Star Wars Characters Who Deserve Their Own Spin-Off Game

A few months ago, we asked readers a simple question: What Star Wars character deserves their own game? Obvious picks like Boba Fett and a wide variety of Darths dominated the list, as well as a surprising swell of interest in R2-D2. Since then, Star Wars has remained on the forefront of our minds thanks to the upcoming release of Star Wars Battlefront and, of course, Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens. Players get to take on the roles of iconic characters from the universe such as Han Solo and Emperor Palpatine in Battlefront, but we're expanding the scope. What Star Wars characters would we like to see star in their own games? We've compiled some of our favorites, as well as some ideas on what kinds of experiences they'd be well-suited for. 

There are plenty of actual Star Wars games on the horizon, including Battlefront and the upcoming Disney Infinity 3.0 playset based on The Force Awakens. And although Visceral isn’t providing any details, the studio is working on another game based within the universe. Our own Andrew Reiner seems to think it’s a Han Solo game, which is certainly something that fans have been asking for. In the meantime, here are some ideas we've had, including a few that fans have probably not been asking for.

IG-88
Bounty hunters have a special place in the Star Wars universe. When Darth Vader absolutely, positively had to track someone down, he didn't leave it to his Stormtrooper stooges – he sought out the professionals. Boba Fett is a fan favorite, which is a distinction that, let's be honest for a second, he never earned. After all, Fett was slam-dunked into an inverted worm in a moment of ill-advised slapstick. That's not exactly the aspirational role we want to play, disintegrations or not. 

Instead, it would be fun to see the world of Star Wars through the eye array of Fett's fellow bounty hunter, IG-88. The droid never got much screen time, which actually works to his benefit. Players could learn about the droid's past through gameplay as they work to collect a series of high-paying bounties. Succeed, and you could upgrade your mechanical husk with new sensors and weapons. Fail, and you could always restore your consciousness in one of his replacement bodies. 

Jabba The Hutt
Though it's no longer considered canonical (RIP, expanded universe), the story compilation Tales from Jabba's Palace was a fun read that provided some insight to the inner workings of the notorious gangster Jabba the Hutt's home base. His palace was like an even cooler version of Tatooine's bustling cantina. After all, the place had (at one time, at least) a freaking rancor in the basement. 

Playing as Jabba himself might not be an interesting proposition – GTA IV proved that getting virtual lap dances is pretty much the grossest thing – but he'd make for an interesting central character in a gaming anthology. With its game The Walking Dead: 400 Days Telltale Games did a great job telling several short stories set in The Walking Dead's universe, and we'd love to play a Star Wars twist on the concept. What's a day in the life like for that awful torture droid? Is Salacious Crumb a cool little guy underneath it all? And seriously, what is up with Max Rebo? All these questions and more could be answered in a game that focuses on several minor players.

Uncle Owen
Uncle Owen wasn’t always a smoldering pile of bones. No, before the Stormtroopers paid him a visit, he was a blue-milk-quaffing moisture farmer. What’s that all about? Thanks to Moisture Farm Simulator, now you can learn all about the trade and perhaps gain some insight as to why Luke was so eager to get out of town.

You’ll have to fend off attacks from Tusken Raiders, maintain your equipment and trade with less-than-reputable Jawa peddlers as you work to harvest… moisture. It might not be the most riveting gameplay experience of all time, but people have been known to get into some weird stuff. 

Mouse Droid
People really liked the idea of putting R2-D2 in a puzzle game in our original reader discussion, and it's a great idea. R2's peppy personality (programming?) and simple color scheme lends itself to something in the genre. He's also proven that he's an adept hacker of sorts, too, opening doors and accessing schematics that he probably has no business messing with.  Rather than simply parrot back what you guys already said, we’re rolling in a slightly different direction. 

Chewie delighted in abusing the poor things, but we've always had a soft spot for the humble Mouse Droid. They're small, cute, and they have a profile that's easy to read at a glance – perfect for a puzzle game on mobile devices. Perhaps players have to maneuver the tiny bots through corridors and tunnels throughout the Death Star, pressing buttons while avoiding the very real danger of getting trampled upon. Microtransactions are standard fare for the genre these days, but we hope they wouldn't be too obnoxious. There's no reason for the publisher to get Greedo. 

So sorry.

2-1B In Bacta The Future
OK, maybe we're not sorry at all. News editor Mike Futter proposed this one, and we're giving him full credit/blame. It's entirely possible that he started with a title pun and reverse-engineered the character and game from it, but you know what? It's kind of brilliantly stupid.

Medical droid 2-1B might not be a household name; you might recognize him as the droid from The Empire Strikes Back who watched over diaper Luke as he floated around a giant test tube of healing fluid. It would be great to learn about Star Wars-era medicine while playing as 2-1B. Imagine playing a Surgeon Simulator-type game, where you perform tasks like attaching robotic hands to various members of the Skywalker clan, stitching Tauntauns back together, and expressing surprise when humans give birth to multiple children.