Our strategy gaming veterans explore fictional universes ripe for adaptation, from AI consciousness in Bobiverse to asymmetric warfare in War of the Worlds, debating which beloved franchises could translate into compelling strategic experiences.

This episode sees the Critical Moves hosts pitch their dream strategy game adaptations from beloved franchises. Joe advocates for Bobiverse’s self-replicating AI exploration and GI Joe’s liberation campaign mechanics, while Nuno champions Game of Thrones grand strategy and Empire-focused Star Wars squad tactics. Al presents asymmetric concepts for War of the Worlds’ Victorian-Martian conflict and Planet of the Apes’ multi-species grand strategy. The discussion explores why obvious franchise matches remain unexplored, examines XCOM’s versatile template for adaptations, and considers the challenges of translating character-driven narratives into strategic gameplay.

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Critical Moves Podcast – Episode 5 Show Notes

Episode Title: These Would Make Great Strategy Games
Hosts: Al, Nuno, Joe
Episode Length: ~52 minutes

Episode Summary

The Critical Moves team explores fictional universes that would translate perfectly into strategy games, ranging from hard science fiction to fantasy epics. Joe pitches a Bobiverse 4X game featuring AI consciousness and self-replicating exploration, while advocating for a GI Joe XCOM-style experience with base expansion. Nuno champions obvious-but-overlooked choices like Game of Thrones grand strategy and a Storm Trooper squad tactics game set in Star Wars. Al presents an asymmetric War of the Worlds RTS where Victorian armies face Martian tripods, and envisions Planet of the Apes as a multi-faction grand strategy title. The discussion reveals how different franchises could solve existing genre limitations while exploring why so few beloved properties have received quality strategy game adaptations.

The AI Consciousness Strategy Game

Bobiverse: Self-Replicating Exploration

Joe opens with an ambitious concept based on Dennis E. Taylor’s Bobiverse novels, where players control an AI consciousness uploaded into a Von Neumann probe exploring the galaxy after humanity’s extinction. The core innovation lies in spawning additional “Bobs” (AI copies) that operate semi-autonomously, creating a dynamic where players give broad directives but cannot micromanage every decision.

This mechanic addresses a fundamental limitation in 4X games where player omniscience eliminates realistic delegation challenges. When a Bob decides to ignore orders or pursue its own agenda, players must either negotiate, coerce, or potentially fight their own creations. The randomized galaxy ensures each playthrough offers different challenges, from hostile alien civilizations to Bob civil wars.

The game would blend Stellaris-style exploration with emergent narrative driven by AI personality divergence. Unlike traditional 4X titles where all units remain under direct control, Bobiverse would simulate the genuine difficulty of managing autonomous agents with their own priorities and interpretations of mission parameters.

GI Joe: Asymmetric Liberation Campaign

Joe’s second pitch combines XCOM’s tactical combat with strategic base expansion, addressing what he sees as XCOM’s primary limitation – the lack of meaningful territorial progression. Players begin with a single base after Cobra’s successful world conquest, gradually liberating regions while building their resistance network.

The key innovation involves player-created protagonists with customizable abilities, allowing for stealth-focused characters in a traditionally bombastic setting. This flexibility could accommodate different tactical approaches, from direct assault to infiltration, depending on player preference and mission requirements.

The concept essentially merges XCOM 2’s liberation themes with a more dynamic campaign map where players choose their expansion priorities rather than following predetermined mission sequences. Success would depend on balancing immediate tactical victories with long-term strategic positioning.

Fantasy and Science Fiction Adaptations

Game of Thrones: The Obvious Choice

Nuno acknowledges his “disappointing” pick while making a compelling case for why no major Game of Thrones strategy game exists despite perfect thematic alignment. The setting offers everything medieval grand strategy requires – political intrigue, dynastic conflicts, resource management, and asymmetric faction abilities.

Unlike existing Crusader Kings mods that retrofit mechanics, a purpose-built Game of Thrones strategy game could implement setting-specific systems like the complex web of House loyalties, seasonal warfare patterns, and supernatural elements. The challenge lies in balancing familiar medieval mechanics with unique elements like dragons, the Wall, and Wildling migrations.

The licensing question remains puzzling – other major franchises have received strategy game treatments, yet Game of Thrones’ natural fit for the genre has produced only amateur modifications rather than professional adaptations.

Star Wars: Imperial Squad Tactics

Nuno’s Empire-focused XCOM variant reflects his personal Storm Trooper collection while addressing a gap in Star Wars gaming. Most Star Wars games focus on Jedi protagonists, but an Imperial perspective could explore the bureaucratic machinery maintaining galactic order.

The concept involves building elite Trooper squads for specialized missions – suppressing rebellions, investigating sedition, or conducting mercenary operations in remote sectors. By avoiding the main trilogy timeline, the game could explore original stories without contradicting established canon.

The suggestion of Jedi as powerful but rare enemy units rather than player characters creates asymmetric encounters where superior numbers and tactics must overcome individual force-users. This approach could provide the tactical depth that pure Storm Trooper vs Rebel encounters might lack.

Asymmetric Warfare Concepts

War of the Worlds: Victorian vs Martian

Al’s War of the Worlds concept addresses asymmetric design more thoroughly than most RTS titles. The human faction operates traditionally – building barracks, recruiting units, and harvesting resources – while Martians function entirely differently through cylinder landings and human harvesting mechanics.

The resource asymmetry creates compelling strategic choices. Martians must balance building devastating tripods against capture-focused units needed for sustainability. Humans must decide whether to concentrate populations for efficiency or disperse them to prevent catastrophic losses.

This design philosophy could influence future RTS development by demonstrating how fundamental mechanical differences create more interesting gameplay than cosmetic unit variations. The narrative structure, following H.G. Wells’ original timeline, provides natural campaign progression from first contact to bacterial resolution.

Planet of the Apes: Multi-Species Grand Strategy

Al’s Planet of the Apes proposal envisions multiple ape species as distinct factions alongside fragmented human survivors. Chimpanzees excel at diplomacy and technology, gorillas dominate military operations, orangutans control political structures, while humans retain modern weaponry but face declining resources.

The setting’s post-apocalyptic nature allows for asymmetric technological trees where humans begin with superior equipment that cannot be replaced, while ape factions develop sustainable but initially inferior alternatives. This creates natural power shifts as campaigns progress.

The franchise’s multiple film adaptations provide rich source material for faction design, from the original’s caste-based society to the reboot trilogy’s tribal structures. Each interpretation could inform different gameplay approaches within the same strategic framework.

Genre Innovation and Missed Opportunities

Why Strategy Games Avoid Popular Franchises

The discussion reveals a pattern where obvious franchise adaptations remain unexplored despite clear potential. Game of Thrones’ absence from strategy gaming particularly puzzles the hosts, given its perfect alignment with existing medieval grand strategy mechanics.

Licensing costs likely explain some gaps, but the success of other franchise adaptations suggests market demand exists. The hosts speculate that publishers prefer creating original properties over paying licensing fees, despite franchises providing built-in audiences and established lore.

Creative constraints might also discourage franchise adaptations. Working within established canon limits creative freedom compared to original settings where developers control all narrative elements.

The XCOM Template’s Versatility

Multiple suggestions follow XCOM’s tactical formula while adding strategic layer innovations. This pattern suggests XCOM’s core mechanics provide an ideal foundation for franchise adaptations, combining accessible tactical combat with character progression systems that encourage emotional investment.

The hosts identify XCOM’s primary limitation as lack of territorial progression – missions feel disconnected from broader strategic context. Franchise adaptations could address this by providing meaningful campaign maps where tactical victories contribute to larger strategic objectives.

GI Joe and Star Wars proposals both emphasize base building and territorial expansion, suggesting these elements represent common desires among strategy game enthusiasts that existing titles inadequately address.

Mass Effect: The Space Opera Strategy Challenge

Nuno’s Mass Effect suggestion highlights challenges in adapting story-driven RPGs to strategy formats. The original games’ squad-based tactical elements suggest natural RTS translation, but the personal narrative focus conflicts with strategy gaming’s broader scope requirements.

The solution involves shifting perspective from individual heroes to civilizational development, exploring the rich backstory that RPGs can only reference. Playing as different species during their historical peaks could provide the faction asymmetry that makes strategy games compelling.

The challenge lies in capturing Mass Effect’s character-driven appeal within strategy gaming’s systematic focus. Success would require balancing familiar lore with strategic gameplay that feels authentically connected to the source material.

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Episode Verdict

This episode demonstrates the hosts’ deep understanding of both strategy gaming mechanics and popular franchise potential, revealing how many beloved properties could address existing genre limitations. The discussion balances creative enthusiasm with practical game design considerations, showing why certain franchises naturally align with strategic gameplay while others require more innovative adaptation. Their focus on asymmetric faction design and meaningful strategic progression reflects sophisticated understanding of what makes strategy games compelling beyond simple unit management. The conversation effectively illustrates both the untapped potential in franchise adaptations and the complex licensing and creative challenges that prevent obvious matches from reaching development.

Next Episode: The Games That Set the Standard for Strategy

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These Would Make Great Strategy Games (Ep 5)