A number of games have been published which are based on the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert.
Card games
- Dune (1997): Collectible card game produced by Five Rings Publishing Group/Last Unicorn Games and later Wizards of the Coast. Each player leads a planetary house, "battling, conniving, and bribing its way to greatness ... players bid for powerful characters, search for the life-prolonging spice melange, avoid sandworms, engage in interstellar commerce, and, naturally, try to kill each other."
Board games
- Dune (1979): Avalon Hill
- Dune (1984): Parker Brothers
Role-playing games
- Dune: Chronicles of the Imperium (2000): Last Unicorn Games; role-playing game set in the Dune universe. Delayed by legal issues and then a corporate buyout of Last Unicorn by Wizards of the Coast, a "Limited Edition" run of 3000 copies of a core rule-book was initially published, pending Wizard of the Coast's conversion of the game to its d20 role-playing game system and a subsequent wider release. The company later announced that the game would be discontinued, but it was eventually published by Wizards of the Coast after the acquisition. Val Mayerik did interior art for the game.
Video games
To date, there have been five licensed Dune-related video games released. There have also been many Dune-based MUDs (Multi-User Dimension) and browser-based online games, all created and run by fans.
Dune (1992)
1992's Dune from Cryo Interactive/Virgin Interactive blends adventure with strategy. Loosely following the story of the 1965 novel Dune and using many visual elements from the 1984 film of the same name by David Lynch, the game casts the player as Paul Atreides, with the ultimate goal of driving the Harkonnens from the planet Dune and taking control of its valuable export, the spice. Key to success is the management of spice mining, military forces, and ecology as the player amasses allies and skills.
Dune II (1992)
Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty, later retitled Dune II: Battle for Arrakis for the Mega Drive/Genesis port, was released in December 1992 from Westwood Studios/Virgin Interactive. Often considered to be the first "mainstream modern real-time strategy game", Dune II established many conventions of the genre. Only loosely connected to the plot of the novels or films, the game pits three interplanetary houses â€" the Atreides, the Harkonnens, and the Ordos â€" against each other for control of the planet Arrakis and its valuable spice, all while fending off the destructive natural forces of the harsh desert planet itself.
Dune 2000 (1998)
Dune 2000, a 1998 remake of Dune II from Intelligent Games/Westwood Studios/Virgin Interactive, added improved graphics and live-action cutscenes. Though gameplay is similar to its predecessor, Dune 2000 features an enhanced storyline and functionality.
Emperor: Battle for Dune (2001)
Emperor: Battle for Dune (Intelligent Games/Westwood Studios/Electronic Arts) was released on June 12, 2001. A sequel to Dune 2000, the real-time strategy game features 3D graphics and live-action cutscenes and casts players as Atreides, Harkonnens, or Ordos.
Frank Herbert's Dune (2001)
Released in 2001 by Cryo Interactive/DreamCatcher Interactive, Frank Herbert's Dune is a 3D video game based on the 2000 Sci Fi Channel miniseries of the same name. As Paul Muad'Dib Atreides, the player must become leader of the Fremen, seize control of Dune, and defeat the evil Baron Harkonnen. The game was not a commercial or critical success, and Cryo subsequently filed for bankruptcy in July 2002.
Dune Generations (2001, cancelled)
In 2001, Cryonetworks disclosed information about Dune Generations, an online, 3D real-time strategy game set in the Dune universe. An official website for the upcoming game featured concept images, a brief background story and description of the persistent gameworld, and a list of frequently asked questions. The game would be constructed using Cryo's own online multimedia development framework SCOL.
Within "the infrastructure of a permanent and massive multiplayer world that exists online," Dune Generations would let players assume control of a dynasty in the Dune universe, with the goal of first mastering the natural resources of their own homeworlds and ultimately rising in power and influence through conflicts and alliances with other player dynasties. Each of the three available dynasty types â€" traders, soldiers, or mercenaries â€" would provide a different playing experience, all with the long-term goal of gaining control of Arrakis and its valuable spice.
A preview video trailer was released in November 2001. The game was still in the alpha testing stage in February 2002, and the project was ultimately halted after Cryo filed for bankruptcy in July 2002.
Dune Wars mod for Civilization IV
The Dune Wars mod is a total conversion of Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword to the Dune setting. The mod was featured by Tom Chick in the relauched Tom vs Bruce series. In 2015 an updated version of the mod called Dune Wars: Revival was released.
Online games
DuneMUSH
Based on the PennMUSH text environment the popular Multi-User Shared Hallucination, DuneMUSH, began in December 1992 and ran through August 1994. Another MUSH, Dune III, was later created on MUSHPark. Its timeline was set 100 years prior to that of the novel, and ran for a few years before closing in 2011.
Dune MUD
Around since 1992, Dune MUD is a text based virtual environment that promotes the hack and slash gameplay mechanic.
References
External links
- Dune video game series at MobyGames
- Dune games at Dune2k.com
