 Empyrean Challenge title image | |
| Publishers | Superior Simulations |
|---|---|
| Years active | 1978–unknown |
| Genres | science fiction, play-by-mail |
| Languages | English |
| Players | 150 |
| Playing time | no limit (open-ended) |
| Materials required | Instructions, order sheets, turn results, paper, pencil |
| Media type | play-by-mail |
Empyrean Challenge is a strategic science fiction play-by-mail (PBM) game. Published by Superior Simulations in 1978, its introduction was important to the nascent PBM industry. 150 players per game strove to dominate a cluster of star systems. Diplomacy, combat, economics, technological development, colonization, and other factors were important aspects of gameplay. Detailed work was required in all aspects of the game, requiring a significant investment in time for players. Reviewer Jim Townsend stated in 1988 that Empyrean Challenge was "the most complex game system on Earth".[1]
Various observers reviewed the game in the 1980s across gaming magazines such as Dragon, The Space Gamer, White Dwarf, and White Wolf. Commentators focused on the detail, complexity, and time required for the game, noting it was generally for more advanced players.