In the game, the player controls a feudal lord of a noble house amongst the ruins of a galactic empire.

The player must battle other noble houses and rally enough support to be crowned Emperor of the galaxy.

[citation needed] Next Generation rated it four stars out of five, and stated that "With everything from basic combat to diplomatic backstabbing, Emperor of the Fading Suns has a depth of play that is worthy of a classic strategy game.

[9] After the end-of-support by the developer, the fan-community took over the support by creating player-made unofficial patches for the game.

For example, the "Hyperion patch" makes it possible for the Symbiots to build additional organic spaceships, so they are not stranded on their home planet if their initial fleet is destroyed.