Space cats are invading Steam with Twilight Imperium Digital
Is it too late to refund the deposit on my gaming table?
Thanks to Red Square Games, you'll soon have the option to play Twilight Imperium Fourth Edition via Steam with Twilight Imperium Digital. Announced in a heartfelt post on the official Twilight Imperium Reddit, Red Square Games is encouraging players to share what they'd like to see in a finalized version.
Nothing can truly replace getting a group of friends together to experience what TI's coffin-sized box has to offer, but bringing this legendary title to the desktop presents a number of interesting possibilities for making the game more accessible. While TI and other massive board games are technically supported via virtual tabletop platforms, Twilight Imperium Digital offers a much slicker presentation than something like Tabletop Simulator.
Twilight Imperium is considered by many to be one of the best 4X tabletop titles of all time, simulating diplomacy, combat, subterfuge, and science on the galactic stage. Besides its prominent portrayal of space-faring felines, TI is probably best known for being remarkably complex. While its various editions have made great strides in sanding down some of its rougher edges, it still requires a table the size of a small runway to accommodate its myriad components, and getting the required number of players together is still a logistical nightmare.
Before the cardboard purists grab their torches and pitchforks, here is a short list of the possibilities presented by Twilight Imperium Digital.
- New players will now have a play-along tutorial to teach them the basics.
- Automated tracking of Trade Goods and other resources.
- The ability to easily save a game in progress.
- Hot Seat and asynchronous play make it easier to schedule a game between human opponents.
- AI opponents can fill out the gaps in larger games.
- A far lower price point than the physical version of TI.
Twilight Imperium Fourth Edition did a fantastic job streamlining many of the more cumbersome aspects of the game, but I've used digital aids in virtually every game of TI I've played. Whether keeping tabs on my tech tree or adding a soundtrack, Twilight Imperium Digital seems to handle most of those aspects, leaving me with more time to figure out who I'm going to stab in the back.
Additional details surrounding Twilight Imperium Digital are scarce, but the trailer shows what appears to be a pretty faithful recreation of Twilight Imperium Fourth Edition, with 17 playable factions at launch. There isn't any official news regarding the TI's 13 expansion factions, but they will likely arrive with DLC sometime post-launch. Red Square Games also hasn't revealed if the game will be able to support fan-made expansions like Discordant Stars.
The launch date for Twilight Imperium Digital is still TBA, but you can follow the game's development by adding it to your Steam Wishlist.
