Best 4X Games
STELLARIS
RELEASED May 9, 2016 | DEVELOPER Paradox | PUBLISHER In-house
After seven years, several expansions, and dozens of patches, Paradox’s space 4X has aged like a fine alien wine. With a mind-boggling array of options to create anything from a profit-hungry megachurch of zealous interstellar geckos to a Terminator-style rogue AI, almost any sci fi trope you can imagine is at your fingertips. And various systems reworks and improvements mean there’s never been a better time to spin up your drives.
What really sets Stellaris apart from other space 4X games is the depth of its society simulation, a staple of Paradox games. There is more abstraction going on here than some of the studio’s other projects, but the fact that I can see what is causing so much crime on my forge worlds or be pressured to change my stance on planetary bombardment by a disgruntled political faction helps the galaxy come alive.
ENDLESS LEGEND
RELEASED Sep 18, 2014 | DEVELOPER Amplitude Studios | PUBLISHER Sega, Iceberg Interactive
is one of the most memorable fantasy 4Xs ever, mainly because of its rich world lore and creative faction design. You want to play peaceful traders
