Star Dynasties looks like Crusader Kings in space, which rules

Sci-fi strategy game Star Dynasties has a new trailer out of Gamescom, showing off a boatload of neat features and some inside insight from developer Pawley Games. Star Dynasties is an empire management grand strategy game that focuses on the drama between powerful families of space nobility. Here's the relevant section of the Iceberg Interactive show:

Star Dynasties has clearly learned from the marriage of procedural narrative and grand strategy that made Crusader Kings 2 such a success. The focus is around a galaxy of human colonies divided after the loss of Earth. Feudal structures take root in the power vacuum, and you manage a family of these new nobility attempting to carve out a fief in the chaos.

Here's how the publisher describes the setting: "Humanity had just taken its first tentative steps in space, when the catastrophic destruction of Earth plunged the galaxy into a new Dark Age. Now, centuries later, those few surviving colonies have stabilised into a simple feudal society, unable to comprehend or advance the technological artifacts they use to survive. Internecine fights between an aristocratic elite decide the fate of the scattered fragments of humankind."

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It seems like a strong bet to match the economics and logistics of a sci-fi setting with the political and personal power struggles of feudal politics. It worked for Dune and BattleTech, at least. If you want to know more, there's a three part developer diary on YouTube.

With the release of Crusader Kings 3 this week interest in narrative strategy games is sure to surge. Star Dynasties is developed by Pawley Games and published by Iceberg Interactive. We'll keep an eye on Star Dynasties before it releases in 2021, meanwhile you can find it on Steam and on its official website.

Jon Bolding is a games writer and critic with an extensive background in strategy games. When he's not on his PC, he can be found playing every tabletop game under the sun.