The 4X Zone

Strategy games about exploring, expanding, exploiting resources, and conquering rivals.

Latest Standouts

Recent releases that landed well, newest first, filtered to games with enough reviews to trust the score.

Three Kingdoms : Alias - A world where officers hide their names and abilities. Can you spot Zhuge Liang? A hardcore turn-based strategy simulation for true Three Kingdoms devotees.
SandTable War: Three Kingdoms - "SandTable War: Three Kingdoms" is a strategic simulation game set during the Three Kingdoms period. Here you can play as various factions from Three Kingdoms history to conquer cities and lands, unify the realm. With abundant historical officers and scenarios, come restore the Han Dynasty!
Elemental: Reforged - A 4X strategy game in a fantasy RPG world. Create your own sovereign hero, build a dynasty, design custom units, and wage turn-based war across a world that's different every time you play. Every unit is an individual with their own name, gear, and story.
Microcivilization - Incremental clicker strategy, where you expand, construct, research, fight, collect heroes and make choices between good and evil. Ascend through difficulty tiers by playing through challenge campaign going back and forth through history. Mammoths included.

On Sale Now

Discounted 25% or more right now, limited to well-reviewed games, steepest cuts first.

Sid Meier's Colonization (Classic) - The New World lies before you with all its peril, promise and infinite possibility. Your colonists anxiously follow you to shore. The treasures of an entire continent await you.
Stars in Shadow - Stars in Shadow is a turn-based 4X strategy game and a vivid tribute to the genre classics. Compete with alien factions to explore and colonize nearby starsystems, build fleets to defend against rivals, negotiate or conquer them. Win by unifying the galaxy, through diplomacy or force.
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Jan 19, 2017
78% 👍
of 836
Oriental Empires - Turn based 4X strategy game, recreating the civilizations of ancient China. Develop your land, build great cities, raise huge armies and fight epic battles, with hundreds of soldiers fighting right on the game map. Advance your technologies, culture and religion to create one of mankind’s biggest empires.
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Sep 14, 2017
80% 👍
of 3.0k
A Total War Saga: TROY - Inspired by The Iliad and brought to life through the award-winning strategy game series, A Total War Saga: TROY brings a blend of grand, turn-based empire management and spectacular real-time battles to the heart of the Trojan War.
Total War: ROME REMASTERED - Total War: ROME REMASTERED lets you relive the legacy that defined the award-winning strategy game series. Remastered to 4K with multiple improvements to visuals as well as refinements to gameplay, it’s time to revisit a true classic. Not everyone gets a second chance to conquer the Roman Empire.
ENDLESS Space™ 2 - ENDLESS Space™ 2 is a Strategic Space Opera, featuring the compelling “just one more turn” gameplay, set in the mysterious ENDLESS Universe™. As the leader of your civilization, will you impose your vision and build the greatest stellar empire?
Total War: MEDIEVAL II – Definitive Edition - Spanning the most turbulent era in Western history, your quest for territory and power takes you through Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and even onto the shores of the New World.
Star Dynasties - Take the reins of a feudal dynasty in a divided galaxy following the destruction of earth. Star Dynasties is a turn based, procedurally generated narrative of human drama and personal politics, mixed with a light empire management layer. Your choices. Your legacy.
Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic - Build a soviet republic from an impoverished country into a rich industrial superpower in a city builder with intricate production chains and a fully simulated global economy. Manage the lives of your citizens from education to work and party loyalty to criminal activity.
Old World - Old World is a revolutionary new historical strategy game where you lead your dynasty over generations of rule against rival kings and queens. Wage massive wars, manage your court, and build a dynasty — or watch your empire crumble to dust. What legacy will you leave behind?
Total War: WARHAMMER II - The forces of Lustria await your command. Choose your Legendary Lord, expand your armies, forge alliances in a strategic turn-based campaign, and unleash the might of your monstrous forces in fast-paced real-time battles.
Total War: WARHAMMER - The Old World is yours to command. Lead Legendary Lords in a combination of turn-based campaign and magically charged, strategic real-time battles, and decide the fate of your chosen race in a fight against Chaos.

Hidden Gems

Well-liked but under-played: strong scores, small review counts.

Master of Magic Classic - Master of Magic is a classic, one of the most popular strategy games of the 90s. It is a 4X fantasy strategy game that allows you to play as an extremely powerful wizard, leading your troops and overcoming your magical opponents.
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Feb 25, 2020
97% 👍
of 763
Emperor of the Fading Suns Enhanced - Command interstellar forces in this epic return of the 4X strategy classic. From planetary politics to galactic warfare, the stakes couldn’t be higher as you lead your Royal House through battles on land, sea, air, and the vast reaches of space.
Imperium Galactica - Imperium Galactica. The Universe is yours... if you can handle it. The fourth millennium. Mankind has colonised the galaxy. Created an Empire. Now, it is crumbling. The aliens are restless. The oppressed are building armies. And a strange invader is headed for the heart of the Empire.
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Jan 19, 2017
93% 👍
of 157
Lords of Magic: Special Edition - Urak, once peaceful, is now a land of darkness, chaos and death. The people yearn for a champion to drive away the forces of evil. That champion is you.
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Dec 3, 2015
92% 👍
of 554
Empire Deluxe Combined Edition - Empire Deluxe Combined Edition is the latest in the classic Empire Series of games, which has spanned almost five decades. Empire Deluxe is a game about taking cities. Starting with just one, the city enables a commander to produce units. These units in turn can directly attack or support the attack of more cities.
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Jun 1, 2018
92% 👍
of 178
Strategy · Indie · Classic · 4X · Retro
Nexus 5X - eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate, EXPRESS. All of the depth, diplomacy, conflict and conquest of a turn-based 4X epic but played in fast-paced 60-minute competitive sessions. Play Solo or Multiplayer for 2-8 players.
WitchHand - You're a witch, leading your coven into new, unfriendly lands. Use the cards you find to build and expand your civilization. Befriend the local covens or use their bones to fuel your spells. Gather your familiars, the witching hour is nigh.
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Feb 7, 2024
91% 👍
of 631
军团战棋Legion War - "Legion War" is a 4X strategy game in a fantasy setting. You can build and expand your territory, explore unknown lands, and search for mysterious treasure, cultivate your own heroes and troops while exterminating your opponent's, and challenge the god who rules the world behind the scenes.
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Jul 14, 2021
90% 👍
of 822
Master of Orion 1 - Forge an empire in a universe where population growth is stripping away planetary resources. Colonize unknown planets and trade with other races for their knowledge.
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Feb 25, 2016
90% 👍
of 453
Drox Operative - Drox Operative is a starship action RPG with warring alien races, fierce space battles, a dynamic, evolving galaxy, and co-op multiplayer for Windows and Mac.Eons ago the Drox ruled the galaxy through their mighty Operatives. These elite starship captains were trained to accomplish the impossible at whatever cost necessary.
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Feb 18, 2014
90% 👍
of 321

Top Rated

Defining examples of the genre, all rated 85%+ across 1,000+ reviews.

Sid Meier's Civilization® V - Create, discover, and download new player-created maps, scenarios, interfaces, and more!
Airships: Conquer the Skies - Construct mighty steampunk airships and fly them into battle, waging war and conquering the skies!
Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword - Sid Meier's Civilization IV®: Beyond the Sword is the second expansion pack for Civilization IV - the 2005 PC Game of the Year that has become a worldwide hit.
Master of Orion 2 - Forge an empire in a universe where population growth is stripping away planetary resources. Colonize unknown planets and trade with other races for their knowledge.
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Feb 25, 2016
96% 👍
of 1.7k
Kingdoms and Castles - Kingdoms and Castles is a city-building simulation game about growing a kingdom from a tiny hamlet to a sprawling city and imposing castle. Make trade agreements, alliance, and war with neighboring AI controlled kingdoms. Each villager and resource is individually simulated.
Songs of Syx - Songs of Syx is a fantasy city-builder with vast battles simulating thousands of citizens and soldiers. Start off as a small village and build, scheme, and fight your way towards a mighty empire. The mechanics are deep and true to life, where tiny events can spiral into the collapse of kingdoms. 
The Battle of Polytopia - Welcome to the unique, turn-based strategy game set in the strange, flat world of the Square. Lead one of 16 distinct civilizations to victory by expanding your empire, researching technologies, and ultimately become ruler of the world! Play in single-player or multiplayer mode for up to 16 players.
Dominions 5 - Warriors of the Faith - In Dominions 5 you take control of a powerful being that rules a nation and aspires to godhood. The type of Pretender Gods can vary from magically powerful arch mages to huge titans or large monuments. Dominions is a deep 4x turn based strategy game with a very large variety of spells and units.
Sins of a Solar Empire®: Rebellion - Command a space-faring empire in Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion, the new stand-alone expansion that combines 4X depth with real-time strategy gameplay.
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Jun 12, 2012
93% 👍
of 16k
Dominions 6 - Rise of the Pantokrator - In Dominions 6 you take control of a powerful being that rules a nation and aspires to godhood. The type of Pretender Gods can vary from magically powerful arch mages to old dragons or an enormous tree. Dominions is a deep 4x turn based strategy game with a very large variety of spells and units.
Dominions 4: Thrones of Ascension - You are a God! You are master and ruler of a loyal nation. You have unimaginable powers at your disposal. You have claimed this world as yours. But there are others who stand in your way. You must defeat and destroy these pretenders. Only then can you ascend to godhood and become the new Pantokrator.