A number of games have been published based on theDune universe created byFrank Herbert.
There have been six licensedDune-related video games released.
1992'sDune fromCryo Interactive/Virgin Interactive blends adventure with strategy.[7][8] Loosely following the story of the 1965Frank Herbert novelDune and using many visual elements from the 1984film of the same name byDavid Lynch, the game casts the player asPaul Atreides, with the ultimate goal of driving theHarkonnens from the planetDune and taking control of its valuable export, thespice.[7] Key to success is the management of spice mining, military forces, and ecology as the player amasses allies and skills.[7] One aspect of the game allows the player to terraform Arrakis from a desert into a fertile and green planet, at the cost ofsandworm habitat and reduced melange spice production.
Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty, later retitledDune II: Battle for Arrakis for the European release and theMega Drive/Genesis port, was released in December 1992 fromWestwood Studios/Virgin Interactive.[9][10] Often considered to be the first "mainstream modernreal-time strategy game",Dune II established many conventions of the genre.[9] Only loosely connected to the plot of the novels or films, the game pits three interplanetary houses — theAtreides, theHarkonnens, and theOrdos — against each other for control of the planetArrakis and its valuable spice, all while fending off the destructive natural forces of the harshdesert planet itself.[9]
Dune 2000, a 1998remake ofDune II fromIntelligent Games/Westwood Studios/Virgin Interactive, added improved graphics andlive-actioncutscenes.[11] Though gameplay is similar to its predecessor,Dune 2000 features an enhanced storyline and functionality.[11]
Emperor: Battle for Dune (Intelligent Games/Westwood Studios/Electronic Arts) was released on June 12, 2001.[12] A sequel toDune 2000, the real-time strategy game features3D graphics and live-action cutscenes, and casts players as Atreides, Harkonnens, or Ordos.[12][13]
Released in 2001 byCryo Interactive/DreamCatcher Interactive,Frank Herbert's Dune is a 3D video game based on the 2000Sci Fi Channelminiseries of the same name.[14] As Paul Muad'Dib Atreides, the player must become leader of theFremen, seize control of Dune, and defeat the evilBaron Harkonnen.[14] The game was not a commercial or critical success, and Cryo subsequently filed for bankruptcy in July 2002.[15]
In 2001,Cryonetworks disclosed information aboutDune Generations, an online, 3D real-time strategy game set in theDune universe.[16][17] An official website for the upcoming game featured concept images, a brief background story and description of the persistent gameworld, and a list of frequently asked questions.[18] The game would be constructed using Cryo's own online multimedia development frameworkSCOL.[19]
Within "the infrastructure of a permanent and massive multiplayer world that exists online",Dune Generations would let players assume control of a dynasty in theDune universe, with the goal of first mastering the natural resources of their own homeworlds and ultimately rising in power and influence through conflicts and alliances with other player dynasties.[17][20] Each of the three available dynasty types - traders, soldiers, or mercenaries - would provide a different playing experience, all with the long-term goal of gaining control of Arrakis and its valuable spice.[17][20]
A preview videotrailer was released in November 2001.[21] The game was still in thealpha testing stage in February 2002,[22] and the project was ultimately halted after Cryo filed for bankruptcy in July.[15]
Dune: Ornithopter Assault was developed by Hungarian studio Soft Brigade 2 for theGame Boy Advance, but was cancelled in 2002. The game was to be a 3D air-to-ground shooter featuring 20 missions, five modes, and multiplayerLink Cable connectivity. Without the license, the game was eventually released asElland: The Crystal Wars on PC.[23]
Dune: Spice Wars was released onSteam inEarly Access by French development studioShiro Games on April 26, 2022, before being fully released on September 14, 2023.[24] The game is inspired byDune andDune 2[clarification needed] with a strong influence from the books rather than the films. It is areal-time strategy game with4X elements.[25][better source needed]
Dune: Awakening is anopen world action survivalmassively multiplayer online game set on the planet Arrakis. It was announced by its publisher and developerFuncom on Gamescom Opening Night Live 2022;[26][27] The first trailer was released on August 23, 2022.[28] It was released on June 10, 2025, on Steam and PC Xbox/Windows Store. Players who pre-order the Deluxe or Ultimate Edition gained early access starting June 5, 2025. Ports forPlayStation 5 andXbox Series X/S will release in 2026.[29]
There have also been manyDune-basedMUDs (multi-user dimension) andbrowser-based online games, created and run by fans.
Dune MUD is an unlicensed, online multiplayer game, aMUD active since 1992.[30][31][32][33]
DuneMUSH was an unlicensed, online multiplayer game, aMUSH active in the early 1990s.[34][35]
Dune II was an unlicensed, online multiplayer MUSH active in the early 1990s.[36][37]
Behind the Dune is a pornographic, unlicensed, onlineflash single player game first released in 2016. The game is based onDune (1992) by Cryo Interactive.[38]
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