15 – AI War 2
From the guys that are currently developing Heart of the Machine, AI War 2 is a unique and unconventional 4X game that flips the script on the genre’s core loop. You don’t start with a single planet and expand outward; instead, you begin as a small, desperate human resistance in a galaxy already conquered by a vastly superior, malevolent AI (do you start to see the connections here?). The game’s central mechanic revolves around managing “AI Progress,” a metric that tracks how much of a threat you are. Every action you take, from conquering a system to building a new fleet, increases this number, making the AI more aware of you and more aggressive in its response. This creates a thrilling and tense experience where you’re constantly balancing the need to grow your power against the risk of angering an unstoppable galactic overlord. The game is still getting constant updates, and in fact, I’m writing this article on the 9th of August, and the game just got an update!
14 – Sid Meier’s Civilization V
In a landscape dominated by newer 4X titles, Sid Meier’s Civilization V not only holds its ground as a fan-favorite title, but it objectively remains a top-tier pick for players in 2025. While Civilization VII has arrived, many long-time fans and new players alike are still drawn to the elegant design and refined gameplay of its predecessor. Civ V’s greatest change in comparison with Civ IV was the “one unit per tile” combat system, which revolutionized the series and introduced a deep layer of tactical strategy to battles, and avoided the doom stacks, a feature that is not standard in the genre. The game’s hex-based map, iconic leaders, and well-balanced victory conditions—from cultural to scientific—create an accessible yet profoundly engaging experience that has stood the test of time. It’s also super cheap every time it goes on sale, with all of the DLCs costing just a couple of dollars. Also, there’s still a very active modding community.
13 – Master of Orion 2
Here is a game that, at the time it came out, I was but a drooling child, and now look at me, 30 years later, recommending this game to you. The Master of Orion series transcended time to become a benchmark for the space 4X genre, and amongst its titles, Master of Orion 2 (also known as MoO2) is an undeniable classic that continues to captivate players in 2025, and one needs only to look at it’s reviews on Steam, currently sitting on a 96% Overwhelmingly Positive rating. This turn-based space opera, originally released in 1996, offers an unparalleled level of strategic depth and replayability that was unmatched at the time. If you want to experience part of the genre history, Master of Orion 2 is an absolute must, and with an active community keeping the game alive with fan patches and mods, you can use the 1.50 unofficial patch for quality of life improvements and bug fixes.
12 – Shadow Empire
What do you get when you take a traditional wargame and add empire management elements, diplomacy, and politics? Well, you get Shadow Empire, a game that defies easy classification, and a masterclass in deep, systems-driven strategy that blends the best elements of a wargame, a 4X, and an RPG, and leads to some of the most interesting AARs ever written. Published by Slitherine, in this post-apocalyptic sci-fi epic, you lead a small, fledgling nation on a procedurally generated planet, fighting for survival and dominance against other factions and the hostile environment, and have to grow it into a prosperous empire. What sets Shadow Empire apart is its unparalleled focus on logistics and a living, breathing political system. Every bullet, every drop of fuel, and every ration of food must be managed and transported to your front lines, making strategic planning and supply lines as critical as battlefield tactics. Your leaders are not faceless units; they are characters with their own personalities, ambitions, and flaws, whose loyalty and effectiveness you must manage to prevent coups and civil war, so if you played titles like Crusader Kings 3, you should feel very comfortable here, as long as you also enjoy managing logistics systems.
11 – Age of Wonders: Planetfall
We are back to more traditional 4X games again, with Age of Wonders: Planetfall, a Paradox-published title whose main selling point is its sci-fi setting and turn-based combat system, which has been described as bridging the gap between Civilization and XCOM. While its sequel, Age of Wonders 4, has found its audience, many players still consider Planetfall to be the superior and more refined experience, and for good reason. Its factions are more distinct and offer truly unique playstyles, and the unit modding system provides an incredible level of customization that enhances both the strategic and tactical layers of the game.
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