10 Best 4X Games for Empire Builders
The best 4X games – short for eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate – are a dream come true for strategy lovers. These games reward players who love deep mechanics, long-term planning, and controlling sprawling empires.
Whether you’re conquering distant worlds or shaping civilizations, 4X titles offer the ultimate test of your strategic mind.
In this guide, we’ll highlight the very best 4X games available today. I’ve selected titles that stand out in gameplay complexity, replayability, and thematic depth. From intergalactic diplomacy to terrestrial domination, these games span the full range of 4X settings and styles.
You’ll find must-play titles plus great deals, so you can jump straight into building your empire. Let’s dive into the top picks that define the 4X genre.
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Our Top Picks for 4X Games
These are our top 4X games, chosen for their innovation, polish, and strategic depth. Are you into space, history, fantasy, or alternate futures? These games exemplify the best of the genre:
- Master of Orion (2016) – A reboot of the classic that still defines space-based 4X greatness.
- Stellaris (2016) – A galaxy-spanning sandbox of diplomacy, war, and customization.
- Endless Space 2 (2017) – A beautiful and layered sci-fi empire builder.
Want the full list, with reviews and platform info? Scroll down to see all 10 of the best 4X games ranked and detailed.
Best 4X Games: 10 Strategic Masterpieces
Everyone’s imagined what they’d do if they ruled their own empire. The 4X genre turns that fantasy into reality, giving you complete control over how you shape your ideal domain.
From fantasy realms to galactic frontiers, prepare to explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate – let’s begin.
1. Master of Orion [Best 4X Game for Classic Space Strategy]
| Best for | Classic space 4X fans, turn-based strategy lovers |
| Release Date | 2016 |
| Developer | NGD Studios/Wargaming Labs |
| Platforms | PC |
The reboot of Master of Orion revives one of the genre’s cornerstones with modern fidelity. This iteration brings polished visuals, voiced characters, and a clean UI while preserving the core turn-based ship combat, resource management, and tech tree design that defined the original. Players choose from iconic alien races and shape distant worlds through diplomacy, warfare, and colonization.
With intuitive mechanics, it welcomes newcomers while retaining enough strategic depth to satisfy veterans. Diplomacy, espionage, trade, and research systems are intricately balanced, ensuring no single path to victory. While streamlined compared to its predecessor, the tactical combat layer still rewards intelligent positioning and fleet composition.
Master of Orion doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel; it refines it. This is a faithful, content-rich experience that celebrates its heritage while embracing modern accessibility, making it one of the best turn–based strategy games in the 4X universe.
2. Stellaris [Best 4X Game for Grand-Scale Galactic Simulation]
| Best for | Fans of space simulation games and grand empire management |
| Release Date | 2016 |
| Developer | Paradox Development Studio |
| Platforms | PC, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S |
Stellaris merges traditional 4X depth with real–time strategy pacing. You’ll take control of a burgeoning spacefaring civilization, guiding it through discovery, diplomacy, and war. Stellaris’s narrative dynamism sets it apart, with emergent storytelling events that keep each campaign unique. Anomalies, alien civilizations, distant worlds, and mysterious precursors ensure every galaxy holds surprises.
The game’s modular ship design, ascension perks, and political systems allow for highly personalized playstyles. Want a pacifist technocracy run by robots? Or a ravenous hive mind bent on devouring stars? Both are viable paths. Its DLCs continue adding core mechanics like espionage, trade, and internal politics, adding to the massive replay value.
With an active modding community and frequent enhancements, Stellaris remains one of the most ambitious and customizable 4X experiences on the market. It’s not just a great 4X game, it’s one of the best simulation games available for players looking to craft their epic space saga.
3. Endless Space 2 [Best 4X Game for Layered Sci-Fi Exploration]
| Best for | Fans of sci-fi lore and turn-based space games |
| Release Date | 2017 |
| Developer | Amplitude Studios |
| Platforms | PC |
Endless Space 2 plunges players into a richly imagined universe filled with diverse civilizations, distinct mechanics, and narrative-driven campaigns. Factions like the time-bending Riftborn or the harmonious Unfallen, span distant worlds and offer unique storylines and economic systems that radically shape gameplay. Rather than just layering lore on top of systems, it fuses sci-fi storytelling with strategic depth.
The game’s clean UI and polished visuals make managing your space empires approachable, especially for newcomers. Its space battles, while cinematic in presentation, are highly tactical–relying on pre-set behaviors, ship loadouts, and fleet composition. Political systems further add complexity, with laws, ideologies, and senate elections affecting your empire’s growth and direction.
Whether you seek engaging mechanics or immersive world-building, Endless Space 2 excels on both fronts. Strong mod support, beautiful design, and excellent pacing make it an outstanding space game in the 4X genre – perfect for players who enjoy a narrative-infused strategy experience.
4. Sid Meier’s Civilization VI [Best 4X Game for Historical Depth and Replayability]
| Best for | Fans of civilization games and historical strategy |
| Release Date | 2016 |
| Developer | Firaxis Games |
| Platforms | PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS |
A great first game for newcomers, Sid Meier’s Civilization VI is one of the most popular titles in the 4X genre, letting players guide a nation from ancient times to global dominance. You’ll balance science, culture, war, and diplomacy across eras, with each choice shaping your path to victory.
Civ VI innovates with its city district system, encouraging strategic placement and planning. Unique civ bonuses and multiple victory conditions keep each run fresh. Its bright visual style and accessible UI streamline complex systems, making it ideal for both newcomers and veterans.
Expansions like Rise and Fall and Gathering Storm add new mechanics like governors, climate change, and the world congress. Whether playing solo or in multiplayer, it remains one of the most beloved civilization games ever made – accessible, challenging, and endlessly replayable.
5. HUMANKIND [Best 4X Game for Cultural Customization and Experimentation]
| Best for | Players who want an alternative to Civilization |
| Release Date | 2021 |
| Developer | Amplitude Studios |
| Platforms | PC. macOS |
HUMANKIND challenges the 4X norm by letting players reforge their civilization’s identity with each passing era. Rather than being locked into one culture, you evolve, pairing cultures from around the world like Egyptians with Romans, or Mongols with the French, to create hybrid factions with custom bonuses. This core mechanic provides unmatched replayability and player expression.
The fame system flips the victory conditions, rewarding achievements rather than specific win types. This means military aggression, scientific discovery, and cultural influence compete on a level playing field. The game’s layered diplomacy, terrain-driven city expansion, and tactical turn-based combat round out a comprehensive strategic package.
With its modern aesthetic, vibrant art style, and strong modding support, HUMANKIND is a compelling alternative to more established historical 4X titles.
6. Endless Legend [Best Fantasy-Themed 4X Game]
| Best for | Players who enjoy unique faction mechanics and fantasy settings |
| Release Date | 2014 |
| Developer | Amplitude Studios |
| Platforms | PC |
Endless Legend stands apart with its high-concept world and deeply asymmetric factions. Each faction features legendary heroes and distinct mechanics, like the Broken Lords, who feed on dust instead of food, or the Cultists, who control a single city but convert minor factions. This creates strategic diversity in a vast universe, rarely seen in 4X titles.
Its richly detailed world map is more than eye candy. Terrain, seasons, and regional control all affect city planning and warfare, making it one of the most advanced city games available. Battles take place on tactical overlays, adding turn-based depth to world management. A layered quest system introduces light RPG elements, immersing players further into the fantasy narrative.
Beautiful art design, strong AI, and faction-specific storytelling make Endless Legend one of the most immersive and narratively compelling 4X games available.
7. Age of Wonders 4 [Best Magic 4X Game]
| Best for | Fans of magic warfare and RPG customization |
| Release Date | 2023 |
| Developer | Triumph Studios |
| Platforms | PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S |
Age of Wonders 4 elevates the series’ core formula with polished visuals, detailed faction creation, and a refined blend of strategic empire-building and tactical warfare. Players can shape their own magic realms, choosing traits, cultures, and magic tomes to define how their armies and cities evolve.
It’s a powerful fusion of RPG customization and classic 4X mechanics, delivering a robust sandbox for those who love experimenting with builds. Age of Wonders 4 is one of the most exciting fantasy-themed 4X entries in recent years.
8. Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri [Best Classic 4X Game in a Sci-Fi Setting]
| Best for | Fans of philosophical depth and classic 4X gameplay |
| Release Date | 1999 |
| Developer | Firaxis Games |
| Platforms | PC |
Alpha Centauri is more than a sci-fi Civilization, it’s a bold exploration of ideological warfare, science, and survival. After humanity escapes Earth, you guide one of seven ideologically unique factions competing to shape a new world. Social engineering lets you fine-tune your government, while the tech “web” offers biotech, cybernetics, and transcendence.
Terraforming and customizable military units add tactical flexibility to this complex war game, while the game’s haunting score and deep narrative framing elevate every decision. Philosophical quotes voiced after each discovery give the Alpha Centauri weight and reflection rarely seen in strategy games.
If you want a 4X that challenges your intellect as much as your tactics, Alpha Centauri remains a genre-defining experience.
9. Sins of a Solar Empire [Best Real-Time 4X Hybrid Game]
| Best for | Fans of RTS–4X hybrids |
| Release Date | 2008 |
| Developer | Ironclad Games |
| Platforms | PC |
Sins of a Solar Empire breaks convention by delivering the scale of a 4X game with the tempo of a real-time strategy title. Players grow across solar systems, colonize planets, and manage complex economies while commanding real-time, large-scale fleet battles.
The game’s strength lies in effortlessly combining macro-level management with tactical micro-control to build their perfect space empires. Fleet formations, research progression, and diplomatic maneuvering all take place without pausing the action, creating a unique tension that rewards efficient multitasking and strategic foresight.
Perfect for those who want 4X depth with RTS immediacy, Sins of a Solar Empire remains a cult favorite among strategy fans.
10. Sword of the Stars [Best 4X Game for Hard Sci-Fi Fans]
| Best for | Players who appreciate complex design and ship customization |
| Release Date | 2006 |
| Developer | Kerberos Productions |
| Platforms | PC |
Sword of the Stars delivers one of the most technically nuanced 4X experiences, combining turn-based management with real-time tactical space combat. Each race follows its own FTL travel system–warp, node, or slipstream–creating strategic variety not found in other games. This drastically affects map control and fleet deployment.
Rich ship design allows players to configure hull types, weapon layouts, and modules to tailor fleets for specific roles. The learning curve is steep, but the payoff is enormous for those who enjoy min-maxing and micromanaging.
Sword of the Stars is ideal for players seeking layered, complex sci-fi conquest with serious depth.
FAQs
What is the best 4X game?
Thanks to their depth, replayability, and massive mod support, Stellaris and Civilization VI are often considered the best 4X games.
What does 4X mean in gaming?
4X stands for eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate–the four pillars of gameplay in which players manage empires through strategy and growth.
