The blockbuster fall season of video games is here. Bethesda’s latest open-world opus, Starfield, promises hours and hours of strange new worlds, deadly aliens and high flying action. The internet is already chock full of memes, ship builds and fan mods for the game.
Starfield remains a single player experience. Luckily, there are several role playing games that can allow friends at the table to share the highs and lows of life out in the black. Many TV shows and movies like Star Wars, Firefly and The Expanse have their own licensed games to explore, so I’ve focused on ones that let players build their own worlds.
Traveller
Traveller remains one of the foundational experiences at the heart of role playing games. Most fans who think of fantasy games think of the classic Dungeons & Dragons experience where a band of adventurers wander the countryside looking for fame and fortune. For sci-fi fans, Traveller offers the essential story of a small ship crewed but outcasts and outlaws doing what they can to keep their rust bucket going one more day.
The current edition recently updated its core books. Traveller Core Book 2022 Update lets players build their characters and intertwine their histories. High Guard 2022 Update lets players pick just the right ship for adventures or build their own. Central Supply Catalogue Update 2023 helps players and game masters deicde just what cool technology is available to sell, steal and build.
Stars Without Number
It’s a big universe out there and explorers need strange new worlds to discover. Each of the games highlighted in this article has rules and guidance on how to create worlds, star systems and more. The best in class remains the one found in Stars Without Number.
The game creates worlds that combine physical information with cultures and other important elements. Players will discover planets full of valuable resources as well as factions they must deal with to claim them. The system’s three classes will also be familiar to fans of games like Mass Effect.
Ironsworn: Starforged
Playing role playing games with friends is one of the big reasons they happen. But sometimes game night falls apart because of valid real life reasons. That’s when players can turn to Ironsworn: Starforged to scratch that itch without anyone in the game master’s chair.
The game can be played traditionally but also uses charts called oracles to help spur the twists and turns in the story. This game is also an excellent choice for groups to play cooperatively without the need of a game master. Character creation and sector creation wind together to quickly get everyone out into space.
Mothership
For those who want their outer space adventures with a little more darkness. Mothership offers an experience that adds in elements of space horror like Alien and Event Horizon. The game’s slogan offers the main focuses of these adventures: solve the problem, save the victims and survive the secrets of space.
Mothership has been going through a public playtest for years with the official version due out in early 2024. While the early game focuses on one shots, the upcoming release offers more campaign advice, including downtime where players must choose how they prepare for the next horror. Do they relax and relieve stress or do they train in the firing range to make sure they have a better chance when the emergency lights come on?
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