Empire!

About

Empire! lets you command a tiny Cub Scoutship in a galaxy full of trade routes, alien threats, and hidden resources. Your mission is to grow from a scrappy pilot into a galactic empire builder by scavenging ore, hauling cargo, and destroying enemy fleets. Navigate star maps to warp between systems, drop cargo ropes to collect supplies, and upgrade your ship between missions. Every action serves the long game: buy starbases, conquer systems, and eventually seal your territory behind a massive frontier shield. The game walks a neat line between twitch-based shooting and slow-burn strategy, with permadeath risks hiding in every plague-infested planet or unmarked minefield. It won 1987’s Golden Joystick Award for Best Educational Game, though the real draw is its retro charm. Running on 1980s hardware, it still feels surprisingly layered for an 8-bit title. Fans of old-school empire-building who don’t mind typing commands via a CLI will enjoy the grind of trading credits for influence. The twist of building a shield to contain your empire adds a quiet, almost bureaucratic punchline to the chaos.