Summary
Grandstrategy gameswith 4X elements are great fun, as they not only give players several different ways to destroy their enemies, but also force them to think about their strategies at every turn. Most games in this genre can be played on almost any platform,including an iPhone 16, opening the door for many players around the world.
Some4X strategy games give players a lot of freedom, whereas others tend to be more linear. At the same time, some titles in this genre are easy to learn, whereas others require a deep time investment on players’ side. Here are some of thebest 4X strategy games with the steepest learning curves.
7Victoria: An Empire Under The Sun
Political And Economic Control Are Key
As opposed to other titles from Paradox Games,Victoria: An Empire Under the Sunfocuses on internal management and industrialization, as well as the political and social aspects of a country. Economy also plays a key role in how the game develops.
While it received mixed reviews, it’s undeniable that it’s a great game that requires tons of attention and has a steep learning curve. This title kickstarted an entire franchise in its name, includingVictoria 3and its great economic systemsthat players can explore.
Eador: Masters of the Broken Worldis an outstanding title that mixes 4X and RPG elements, as well as turn-based tactics. The world is divided into different shards that players must reunite as part of the narrative. To unite them, players must conquer each shard and select a hero to lead their army.
The story has often been described as non-linear, set in an original fantasy world that feels alive at every turn. Visually,Eador. Masters of the Broken Worldalso has a lot to offer. All in all, this title is one of thebest strategy games with a focus on combat.
With real-time strategy and 4X elements,Sins of a Solar Empireis an outstanding game which allows players to control a space empire in the distant future. Some of the tasks players will have to undertake are conquering star systems by using military, economic, and diplomatic means to expand their empire and dominion over the Galaxy.
Players can choose between three different races: the Industrial TEC, the Psychic Advent, and the alien Vasari. Those looking to decimate their enemies and become the most powerful force in the galaxy should check out some of thebest real-time combat tips forSins of a Solar Empireout there.
As opposed to other games in its genre that feature real-time combat tactics,Dominions 2: The Ascension Warsoffers 4X elements and turn-based strategy. As the sequel toDominions: Priests, Prophets and Pretendersand the predecessor toDominions 3: The Awakening, this title improved upon many of the elements that its predecessor had to offer.
InDominions 2: The Ascension Wars, players can take on the role of a god of one of the 17 different nations that are in constant war with each other for dominance and power.
InStellaris, players will get the chance to take control of an interstellar civilization in the galaxy, and they’ll be tasked with colonizing, exploring, and managing the resources of the region. Like other games in its genre, players can either choose to take on their tasks through warfare, trade or diplomacy, which opens up a full world of possibilities.
Stellarisfeatures real-time strategy and 4X grand strategy elements, which are greatly complemented by procedurally generated maps in a galaxy that holds many secrets to uncover and enemies to defeat. The game has a big modding community, so players interested in this should check out the15 best mods forStellaris.
With real-time strategy, 4X, and tower defense elements,AI War: Fleet Commandis a great title for lovers of this genre. The main objective of the game is to destroy the planets of opponents. One of the greatest aspects of this title is that it pits human players against AI opponents that, at first, have vastly superior fleets, adding to the challenge of the experience.
AI War: Fleet Commandis divided into three different stages which are opening, middlegame and endgame, each one with different player and AI interactions and activities. This isn’t astrategy game that lets players avoid conflict, but even through warfare, the experience is great.
One of the greatest things aboutDistant Worldsis that it features up to 1400 star systems, 50,000 planets, and several moons and asteroids. As opposed to other games in its genre, this title has a vast scale and also allows for many automation systems that can make players’ job of managing their empire a lot easier.
Naturally, managing such a vast empire can be really challenging and there is a steep learning curve required in order to do it properly. However, once players get the hang of it, the universe is within reach.
