If you simply cannot wait for the new Heroes of Might and Magic, this sci-fi take on HoMM just launched from Steam early access

I was a little surprised to discover that Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is one of Steam's most wishlisted gamed. Naturally, I'd assumed there must be a fanbase for this prequel from developer Unfrozen and publisher Hooded Horse, otherwise they wouldn't make it.

But I'd severely underestimated just how ravenous strategy fans are for riding around a top-down map of a fantasy kingdom and beating up unicorns in turn-based combat. People want Olden Era more than Dawn of War 4 and Total War: Warhammer 40,000. Even James Bond can't compete with the raw sexual magnetism of a hex-based grid.

The bad news is you can't play Olden Era yet. It was supposed to release at the end of last year, but Hooded Horse spurred it into 2026 to give the game "the care it deserves." Luckily, you can play a brand new, HoMM-style game right now, provided you don't mind swapping out steel-clad knights for star-pocked nights.

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Heroes of Science and Fiction is, as you may have gleaned from the title, a genre-swapped Heroes of Might and Magic. Assuming the role of one of five factions vying for control of a remote star system, you're charged with exploring the planets orbiting that celestial fusion reactor, securing resources, building cities and raising armies to defeat your enemies.

Each of the five factions (which includes cybernetic moles and religious insects) has seven different unit types, as well as a unique ability and several commanders to choose from. Four of those factions have their own campaigns to pursue, while you can experiment with all factions across dozens of skirmish maps.

Heroes of Science and Fiction has been in Steam early access for eighteen months. But the game hit 1.0 earlier this week. The release update added a fourth campaign which wraps up the overarching story, as well as a new planet type that forms the theme for maps. It also introduced seven new buildings, improved AI behaviours, and added achievements. Most notably of all, it also added multiplayer, letting you duke it out with other players online, via LAN, through local hot seat, or Steam remote play.

To celebrate Heroes of Science and Fiction's release, developer Oxymoron Games has sliced 40% off the game's usual price for the next couple of weeks, meaning you can grab it for $15 (£12.50). And while the game is technically finished, Oxymoron says it isn't done with it yet, with both smaller post-launch updates and DLCs planned for the future.