UltraCorps is a turn-based massively multiplayer online game of space exploration and combat. Starting with a single planet, you can expand your empire to dozens and even hundreds of worlds. But hundreds of other players are building their empires, too. The universe is so big that you'll never meet most of them except in the game forums . . . but you still compete against them for number of worlds conquered, total power of your fleets, and so on.

Because UltraCorps is a browser-based game, all you need is a net connection and any standard browser. You log in at your own convenience, review your empire, check out your neighbors, read your game mail, and enter your commands. At a specified time (typically, once a day) the turn runs, and the next time you log in, you'll see your results. If you think you'll have to miss a turn, you can enter long-term commands for building and movement.

The game rewards planning, tactical skill, and negotiation. There is no "twitch" element. There are random factors in combat, so that a small battle can be decided by fortune . . . but a large one will almost always come out according to the odds.

UltraCorps was created by VR1 around 1997 (the details are lost in the mists of history). It was featured, for a time, on the Microsoft Zone. After it was dropped by the Zone, VR1 employees kept a game running on their company server, for free, in hope of rekindling interest.

During this period, Steve Jackson discovered the game, spent a LOT of time playing it, and made an offer to buy it. The initial discussions came to nothing, but in 2004, he tried again, and this time was able to complete an agreement with Jaleco (which now owned the assets of VR1). As of October 2004, UltraCorps is a Steve Jackson Games project.