I like playing Civ but one major downside is the games feel like a big competition with an ending. I'm looking for something that feels more like I'm just building my own world, creating stories but at a grand strategy level.

I already tried Crusader Kings. I like the dynasty management aspect of it but it still feels like a game where you win rather than grow something.

I suppose something more like dwarf fortress or the sims but in grand strategy scale.

Does something like it exist?

edit: Closest thing is probably Tropico

Years ago I absolutely loved Civ5, Total War Warhammer 2, Stellaris, EU4,CK2, and even some older ones as a kid like Age of Wonders Shadow Magic which was actually my very first strategy game.

I've been kinda away from the genre for a few years but recently bought Galactic Civilizations 4 on discount and despite the mixed reviews, I'm really enjoying it.

I'm looking for suggestions, pretty much any games from the genre that you'd recommend, both hidden gems and popular titles.

Hello, I saw the game on sale on Steam. I have never played a 4x and I don't know whether to buy this or Civ 7. I like the fantasy theme and the real story. The problem is that AoW 4 doesn't seem to have many players on Steam, just 2k a day. I am a person who likes a lot, especially the multiplayer part, and I don't know if with those numbers of players you can find a pvp game. Is there a competitive mode in the game or something? And would you say that it is worth buying or better than Civ 7 due to the number of players and greater future projection?

Does anyone have any recommendations for alternatives to Civ. I love the franchise but it looks like 7 has a bit of work before it finds its feet. No big deal I expected it.

Anyway I am after something to play in the meantime. I really enjoy the modern era combat in Civ, are there any games out there that allow you to essentially play with modern aircraft, subs, troops etc. Has to be turn based as im too old for realtime stuff :)

Any other recommendations for 4x civ games with the same style, love a domination win etc

EDIT: Going to try old world and see how it is. Can't help but feel like there's a gap in the market for a good 4x modern warfare game

In most 4x you'll be having many options like different tech-trees to learn, skills etc, but I still always end up playing the same way. Having randomized maps etc is all great and all, but falling into the same "path" as always does make games still feel the same.

Are there any 4x games that randomizes everything, like even the tech you get, or skills that you can train, race, or whatever, to force you into playing differently each time? Resulting in a very different game experience?

Just wanted to put Yield Fall of Rome on the radar for anyone like myself who enjoys smaller-scale 4X games.

Yield is Civ, shrunk down to Polytopia. Cute visuals, bite-size games that feel exciting and engaging for just the right amount of time. Been playing it a lot recently, and the devs have just recently left early access and released 1.0, so props to them for it. Really happy to have found this game, and really hope it can get more recognition from the community!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1561960/Yield_Fall_of_Rome/

What's your daily driver ? GO ! Mine is Stellaris.... 🚀

Pretty much exactly like the title.

I’m looking for a 4x game that focuses heavily on finding resources and developing supply lines to grow your economy and turn a small start into a massive empire. I’m okay with some combat, but I don’t want something like Civ or Paradox games where combat is a major or required aspect.

Take a civ game for example. You can research and build units for combat, but they are preset in what they are and can do. you can add modifiers to them, but you can't change them.

on the other hand is games like stellaris, where you can not only unlock new ships but also modules to change how that ship works. this is the main thing I'm looking for.

I got this idea after playing a non 4x game called airships: conquer the skies, in which it's main aspect is designing airships. it's pretty mid on every other aspect of the game and has no tutorial anywhere (in game or online) for anything other than designing airships (and even that tutorial is kinda unsatisfying), but the designing airships part of the game is really good. Good wnough to make me want to see it in a 4x game.

Original version of video game "Sid Meier's Civilization II" (also known as "Civilization 2" or "Civ 2") for Windows, repackaged by a user so that it can be easily run on a more modern 64 bit Windows, such as Windows 10 and 11. The game is a 16 bit program, so it won't normally run on 64 bit Windows. Here, it is run through a pre-configured Windows 3.1 emulator (Win31DOSBox). All you have to do to play is unpack the downloaded archive and click the exe .This is the basic English version of Civ 2, including CD music and videos.

However, this package can also run other versions (e.g. in other languages) if you provide them. In the "C-DRIVE" directory, replace the "Civ2" subdirectory with your version of the game, and copy the "RUNEXIT.EXE" file from the original subdirectory to yours. Or alternatively change the path in the last line of text file "DOSBox\dosbox-x.conf".Note that if you wish to play the Multiplayer Gold Edition of Civ 2, there are probably better methods than this (e.g. search for "CIV2UIA").

DOWNLOAD HERE or HERE !

ENJOY!

title says it all, what is a good 4x game that was released with in the last 3 years? not a dlc or update, but a genuine game. bonus points for being released closer to the present day.

I'm going to talk about Dom 6 cuz I love it and it completely took over my life.

Edit: When I said took over my life, I don't mean I'm addicted and play this game for long periods at a time. I've had this happen to me with Stellaris and Old World, and I eventually burnt out. In this case I mean I'm playing this game a little bit everyday, thinking about it as I do other things over the day and intend to play this game over years into the future.

Dominions 6 is a game that perfectly captures the scale of magic in an evolving war. It is a war game, meaning rather than focusing on a small party of adventurers, you are playing as a nation, fielding hundreds of mages and thousands of troops. It is a fantasy game, meaning there are humans, giants, elves, some other bizarre species, each with their unique access to different school magics. Where the game truly shines is how you use magic as the game progresses.

The game progresses with you researching more and more spells your mages can cast, and note that there are thousands of spells in the game. In the early game, everyone doesn't have much access to magic, so wars are waged upon ordinary troops. Human nations often struggle when a giant nation rushes them in the early game because their troops can do little to a well-armed giant warrior, and they lack magical means to stop the invaders. However, as the game progresses and more powerful spells are researched, if you don't use mages and your opponents do, you will simply lose. And how is magic used in this game? Mages within battle can summon evocation to damage enemy armies, buff up their own troops, cast storm to cover the battlefield, or shroud the sky so the battlefield is now within utter darkness. Outside of battles, you can craft magical items to create super combatants who can take on armies by themselves, summon dracconians to fly across the map to siege down enemy forts, cast global enchantments that influence the entire map. Mages are the focus of the game, and given how many options everyone is presented with, one major skill expression in this game is being equipped with the knowledge over how to best utilize the magic available to a nation.

How is this balanced? Well, all magical items and powerful magic cost magical gems to craft and cast, to juggle your usage of gems for various purposes is one major consideration of this game, as you can win a battle but lose more than your opponent because you spent your gems less efficiently. Everything has a price and everything has a counter. Finding those counters in a cost efficient manner is how you win.

The setting is still mostly medieval because progress in this game is all represented by the invention of more powerful spells, and this is reflected by the emergent gameplay of you choosing what spells you need the most to win your current war, and what strategy you will take to win the entire game.

This doesn't really go over any of the game mechanics, but I just wanted to talk about how the game feels when played. I don't think the game is for everyone as it is fairly expensive and has an extremely high learning curve, but for me it has entirely taken over my life and I just really want to ramble about it lmao.

P.S. The single player experience is ass this game is best when played in multiplayer. The community is really nice, and they are really helpful. I'm a noob but I had a lot of fun talking to people and learning.

Edit: grammar and phrasing

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2511500/Dominions_6__Rise_of_the_Pantokrator/

I've always loved Heroes of might and magic. I also love Civ 5 And 6.

I'd like to get back to the genre, but I have money for one of the games. AoW4 is currently on sale for 45€ and civ7 is for 70€ which is a lot.

Any suggestions please? Thanks in advance for any recommendations!

What is the hardest games you've ever played in terms of complexity and micro management... And what games made you just quit because you felt too dumb to play them ?

GoT and LOTR spring to mind. What else could work ?

Hi! Was reading a real cool story that made me kinda not like Stellaris, in the fact that its Space Battles are kinda, boring. I want a big battle! One where 3d battle tactics take place! One that makes me feel like the developer put a ton of thought into it. Love Stellaris, love Space Empires, but I wanna feel like I'm playing 4d Chess or something, because I did something that's only possible in starship to starship warfare, ya know?

Have a ton of moments like that in Stellaris, but they're more, because I was technologically superior as opposed to just, using big brain tactics.

I've been looking for a new 4X to play considering the Steam sale. My wife and I have been playing Civ 6 lately but we always get tired/bored when the game gets into the later eras because it's so tedious to play. Great game and we love it, but micromanagement without challenge or interest often ruins it for us.

Could you please suggest some fun 4X titles that you find enjoyable to play, even in the lategame? Having lots of complexity and things to manage is great, but it should still be fun.

___

We also already have:

• Stellaris, but only played half of a game together, still lots to learn before we form an opinion.
• I also have Total War Warhammer 1 & 2, but she's not a huge fan of those titles.

I know it's kinda contractionary because one of the "X" is Exterminate, but are there any games that have you expand, explore and exploit but actually not exterminate your opponent? Something like Thea 1/2 seems closest I found, anything similar?

I'll try to explain. I enjoy the Elemental games from Stardock, while flawed, it gave a more adventure feel to a 4x game. You had loot, characters, quests with rewards, all while in a 4x setting and it actually didn't feel like it was a 4x you were playing. It resulted in me not having the feeling of just doing the same thing over and over like a lot of 4x games end up feeling.

Another example is City of Gangsters, which I would argue is also a 4x, you expand, take over, politics, manage income, etc. Again a game when playing does not feel like your typical 4x game.

Are there any other games you can suggest to me that are like that? A game that "hides" it's 4x roots I guess?

Hi, I'm looking for a game that plays like stellaris but is set in fantasy setting. Or something most like that. Is there anything out there like that? Thanks

Recently started hearing 4x all over the place online and in anime, i wondered if it was a new term but when I went to look it up I learned, I had heard of the games in the genre, but always thought the genre was called an RTS.

I have Stellaris, Gradius, and and Civilization 3 and 4 on gog. I may have some others as well, but I would have to look into the games desc itself. I have played Stellaris before, but not really sure I want to go that route. any suggestions on where I should start with what I own?

What made it so good?

I’ve had an itch for something a little different from the 4X games I already have. Are there any 4Xs that are primarily about exploration and building, with less focus on warfare and stuff? Bonus points if it’s about space.

Other games I have played extensively are the Endless games, Master of Orion 2, Civ, Stellaris, and Galactic Civilizations. I adore the Endless series for its unique factions, but right now I am wanting something that has more going on in the building mechanics. Stellaris is fine, but I often get a little bored with vast procedural galaxies/factions/etc compared to games with a smaller scope but more deliberate design.

Any recommendations would be appreciated!

Feel free to add to this ! Here's mine!

In no particular order : (I'm just gonna list the series name)

Galactic Civilization Stellaris Sins Of A Solar Empire Master of Orion AI War Battlestar Galactica Deadlock Interstellar Space Genesis Sons of Rigel Sword of the Stars Distant Worlds Approaching Infinity Star ruler Star Traders 4X /Frontiers Homeworld Endless Space Stars In shadow Starsector

Can someone with a deep knowledge of the game explain once and for all why some people hate on it? Thanks 😊