Much of the game will be familiar to fans of the video game series. You’ll lead a newly found country to uncover hidden map tiles and establish cities to accumulate resources. Barbarians are sprinkled across the map, city-states are available to trade with and a tech tree imitates that of the original game. Shorter than many other 4X board games, it achieves a nicely balanced level of depth that makes learning it intuitive, but mastering it a joy. It’s probably one of the best examples of 4X & Civ simulations that I’ve ever found and is a must-try for any fan of either genre. Runewars is from the same universe as Descent from FFG. The 4X game is not to be confused with the new miniatures game of the same name. They’re both completely different but share the same name. I have no idea what their marketing department was thinking that day. The best 4X board game that doesn’t look like a 4X board game Playing your cards right is crucial to ensuring your civilisation goes down in history. | Image credit: Czech Games Edition

Space Empires I is the first chapter of the Space Empires series. A classic galactic conquest and turn-based strategy video game where you are the leader of a race of intelligent beings building large spaceships for interplanetary and interstellar travel through warp points between star systems.Colony Ships always represent a single ship, always stay face-up, and always move just 1 hex per turn. They flip to their Colony side once they Colonize a Planet. A hit will reduce the Colony one step (ie: 2), so a Colony with 5 CP is reduced to 3 CP, 3 CP is reduced to 1 CP, and 1 CP is destroyed if hit. A newly colonized Planet with a grounded Colony Ship on it also only requires one hit to destroy. The empty Planet may be colonized again in the future. Damaged Colonies function normally and will grow again in the next Economic Phase. Take a look at Eclipse’s grand sci-fi theme, hexagonal space tiles and heaps of plastic tokens, and you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re staring at another version of Twilight Imperium. But despite their surface similarities, Eclipse offers a distinct experience.

Great strategic depth, but if you like asymmetrical powers, races and abilities (and role playing!) , you may want to look elsewhere. This is a barebones fight to the death! Each player will get a unique race with their own tech tree. The goal, as with all 4X games, is to spread out and conquer everything in your path. What we Liked:Set in the same universe as Descent, Runewars provides an epic strategy experience with a fantasy flair. The game’s depth is commendable, with mechanics and strategies that reveal themselves over multiple playthroughs. Just when you think you’ve mastered it, Runewars throws another curveball, ensuring that the game remains fresh and challenging. What could be better: Well then, build up your cultural respect so that other nations will be unable to stop you as their populace rebels from within their own cities. The components available to the player can vary greatly, from ship bridges, long-range scanners and shield generators to emergency supply components that, when used, will be destroyed but will allow a ship to continue moving for a longer time, and of course, weapons of various kinds, boarding parties, cloaking devices right up to Dyson sphere construction material and star-destroying devices.

Now some of those units are not recommended while learning the game, and for the first time ever I would suggest that new players use the basic rules rather than the advanced rules that utilize every unit possible. Usually, as in the case of Uprising : Curse of the Last Empire, I can jump straight into the full rules (We started with Nightmare mode for that game), but in the case of Space Empires , it is just so….different…that we opted to start with the simplified version first before diving into the more complex rules. And I wouldn’t do things differently if given a second chance, as it does take time to grasp the mechanics.The sequel did everything possible to build up what the original did and make it better. For example, all the factions from the tabletop game are in the sequel. That includes the races that were in the tabletop expansions! There are many other details that I could go into, but in the interest of time , I need to spare those. Here are the finer points of strengths and weaknesses for this game. There are a lot of space-themed games on this list, so if you’re feeling more of a fantasy vibe, Runewars will have you conquering in style. Space Empires truly puts you in control of your own galaxy. It has all 4Xs that you would want in a hardcore strategy game and it’s even written on the box. It’s got to be good, right? What we Liked: The game’s unique theme is a breath of fresh air in the 4X genre. Controlling one of six animal classes, from mammals to insects, adds a layer of strategy that feels both fresh and intuitive. The evolution/adaptation mechanics are a standout, giving a dynamic feel to the game as species adapt to survive. It masterfully combines elements of area control with the spirit of 4X, making it a standout in the genre. What could be better:

Space Empires 4,especially in its Deluxe Edition, is perfect for those who want to control their own personal empire as they wander across the stars. Impulse is a masterclass in minimalist design, proving that you don’t need a massive box to deliver a deep 4X strategy experience. The shared card pool mechanic is a fresh twist, making every decision crucial as you juggle between boosting your empire and thwarting your rivals. What could be better:It uses a unique double-sided card mechanic to add an insane amount of strategy. Each card has 2 sides that either give an immediate bonus or an ongoing bonus throughout the game. The game puts you in the role of a civilization that has just reached the stars and is looking to expand its reach and see what else awaits you. The answer is that a lot awaits you. You’ll discover new races, find loads of planets with resources and treasures to collect, etc.