Most 4X games seem clunky and complicated to me, which is what has always scared me away from them in the past. I liked the idea of playing a space sim, but I just never knew if I’d actually like the playing part. I was afraid it would feel more like studying alien civilizations and economy than playing a game. (Although to be fair, studying about alien civilizations would be awesome, and I would totally get a degree in that.)
But in my last post I mentioned Endless Space by Amplitude Studios, which is now available for Mac as well as PC. And it’s amazing. Its interface is very sleek and easy to use, and the game has pop-up hints that help you keep up to date on all the galactic goings-on. Empire-building is a blast and the graphics are gorgeous.
I highly recommend the game, which is why I’ve just posted a review of it over on World [3] Games, a cooperatively-run website devoted to all kinds of games, including tabletop and mobile games. You can read about Endless Space here. And if you’re anything like me and find 4X games intimidating, this might work well as a gateway into the genre. It seems to be one for me.
— Ashley
Robo♥beat 