What is the best 4x game? These types of strategy games allow players to do four things: Expansion, misuse, eradication, exploration. Many enjoy a turn-based focus so that players can think before each move, yet still have control over their vast empire and efforts across the Earth.
We are more distorting our list towards modern titles because we don’t think Another A listing of Touting MOO2 as Grand 4x Daddy provides real services to the gaming community. They also tried to expand this list beyond games like civilization. These are some of the best PC games and help shape the genre, but there are plenty of new entries trying to leave their own marks, and I believe they are more remarkable than the old legacy.
Here are the best 4X games on PC in 2025:
Star Trek Fleet Command
This is your chance to prove yourself as Starfleet Captain. The game watches you start with just a small base and one ship. Though it is hardly a fleet at this point, you can find missions to send out small fleets, such as calling for pain, fighting the Romulans, and delivering resources. Each completed mission earns (somewhat ironically for Star Trek universe, which can be used to expand and upgrade bases and fleets).
Once you enter, you will send ships to do various tasks in every corner of the quadrant. Meanwhile, the choice of ships and officers that can be unlocked will definitely put a smile on the face of longtime Trekkies – every era of Star Trek is represented here. Whether you’re a Star Trek fan or even if you’re enjoying space games by chance, it’s definitely worth a try.
Play Star Trek Fleet Command for free.
Amazing Age: Planet
Triumph Studios is an underrated contrast to civilization for years. Based on their fantasy, the Age of Wonders series offers a unique mix of hardcore Wargame sensibilities and mainstream 4x strategy values. Now, under the guidance of Paradox Interactive, the studio aimed the stars in an age of incredibles: Planetfall. It’s four times more sci-fi rampage we didn’t need. One of the game’s biggest wins is to provide a turn-based strategy battle that runs quickly and smoothly. Apparently you’re playing Xcom.
The strategic layer is also gorgeous, with the planets divided into areas that need to be explored, colonized and conquered. Each world you generate has its own story to tell, but whether you chose to engage in it or paint a town, your colour is up to you.
Planetfall undoubtedly expelled Age of Wonders III as the best game in the series – as you can read in our Age of Wonders: Planetfall Review – but being science fiction and fantasy is not a fair comparison at all. AOW3 is much closer to Civilization V, and has a rather neat integration of fantasy elements.
Galactic Civilization IV
The fourth entry in Stardock’s flagship series lacks the legacy of DLC and the expansions that Galactic Civilization III have, but it is already off to a strong start, as you can read in the Galactic Civilizations IV review. Calling this game (and the series) “civilizations of the universe” is a bit reductive, but Galactic Civilization IV was able to ensure that Sid Meier’s Titan achieved the same level of applaudability and smart strategic design that he has enjoyed since Civilization V.
Choose from one of 18 different civilizations to guide the empire of space invasion to the stars, establish colonies, build trade and infrastructure, and conduct research into new technologies that will remain competitive. The scale of the Galciv IV changed, and the map was divided into galactic divisions that split all civilizations played in several cosmic masses. You may be the top dog in your local cluster, but what do you know about the person on the other side of this slipspace tunnel?
Again, what really lacks Galciv IV at this point is the rich post-release expansions and updates that the previous game is under its belt, but with such a strong foundation, I imagine that this latest space entry 4x Pantheon will evolve exponentially here.
Civilization 6
It’s like given, but it’s rude to not include it, as most people think of the four times the game that comes to mind. Take a look at Steam’s most played charts. Civilization, in all its various incarnations, turns out to be one of the most popular strategy games on a fair platform. Civ 7 may be the latest in Firaxis, but I don’t think it’s the biggest. Instead, we keep Civ 6 in Civ The.
Civ 6 took the bold step of expanding the city with more tiles, introducing district mechanics, and re-stacking combat units to some degree. They sound like small tweaks, but they have come a long way and frankly, the Foundation Civ 5 left behind in the first place was solid.
Check out Steam Workshop to see what the community is doing with Civ 6 Mods. Don’t forget to read the various thoughts about the Civ 6 DLC that have been released since the Civ6 review.
Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri
Alpha Centauri, ageing by day, but still very playable, was created by Civic Legends Sid Meyer and Brian Reynolds after leaving Microprose. On the surface, you could call it “civilization in space,” but that’s ignoring the fantastic story that runs through the game. You work in both conflicts with some futuristic factions from Earth. Each has a different idea of how to colonize the mysterious planet, Tiron.
On the usual citizen’s responsibility to build and maintain factions (although there are completely new units, resources, and strange alien technologies), it reveals that through monolith and alien technology, humans are not the first progressive species to visit Earth. The Alien Crossfire expansion makes the plot taste tasty and thick, where you can play it as a mysterious alien precursor race.
With the intelligent writing and innovative gameplay features that can be seen in games much later in this genre, Alpha Centauri remains one of the best 4X games, an important landmark for the genre, and it is worth playing a fantastic story that boldly muse about the competitive nature of humanity and the need to survive.
The infinite legend
Like the venerable Alpha Centauri, the legend of the Endless is about several factions that collide with a mystical planet and attempt to rule it through various means – military conquest, science, expansion, diplomacy. The game is a clever blend of high fantasy and sci-fi elements as magic and steampunk technology collide.
From combat (taken on a dedicated battle screen) to high-tech tree and lovely presentations of both sound and visuals, Endless Legend is a masterclass for 4X games and is set in one of the most imaginative worlds in gaming memory these days.
It’s nice to know that the developer’s Amplitude Studio has even more four times more bangers in the tank, including the recent humanity. It doesn’t have its own spot as it is not on the same level as Endless Legend or Civilization VI, but it’s still pretty good, as human reviews can prove.
Stellaris
Stellaris is a Space Furling Empire Builder that blends Paradox’s best strategy games with four times the game’s victory pass. Choose one of several intergalactic races or create your own races and start with a single solar system in the empire’s name (not much on the galaxy scale). On a robust “mind” scale, you can choose exactly what type of empire you want to be – are you a collectivist, militarist Highveind who crushes everyone who opposes them? Or is it an entrepreneurial empire that gains fame and control through business?
Unlike other paradox games, one mistake is unlikely to destroy you, and you always have the opportunity to adapt to the ever-changing political structure of the universe. It is not only accessible, but also has the echo of the European Universalis within a rich diplomatic system. This is a fresh new take on space-based 4X games with all the depth and eccentricity that comes with sci-fi settings.
Like all the best 4X games, Stellaris has been inflated in size since its launch, with some hanging on Stellaris Mods, and some partly down to Stellaris DLC extensions such as Apocalypse and the recent Union. It all comes down to new playstyles, more playability, and many of those juicy XS. Check out our Stellaris Nemesis review for more information about this huge endgame expansion.
Distant World 2
Distal Worlds 2 hasn’t completely modernised the format of the first game to the same extent as other series in recent years, but is extremely excited to see this venerable cult space 4x classic return with its shiny graphics, and is trying to make it more appealing at least for mainstream viewers.
The far world has always been about freedom, and freedom is underpinned by intimidating complexities rarely found in recent strategy games. The complete system of the systems included in Distant World 2 is difficult to master, but just getting one of them is extremely rewarding. Better yet, you can adjust your experience and engage at the right level for you. You can literally hand everything over to AI and take charge of a single fleet or group of ships.
If you want to know more, check out this far Worlds 2 review written by a friend on Wargamer.
Warhammer 40,000: Gladius – Relics of War
Warhammer 40,000: Gladius tries to answer questions about what will happen if he films Sid Meier’s classic civilization series and throws it into Warp to appear in the Warhammer 40K universe (no one asked). Proxy Studio’s debut Endeavor was four times more than four times, known as Pandora: First Contact. This was essentially a civilization. Being loyal to IP, Gladius is more interested in war than diplomacy, trade or “culture.” There is exactly one flavor to victory, and its flavor tastes like a lath.
Gladius is a masterclass of clean, concise, UI, if nothing else, and the tutorial is one of the best I’ve ever encountered in a 4x strategy game. It’s also incredibly clean, which is helpful. Still, if you’re looking for something that’s a fitting addition to your list and straight to the point, you might enjoy this. There are things to consider when evaluating this title, as the Tyranids expansion has proven to be one of the best adaptations of that race we’ve seen in any strategy game. Overall it’s a pretty good Warhammer game, but recently it’s been facing tough competition.
Shadow Empire
This is a little more hardcore than the other peers, but once again it’s been published by a company specializing in military war games. Shadow Empire may not be a great example of friendly UI designs and modern graphics, but it does not showcase what happens when you shoot character-driven gameplay of logistics-based war games, apocalyptic settings, and epic strategy games, and blend them all together.
Shadow Empire is responsible for apocalyptic society in a fallen world that once belonged to a large interstellar empire. Now that the dust has subsided, it’s time to leave your ho guests and explore what else has survived around you. Half of the fun comes from the random planetary generation option before the start of all games, but the rest comes from expanding and conquering the planets around you. There are internal mechanics as well as individual characters that need to be managed, but this is definitely more Wargame-like than the others, so adjust your expectations accordingly.
For more information about the 4X game, check out Wargamer’s Shadow Empire Review.
Starborn: Sovereign Space
This is a little different, but please listen. Starborne is an MMORTS with 4x heavier streaks designed in the style of a browser-based MMOS. It runs on a standalone client, so no web browser is required. The graphics are beautiful, but this is an experience that involves timers and cooldowns, so it has the same commitment as something like Eve Online.
You start with a single station and some small territory, but as you level up your empire, you can expand your reach and raid NPCs and other players for resources. Players can then unite and form alliances and engage in large-scale PVP issues. There are several different victory conditions and the game is free to play with several microtransactions. Honestly, it’s very good, but like most online games, you have to be able to spend time making the most of it.
Throne of Hell
Typically, all the largest 4X games are size and scale. You are building a huge army, forge millennia-old civilizations, conquering the entire country. Solium Infernum is the exact opposite. As a great fantasy fighting for control of the hellish throne, you probably order two or three military units. You don’t build anything. Filming territory in a valuable canton with singles, not miles. This is a 4x strategy game that can have a big impact on every decision, even if it’s a seemingly trivial thing.
Similarly, Solium Infernum focuses on diplomacy, politics and psychology. Yes, you can win through pure Martial Might, but the visionary remake of the Geeks league is its unique best when slimming the path to victory using manipulation and bureaucracy. Stylish, dark, and unlike the rest of the genre, Solium Infernum is a must.
That’s all you need to know about the 4x game. For a 100% accurate list, check out the best turn-based RPGs on your PC. Alternatively, you may need a management game or City Builder game instead.
