15 Best 4X Strategy Games of All Time

[Martok]

https://culturedvultures.com/best-4x-strategy-games/


It's certainly an interesting list, whatever else one might say about it.

My initial take: A couple games I feel are ranked way too high (you're never going to convince me that SotS and Sins: Rebellion deserve to be in the top 5), and there's a number I'm not sure belong on the list at all (especially Civ6 -- I just don't understand the love for that one). On the other hand, it's nice to see some lesser-known titles get some recognition, such as Polaris Sector, Stars in Shadow, and Gladius.

[Tragic]

some odd choices in my opinion... but in general this is a good list of games.. Warlock top 5? Sins and Solar in top 3? I dunno about that... but they probably should all be on the list somewhere.

Planetfall shouldn't be on it though.. like at all. How could you put Planetfall on? Replace that with AoW 2 or 3.

Also, this is clearly made by some kid, they put Moo on it as they have heard of it but fail to list any of the other mass classic 4x games that basically defined the genre that should be included on a top of all time. GalCiv2 should be higher for example. Also one of the Space Empires should absolutely be there and any 4x list with out Distant Worlds is just wtf.

[WollieG]

Stellaris should not even be on the list. Cannot believe Endless Space 2 is below Stellaris. Where is Stardrive 1?
Stellaris, what a joke. Even Sword of the Stars 2 with all its bugs and querks is better than Stellaris.
What about Distant World Universe, also way way way better than Stellaris and not on the list.
Clearly that person who made the list have no idea what they are talking about if they put Stellaris above a lot of others.

[Emperator Orionii]

There is no MoO 2 and in the text the author doesn't know the difference between MoO 1 and MoO:CtS.

[Tragic]

Originally posted by WollieG:

Stellaris should not even be on the list. Cannot believe Endless Space 2 is below Stellaris. Where is Stardrive 1?
Stellaris, what a joke. Even Sword of the Stars 2 with all its bugs and querks is better than Stellaris.
What about Distant World Universe, also way way way better than Stellaris and not on the list.
Clearly that person who made the list have no idea what they are talking about if they put Stellaris above a lot of others.

: P Stellaris is better than all the games you mentioned imo : P just saying !!

[I'm Spartacus]

Originally posted by Tragic:

some odd choices in my opinion... but in general this is a good list of games.. Warlock top 5? Sins and Solar in top 3? I dunno about that... but they probably should all be on the list somewhere.

GalCiv2 should be higher for example. Also one of the Space Empires should absolutely be there and any 4x list with out Distant Worlds is just wtf.

GalCiv2 isn't even on the list Tragic - it's Gal Civ 3 - though I agree with you on Gal Civ 2 an all time favorite of mine

[Tragic]

wtf?!!! I just read it as GalCiv2... rofl

[Gregorovitch]

Originally posted by Tragic:

GalCiv2 should be higher for example........... and any 4x list with out Distant Worlds is just wtf.

Agreed. Only explanation I can offer is that the compiler of this list hasn't played them therefore doesn't know. Which would mean the list says more about the state of game journalism than it does a bout 4X games.

[WollieG]

Originally posted by Tragic:

Originally posted by WollieG:

Stellaris should not even be on the list. Cannot believe Endless Space 2 is below Stellaris. Where is Stardrive 1?
Stellaris, what a joke. Even Sword of the Stars 2 with all its bugs and querks is better than Stellaris.
What about Distant World Universe, also way way way better than Stellaris and not on the list.
Clearly that person who made the list have no idea what they are talking about if they put Stellaris above a lot of others.

: P Stellaris is better than all the games you mentioned imo : P just saying !!

That is your opinion and not a good one as well. Not its not better. Its a crap game. There i said it. lol

[Bou]

This is not ranked in the order of best to worst guys, read again. Sins is not a 4x as far as I'm concerned. SOTS and Polaris Sector are not top 15 IMHO. I think Distant Worlds was flawed in many ways, thumbed it down, but there are many unique things that make the game at least top 10.

[Tragic]

I agree dw is flawed but it is still a mile stone in the gener

[ashbery76]

It's all opinion but SOTS is a deffo in my top 15.Solid design,asymmetrical factions,best tect tree in 4x and a better A.I that most of that list.Nice to see SIS on it too which in my view is a better 2020 game than the Moo's

The list shows the writer plays actually plays these games unlike some others in which I doubt do.

[Bou]

Originally posted by ashbery76:

Nice to see SIS on it too which in my view is a better 2020 game than the Moo's

+1

Originally posted by Tragic:

I agree dw is flawed but it is still a mile stone in the gener

+1

[tfoster]

I also am glad that Stars in Shadow got some well-deserved recognition. It is a beautiful, fascinating game.

I think that MOO1 may be the best game ever designed. I regularly played it until Remnants of the Precursors later alphas came along. I can't wait until Remnants is feature complete.

Civ 4 should be on the list. Civ5 was a high production value game with a completely brain-dead AI. The AI in Civ5 is almost Ascendancy level bad.

I played Civ6 so little I am not qualified to berate it other than to state that it interested me so little that I put it down and never went back.

What can I say about Stellaris. if you look, you will see that I have played it obsessively, but it has major flaws with features the AI cannot effectively use, features that don't presently work well, or even at all. I think it has great story-telling value, and it clearly is addictive to me. i really wish it were a better actual game.

[Martok]

One thing I noticed with this guy's list is that quite a few of these games focus on the war/combat aspects (Sins, Gladius, SotS, Polaris Sector, etc.). So I'd say that's at least partially driving his choices.

[Blue Boogers]

It's a traffic grabby heading that's all, if he just titled it "15 games I played and liked" it would be fine.

Any one of these games is a pretty big time sink.