It was praised[1][2][3][4] for its innovative and tightly organized rules for such sci-fi RPG concerns as generating planets, applying character skills to in-game situations, and resolving the initial moments of alien encounters; however, it was also criticized for its cumbersome encounter/combat system and its lack of compelling background material.

Universe co-developer Gerry Klug[6][7][8] (who was an experienced Traveller referee) set out "to 'fix' all the ill written and illogical rules [he] felt had been perpetrated on the science fiction role-playing community".

The Federation has exclusive control of spaceports as well as substantial law enforcement and military power, but refrains from intervening in planetary matters unless there is piracy, violent insurrection, or heinous exploitation of nascent colonies.

These powers, enabled by a rarely occurring combination of genes that were scientifically "awakened" in the 21st century, make psions indispensable to interstellar travel.

Character generation in Universe is a semi-random process of rolling dice, consulting a succession of tables, and making decisions based on the results.

The player then chooses which Fields of Study the character pursues in his adolescence, such as Theoretical or Applied Science, Business, the Humanities, "The Body", Military, etc.

These include several military, scientific and technician professions, as well Diplomat, Interstellar Explorer or Trader, or Civil Inspector (a Federal auditor tasked with preventing private exploitation of developing colonies).

Also available are such colorful professions as Space Pirate, Spy, Zero-G Miner, and Thinker (i.e. "member of the exclusive psionic community").

Unlike its influential predecessor Traveller, in Universe career advancement is not an iterative process; the length of service and the final Benefit Level are both given by a one-time die roll/table lookup.

Environmental survival skills were notable for being arranged on a grid/table with an automatic decrease for less familiar environments (allowing for a mountaineer with arctic training to be unfamiliar with a valley in a jungle).

This degree of specificity is in deliberate contrast to previous RPGs such as Traveller, whose vague Skill descriptions and GM-improvised situational die modifiers were (according to the Universe designers) a hardship for the Gamemaster (GM).

These levels of success/failure are not merely loose guidelines; rather, most skills include specific formulas or tables for converting the "Modified Chance vs die roll" difference into concrete effects.

Marine vehicles include a Flexi Craft, which uses "eel-like motion" to travel across the surface and the Reef Walker, which walks along the bottom of the sea on telescoping legs.

Air vehicles include the stereotypical turbine-powered flying car of the future; a 12 passenger, nuclear powered ornithopter; and low-altitude anti-grav flyers.

Still other, more "software point"-intensive systems enhance a robot's basic AI, some even allowing it to spontaneously offer high-level analyses and learn from experience (i.e. earn EPs through skill use like a human character).

Also, the further away the target star system, the greater the probability of a potentially catastrophic misjump - especially if the psion is not highly skilled in hyperjump navigation.

A given hull type has a specific pod capacity and distinct characteristics regarding performance and combat (i.e. a particular mix of fission-drive engine, armor, force field and basic weapons).

This step also details the placement of resources, from Arable Land and Edible Game to Exotic Spices, Copper and Germanium.

A significant portion of the rule book concerns guiding the GM in generating Random encounters with non-player characters (NPCs) or alien creatures.

Many calculations and references are required both before and during combat; the sheer number of which compelled even an otherwise enthusiastic reviewer to deem the encounter rules "dense, slow, and... just about useless".

Many factors go into these calculations; the natural surroundings and local population density, the Aggression rating of the resulting creature or NPC, the Terrain Value (a measure of the availability of cover), the visibility of the player character's (PC's) weapons, etc.

These die rolls and table references eventually result in the exact placement of all involved entities on the Tactical Display combat hexmap as well as the disposition of the NPCs/Creature.

This process could result in anything from, for example, the PCs catching sight of a herd of herbivores grazing obliviously 200m away to, say, a camouflaged alien creature reaching out from a crevice to ensnare an unsuspecting PC.

Or, in a city or spaceport, it could mean being accosted by suspicious Federal authorities or approached by a patron (or perhaps a very convincing con man).

(These randomly generated Accidents serve to add suspense to the game and also afford players the chance to increase their character's levels in skill such as Driving and Tech Repair).

Such concerns are completely subordinated to the goal of presenting a varied array of fantastic lifeforms as one-off monsters or research subjects.

Universe was proposed as "the ultimate science-fiction role-playing game [which] will do for the stars and the future what our acclaimed DragonQuest has done for the worlds of fantasy".

The final column appeared in the July 1984 issue of Dragon as TSR ended production of Universe in favor of their own science-fiction role-playing game, Star Frontiers.

Costikyan found various aspects of the game good, but disliked the touted world generation system, calling it "unrealistic, unsatisfying, time-consuming, and overly random."

[2] In the November 1981 issue of Dragon (before TSR's takeover of SPI), Jeff Swycaffer admired the four-color star map, calling it "striking."