Star Trek: Infinite

Making and release

It is built off an earlier build of Paradox Interactive's Stellaris, sharing many mechanics and systems.^[4] Producer Mats Holm rejected the notion that Star Trek: Infinite is a mere branded module, stating the goal was to make "the ultimate Star Trek fantasy"^[5] Game director Ezequiel Maldonado said choosing the time period—beginning gameplay in 2340, about 20 years before Star Trek: The Next Generation—was a "pretty big discussion"^[5] Programming director Andres Ricardo Chamarra added that once the TNG era was chosen, the Klingons, Romulans, and Cardassians had to be included.^[5]

Unlike Stellaris, the relative positions of the powers are fixed to approximate the canonical star map.^[5] The game's first unavoidable event is the Khitomer Massacre, a Romulan sneak attack against the Klingons.^[5] Nimble Giant Entertainment, an Argentine studio, handled the development of the game, while Paradox Interactive acted as its publisher.^[3] The Federation's gameplay emphasizes exploration and diplomacy, the Klingons focus on combat, the Cardassians specialize in espionage, and the Romulans rely on stealth; each faction possesses a distinct mission tree and unique capabilities.^[2]

Players can alter their vessels by using a ship designer that works from foundational designs taken from the Star Trek franchise.^[6] Political events and planets from The Next Generation appear in the game, for instance, the option for major powers to back Bajoran independence from the Cardassian Union.^[2]

What the cited sources add

Roth also noted that each faction has canonical and counter-canonical branches on the mission tree, encouraging players to lean into their character.^[5] Adderson also wrote that the mixture of lore-accurate starting points with branching decisions is what he was looking for in a Star Trek grand strategy game.^[7] Adderson noted that the game's endgame events include the Borg.^[7] According to a Polygon article by Roth, individuals who have played Stellaris will quickly identify a lot of the interface and core gameplay in Infinite, including the keyboard shortcuts.^[5]

Polygon noted that combat was the most "underwhelming" aspect of the game, yet described the pre-release version as "already promising" and anticipated it would become more complex given Paradox's pattern of long-term support.^[5][8] Roth of Polygon reported that Paradox brought in the people who made the popular Star Trek: New Civilisations mod to test Infinite and offer feedback.^[5]