title is currently in its most preliminary stages, with Funcom currently at the hiring stage for the project. The job listings see the publisher staffing up a whole team, with po??sitions open for artists, game designers, coders, and even marketing specialists. The site also offers us two pie?ces of concept art along with a preliminary CGI render pulled from the early design documents, which set the mood for what will probably be a fairly morose and solemn release.

Funcom, of course, has experience in barren-world adventure titles, having published similar large-scale survival games such as the brutal and unforgiving Conan: Exiles. Dune itself has quite the pedigree in video gaming, having released authentic, compelling, and genre-defining titles such as Westwood Studios' 1992 classic Dune II: Battle for Arrakis. With its sullen fantasy worlds, strange menagerie of creatures, and cruel, backstabbing politics, Dune is custom-made for a variety of gaming genres, and hopefully, Funcom's new open world project will capture the mood an??d intrigue of its accla??imed source material.

Dune: Spice Wars is available now on PC (via Steam)

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Fight for spice and sand

The latest video game adaptation of the Dune universe will be playable this month. Real-time strategy game Dune: Spice Wars will launch into early access on Steam on Apr??il 26, 2022.

Developer Shiro Games and Funcom announced the news today, alongside another playable faction in the strategy game: the Fremen. If you've seen or read Dune, you're ??familiar with the Fremen. They're the people who call the harsh desert planet Arrakis home.

Fremen move better across open desert and are less likely to attract sandworms. They'll also be better at allying with the neutral Sietches. Arrakis is h??ome turf for the Fremen, after all, so they'll make for formidable foes against the Harkonnen, Atreides, and Smuggler factions.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lFx4wfc8Tc

Shiro Games' Dune: Spice Wars mixes elements of real-time strategy and 4X games. As the different factions vie for control of Arrakis and its much-coveted spice, players can try to establish bases, develop infrastructure, and wage war to win th??????????????????????????e planet. Or use subterfuge, politics, and diplomacy instead.

Getting a little spicy

This is only one of Funcom's Dune games in the pipeline, as the publisher also has an open-world survival game set in Frank Herbert's Dune universe in development too.

Dune has had a lengthy history in video games, as we combed back over in our retrospective last year. While its adventure game was also notable, Dune: Battle for Arrakis wound up being a landmark game for Westwood Studios. It's easy to say that Dune and the real-time strategy ar??e pretty intertwined.

With the first movie getting a solid reception and more on the way, the door's open for Dune to get a video game resurgence too. Beyond getting some skins in Fortnite, that is.

The battle for Arrakis will kick off again later this month, when Dune: Spice Wars launches into early access on PC via Steam o??n April 26, 2022.

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Spice, Spice, Baby

Video game fans of a certain age will well remember the majestic Dune video game adaptations of the early '90s, excellent strategy titles that paved the way for Westwood Studios' Command & Conquer series. Well, it is time to get your house in order once again, as publisher Funcom has announced Dune: Spice Wars, an all-new RTS headed to PC in 2022.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnttuBpqI_4

Much like the Westwood Studios classics, Dune: Spice Wars will see players take command of one of the many ordained houses, before laying siege to the desolate yet highly valuable mining planet, Arrakis. Choose from one of m?any factions, including the noble House Atreides and the brutish House Harkonnen, before commanding your armies, managing your mining facilities, and maintaining social and industrial systems to keep the spice flowing, your people safe, and the enemy at arm's length.

I'm House Ferguson.

Launching in Early Access in 2022, developer Shiro Games (of Northgard and Evoland fame) intends to "grow" Dune: Spice Wars as a title over the coming years, adding new mechanics, quests, troops, buildings, and much more. Players are asked to "forge their own path," using bargaining, espionage, resourcefulness, peacekeeping, or brute force in order to maintain their hold over the precious spices of Arrakis. It sounds like it could be a real return to form for fans of the original games and the Dune universe in general. Of course, the proof will be in the quality of the title itself, so here's hoping Dune: Spice Wars can live up to the magnificent legacy of the games that have come befor??e it.

Dune: Spice Wars wil?l enter Early Access on PC at some point in 2022.

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Sandworms, strategy, and a whole lotta spice

Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of the 1965 sci-fi novel Dune went live in theaters and on HBO Max this weekend. But the silver screen isn't the only medium that's tried to bring the dunes of Arrakis to life. Dune's legacy in video game??s isn't just not?able, but groundbreaking in some respects—and a bit dramatic, too.

The last time we did this, around the premiere of Evangelion's Thrice Upon a Time, we dove into a line of visual novels, multimedia discs, and even a hidden gem of a Nintendo 64 game. The gaming legacy of Dune is a pretty remarkable one though, ?at least for one company in particular: Westwood. But let's start at the beginning.

Going back to Dune

There are, by a general tally, five licensed Dune games. There are also several board games, role-playing games, and even MUDs (a.k.a. Multi-User Dungeon) of Dune. But the commercial video game legacy of the books kicked off with 1992 game Dune. Well, one of them.

Developed by Cryo Interactive, Dune (1992) was released for MS-DOS and Amiga, and later came to Sega CD in 1993. It was one of the first floppy format games converted to CD, and this version included footage from the David Lynch adaptation, voice acting, and 3D-rendered scenes. It's based on the origina??l novel, following Paul Atreides as his family is given the fief of the desert planet Arrakis by the emperor. You're tasked with managing relationships, both with local Fremen and the rival faction, Harkonnen.

It's a mix of point-and-click adventure and real-time strategy, with both aspects playing into the success or failure of House Atreides. It's pretty ahead of its time, with its mix of politics, dialogue, exploration, and strategy bringing to mind games like Divinity: Dragon Commander.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=7J3OUT5rEYU

It had a reportedly troubled development, and ultimately, found itself in competition with itself. Because Dune (1992) was not the only 1992 Dune game. All the while, another company was working on its own version of Dune, that also looked to strategy for inspiration.

To command and conquer

In December 1992, Westwood Studios released its own Dune video game under several different names. Known as Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty, Dune II: Battle for Arrakis, Dune: Battle for Arrakis, or just simply Dune II, it was also based on Lynch's?? movie adaptation of ??Frank Herbert's sci-fi novel.

In Westwood's version, the player takes control of one of three houses: Atreides, Harkonnen, and the Ordos—that last one being ??a new addition for Westwood's game. The goal is to take control of Arrakis from the other two houses by harvesting spice and building up cash, eventually funding an army to crush the enemy.

If it sounds familiar, well, that's because Dune II was essentially the blueprint for many real-time strategy games to come, including Westwood's Command & Conquer.

In a feature on the making of the game in Edge, Westwood co-founder and Dune II producer Brett Sperry credited a few sources of inspiration: partly Populous, party his work on Eye of the Beholder, and most crucially, an argument he once had w??ith Strategic Simulations vice president Chuck Kroegel. Wargames "sucked," as Sperry said, because of a lack of innovation and poor design. He recalls Kroegel saying the category was a in "long, slow decline" as players moved to more exciting genres.

"I felt that the genre had a lot of potential—the surface was barely scratched as far as I was concerned, especially from a design standpoint," Sperry told Edge. "So I took it? as a pers??onal challenge and figured how to harness real-time dynamics with great game controls into a fast-paced wargame."

The result was the real-time strategy game, something experimented with already by 1990's Herzog Zwei, and now codified in Dune II. The game would become a success, leading to a semi-remake in Dune 2000 and Emperor: Battle for Dune in 2001.

It would also lead Westwood to create the Command & Conquer series using a sim?ilar desi?gn philosophy, and it became a pivotal game in the PC strategy space.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8q93dDB_O0

Return of Cryo

Cryo Interactive, however, was not done with Dune. The developer would return to Herbert's sci-fi novel in 2001 with Frank Herbert's Dune. It was based on the Sci Fi Channel miniseries from 2000, and opted for an adventure game setup in 3D, following Paul Atreides' efforts to win over the Fremen and take down B?aron Harkonnen.

It arrived in the midst of troubles for the studio, and sadly, Cryo began to slowly fold and dissolve not long after the launch of Frank Herbert's Dune. As its subsidiaries and studios closed, it took another Dune game with it: the ongoing project Dune Generations.

Though fan-created legacy versions of these older games and mods for other games keep the Dune spirit alive, the sci-fi series' video game future is nebulous. The work to bring Dune back to the gaming space is underway, though it remains to be seen what shape that will tak??e or when.

Yet despite an absence in recent memory, the Dune series' video game adaptations left a permanent mark in the games industry. From a sincerely fascinating adventure-strategy hybrid to becoming the blueprint for a new genre of strategy entirely, Dune's mark on games can still be seen today, even if it's just in modern remakes of its successors. And hopefully, someday, we'll visit t?he virtual dunes of Arrakis again.

Screenshots and promo art courtesy of the MobyGames archives.

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