| Designers | Original design by Daniel Pierce (1979), David Pierce (1996) and Mark Wardell (2018) |
|---|---|
| Publishers | Pierce Enterprises (1979-1996), Wy'East Games (1996-present) |
| Publication | September 1979 |
| Years active | 1979-2002, restarting late 2024. |
| Genres | wargame, science fiction, play-by-mail |
| Languages | English |
| Players | Unlimited |
| Setup time | 5 minutes |
| Playing time | 20-60 minutes per turn. Potential of hours corresponding with other players planning and negotiating. |
| Chance | Medium |
| Skills | Negotiation, Strategy game |
| Materials required | Instructions, order sheets, turn results, paper, pencil |
| Media type | Play-by-mail or email |
Galactic Empires is a space-based open-end, play-by-mail (PBM) wargame.
Galactic Empires was a computer moderated. [1] open-ended, space-based, science fiction play-by-mail wargame of medium complexity published by Pierce Enterprises and later by Wy'East Games. The game launched in 1979 and was "well established" by 1984. [2] By 1986, some of the empires were "massive". [3] Turns had no time limit, enabling overseas players as well. [3] The game designer was Dan Pierce, who attempted to improve on Starweb . [3] By 1985, the publisher had moved the game system from a "TRS 80-1 to a Tandy 1200 HD" for speed and expansion purposes. [4] Dan eventually lost interest in the game, so his brother David took over for many year. In the Mid-90's Mark Wardell, Wy'East Games, took over first under a licensing agreement and later purchasing the game outright.
Gameplay shared similarities with Starweb. [2] Four empires types were available: "Empire Builder, Star Merchant, Xenophobe, [and] Pirate". [3] Players choose between four character types. [2] Available elements include "ships, ground based military equipment, economic components, etc.", providing gameplay options for players. [2]
Dave Weidner reviewed the game in a 1986 issue of Flagship. He gave it a generally positive review, stating that "In all, Galactic Empires is a game that is simple enough for a novice, while still challenging enough for the most advanced player, at a reasonable cost". [5]