Hi everyone, my name is Brett Reichert and the three of us here at Breich Games are excited to announce that Space Empires 4X is coming to PC and mobile! We are a small indie team consisting of myself, my partner, Jake Weise, and our artist, Michael Lindler.
Why make a digital version of Space Empires at all? There are a number of aspects about Space Empires in tabletop form that translate extremely well to a digital format. But, one of the main reasons for the digital version: it is a cross-section of all my life’s interests. As a gamer, West Point graduate, Army Officer, and now, as a professional software engineer, Space Empires has been and continues to be one of my favorite board games of all time.
In-Game Screenshot Featuring the Tech Tree Menu
I first found Space Empires in 2012, while I was in my final year at the Academy. As a cadet, I helped organize the Wargames Club, a wonderful organization led by two world-class civilian professors of West Point’s History Department. We played a number of wargames, including many tabletop WW2 miniature games – there’s something really fun about playing with ten to twelve others on an entire conference table of Normandy bocage. Twice-monthly wargaming alongside the 47-month West Point experience really honed my interest in wargames. So, when I found Space Empires, I was enamored. Its simplistic design, yet intricate strategy, coupled with the management of significant incomplete information (hidden units, quantities, and technologies) spoke to me quickly. The part I love(d) the most? Building decoys!
Over the years, I played the game off and on, teaching any new group of friends the game, often including other Army Officers. They validated my baseline intuition that Space Empires rewarded expertise in all three echelons of warfare: the strategic-level of ‘what do I build or research and when’; the operational-level of ‘what is the disposition of my forces’, and finally, the tactical-level of ‘when do I press the advantage in a battle’. Prowess in all three levels is important to achieve victory in any match.
In-Game Screenshot Featuring Movement / Ship Art
After serving in the Army for five years, I left active duty in 2018 and pursued my Computer Science degree as a professional software engineer. Over the years, I learned quite a bit about software engineering. In 2021, I was fortunate enough to land an engineering role at a prominent Fintech company. This role really accelerated my engineering career, rapidly improving my knowledgeability in modern software development, as well as in software project management. And, as a prolific PC gamer, I’ve always had a life goal of creating and publishing a video game. So, at some point in the fall of 2022, I said to myself, “if I can make modern banking APIs, I can probably make Space Empires into a PC game.”
For the next two and a half years, Space Empires was my side project. I had never worked in a game engine before, but I leaned on my professional experience and built out a solid backend for facilitating multiplayer Space Empires. As time passed, I slowly learned more and more about the engine side of things from it and for other projects. However, Space Empires always remained a side project.
In-Game Screenshot Featuring Combat / Attack
Then, in April of 2025, I got laid off from a recent engineering role. I hadn’t touched Space Empires in months. I showed a good friend the state of the project, and he said, “you HAVE to get that to the finish line and pitch GMT Games.” So, for the next two months, I sprinted towards a prototype – and finished it. But, then came the difficult part – how do I get a hold of GMT Games?
After a few random emails and a long-shot LinkedIn connection, I landed a meeting to talk shop about Space Empires. Six months later, we’ve announced the digital version!
In-Game Screenshot Featuring Economy
I am beyond excited to bring Space Empires to the digital platform. The entire series has the depth of a solid 4X game, with matches taking a fraction of the time of the major games in the genre. Every match is strategically rewarding, and no two matches are the same. I truly believe that the Space Empires series can successfully carve itself into the genre’s existing digital market.
In the coming weeks, I’ll discuss many aspects of Space Empires, including what I think makes the digital version truly shine, as well as general aspects of the game for those new to the series. And, if you haven’t already, please head over to Steam and wishlist the game! As an indie studio, every bit of attention helps.
Take care,
Brett
Author: Brett Reichert
