Originally a series of novels, The Expanse is best known as a cult sci-fi TV show about an interplanetary conspiracy played out across the solar system. On top of numerous comics and a boardgame adaptation, its multimedia path is about to take yet another turn in the form of a videogame prequel published by the resurrected Telltale Games.

The original studio was behind some of the most popular gaming adaptations of all time, including Game Of Thrones, Minecraft and Batman, and it arguably re-established adventure gaming as a viable genre. That is until one day in 2018 when the company suddenly collapsed, sending shockwaves through the industry. Its audacious business model of releasing titles episodically, often months apart, was unsustainable; many players would wait until all episodes had been released and buy the games at a discount. Ignominiously, its most anticipated release, The Walking Dead: The Final Season, had to be completed by a different studio.

But it seems that lessons have been learned. For The Expanse, Telltale promise to release each episode fortnightly. And, crucially, they’ve brought on board Deck Nine as co-developer. Responsible for Life Is Strange: True Colours (a winning combination of relatable characters, twisting narrative and gorgeous environments), Deck Nine should help Telltale to reach for the stars. 

The Expanse: A Telltale Series is released on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on Thursday 27 July.