In Space Empires, the player assumes the role of the single leader of a race of intelligent beings that has recently acquired the technology required to build large fully space-based ships for interplanetary and interstellar travel. Starting out with only a few possible hull sizes for their ships, on which they can place any number of components to essentially create a unique ship, the player can research new hull sizes and components to use with them, eventually being able to build ships ten times the size of his original hull size. The components available to the player can vary greatly, from ship bridges, long-range scanners and shield generators to emergency supply components that, when used, will be destroyed but will allow a ship to continue moving for a longer time, and of course, weapons of various kinds, boarding parties, cloaking devices right up to Dyson sphereconstruction material and star-destroying devices. The player can meet extraterrestrial races and conduct diplomacy with them. Treaties can be signed between two empires, varying from the basic trade agreement to full-blown partnerships and even protectorates. The player can also conduct intelligence operations, from simple information gathering missions, to ship bombs, to inciting rebellion on a planet. Interstellar travel in Space Empires is not faster-than-light drive based, but instead relies on anomalies called "warp points", essentially wormholes between two star systems. Warp points are naturally occurring but a player can open and close these warp points if she or he has the appropriate technologies.
In 2006, Strategy First, prior to publishing Space Empires V, acquired Malfador Machinations and the Space Empires intellectual property. After nothing happened for some time after Space Empires V, Hall wished to do another game and attempted to re-acquire the rights to his former franchise, but faced a steep buyback price of almost half a million. Strategy First still owns the Space Empires IP and has not developed another PC game. Strategy First released an RPG board game based on the digital model of the Space Empires game, utilizing sprites and mechanics from Space Empires IV.
