Dominions 4: Thrones of Ascension
I’ve played several thousand hours of this game, and dominions 3. The only other game i’ve played anywhere near as much is tabletop rpgs. But i’m biased, old hand, fan, etc. This guy isn’t. Here’s what he had to say on the Steam forum.
@Stephen:
Earlier tonight, one of the most epic occurences I have ever seen in a video game occured. Seeing that as a sign of a good game and also worth telling about, I decided to post here for your reading pleasure. Since it is only due to a confusing chain of events that this occured, I’m going to tell the full story from start to finish. Enjoy.
– Real player with 595.5 hrs in game
Read More: Best Turn-Based Strategy Indie Games.
Dear friends, I know that many would have you believe that the Pale Ones are extinct, save for the occasional emergence of an Earth Reader or the primitive Pale Ones that are sometimes encountered in remote regions. I am here to set the ancient records straight.
Long have I labored in service to the Ancients, dead and forgotten though they may be to most of the civilized world. Only after extensive research and tireless experimentation had I uncovered a ray of hope in the sea of Agarthan darkness.
– Real player with 333.1 hrs in game
Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword
This is my favorite game since it came out, and my favorite version of Civ (I know Civ 1 through 5)
I won’t go into what Civ is specifically about. You should know.
Nor will I compare to other Civ games. It has been done.
This versions' depth is impressive, and the playability is… at least a few lifetimes.
Graphics are normal, but totally irrelevant!
The 4X strategy design and many (but not too many) balanced options make it something that will always be enjoyable.
Spock will still read your Scientific discoveries out loud! :P
– Real player with 1974.8 hrs in game
Read More: Best Turn-Based Strategy 4X Games.
I’ll start by saying that this is not a game for casuals, if you want to have a game that is incredibly compelling and complex and rewarding to learn, this is your game. While Civ 3 remains a complete mystery to me, I can say I have played all the others, and this one is by far the best I’ve played. You might say “what about Civ 5?”, but I highly prefer it to Civ 5 for several reasons (unit stacking Figure out how to use collateral damage people, tech/espionage/culture slider, much more micromanagable empire, better system for unit and city maintenance, far superior espionage system, more interesting promotion dynamics with military units, unrestricted leaders, non gimmicky leader traits, non gimmicky religions, far superior map options, way less annoying barbarians, way less buggy multiplayer, etc etc etc…)
– Real player with 1765.2 hrs in game
Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Colonization
8/10
Maybe the best version of Civ IV.
In 1994 I got and played the hell out the DOS original. It had all the classic gameplay of a Sid Meier title. You got to replay an exciting and interesting period of history and it was fun. But the graphics and the interface were bad, even by 1994 standards. You put pixled figures up against a brown picture map of a town. The graphics of units were barely the level of the original Civ.
Unlike many Sid games of the era, which Steam just launches in DosBox, this was fully ported over into the Civ IV platform. Graphics are way better, with animated units and combat, terrain and resources are clearer. And yet the core of the game remains the same. Locate a colony, expand it, exploit the resources, and battle your rivals. And of course you have to prepare for Independence from your mother country. The interesting victory challenge of the game can throw some players. Many are just thrilled to be producing and selling loads of Rum and Silver and forget, while these and other usual things (population, cities, etc.) can boost your final score, the end game is enough muskets, cannons, and ships to win independence. You are playing to be Washington or Bolivar, not to establish Canada!
– Real player with 361.9 hrs in game
Read More: Best Turn-Based Strategy 4X Games.
Civilization IV: Colonization is one of the most (if not the most) unique 4x turn-based strategy games I’ve ever played! Instead of playing as the ruler of your nation, you’re playing as a viceroy for your nation. While the King rules over his country in Europe, he entrusts you with colonizing and managing the new world (either the Americas or a random map) competing with 3 other European powers (though there are mods out there that add more). When you settle, the Natives will either be your trading partners (selling goods to the King will result in getting permanent taxes) or your enemies depending on which ones you run into and how you treat them.
– Real player with 309.3 hrs in game
Sid Meier’s Civilization® IV
Diary Entry 1- Heliopolis is under siege by Rome. I’ve been unable to send reinforcements because Caeser is moving his troops around my territory, destroying farms, mines and villages. I can’t spread too thin in fear of my other cities being attacked.
So 5 handfuls of Heavy machine Gunners have been defending the city from catapult bombardments and grenadier attacks.
And now, he seems to have set his sights upon the neighbouring city of Memphis.
Diary Entry 2 - I’ve reached out to the Malinese and Isabella of Spain, and both have declared war on Ceaser. They are on the opposite side of him to me. So while they cannot directly help my cities, they will put pressure on the Western side. So hopefully I can repel the siege and push to his cities. I have a troop of tanks coming in from the Northeast, and a regiment of Marines coming in from the southeast.
– Real player with 661.1 hrs in game
Once upon a time, I tried Civilization V. I discovered it was buggy. What I did play was really fun though. So my in-laws bought me Civilization III, which was really fun. I then saw that Civilization IV was on sale, along with the expansions, so I bought the main game and a couple of the expansions. I am currently enjoying the happily ever after.
This is one of the most addictive games I have ever played. My husband and I are enjoying a hotseat match in which I am sure will end in a bloodbath. In Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword I am preparing to conquer the world with my mighty Celtic army. Civilization IV is an awesome strategy game in which almost anything is possible. There are so many different leaders to choose, and many different ways to beat the game. Sure, you could do a military victory, but you can also win diplomatically, artistically, and financially. There is also the Space Race…
– Real player with 86.8 hrs in game
Zodiac Legion
Zodiac Legion is a turn-based tactical RPG featuring lethal combat, squad management and strategic elements. Lead your heroes through daring raids and forgotten ruins, defend your land in a time of conquest and betrayal, and master the secrets of volatile ancient magic to restore a realm beset by the armies of undying fiendish sorcerers.
features
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Lead your knights in turn-based tactical battles.
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Explore ancient ruins and places of power, thwart the plans of enemy lieutenants, forge alliances, and restore the Zodiac Order.
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Smash your way through fully destructible dungeons.
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Expand and strengthen your stronghold, research new spells and craft powerful artifacts.
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Reshape the terrain to your advantage.
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Develop your warriors into mighty champions.
As the Grandmaster of the Zodiac Order, it will be your duty to restore this knightly brotherhood and rally its champions under the banners of the thirteen Zodiac signs. You will manage your domain, take important diplomatic decisions and train your warriors in the arcane arts. Enemy armies will invade your borders, forcing you to dispatch your knights on missions resolved through turn-based, tactical battles. Their superhuman powers will tip the scales in the face of overwhelming odds, but beware: many will not survive the ordeal. Yet exploring the secrets of necromancy may reveal that a Zodiac Knight’s duty need not end in death.
The work on Zodiac Legion began because we shared the vision of a game that would combine the tactical combat and strategic campaign of X-COM, with the fantasy aspects and dungeon crawling typical of most roleplaying games.
We decided to use the theme of the Zodiac because of its association with classical mythology, and due to its ties with distinct character archetypes, which served as the foundation of our class system. There are hundreds of distinct features and qualities attributed to the signs by astrology, which lends itself to a robust and interconnected system that has an impact on all the aspects of Zodiac Legion’s gameplay and storytelling.
Conquest of Elysium 5
Conquest of Elysium 5 is the next iteration of the past CoE games with more content, and with nearly the same (pixel art) graphics that were used in Civilization 2. They have gotten a little better over the years, but not much. If you played CoE4, there are three new factions, new modding tools, and new “Planes” within each map to conquer. The biggest difference for me from the previous version was not just that there was more to conquer though, it is that the “more” that exists is also now much more accessible. More on this below:
– Real player with 193.4 hrs in game
I love this game, I never get tired of it. It strike the perfect balance between complexity and accessibility.
– Real player with 167.9 hrs in game
Galactic Civilizations III
NOTE: This is a review of the Final Release Candidate for the game, so it should apply to the released version.
Having been a long-time GC2 player, I eagerly signed up for the Founder’s Edition early-access over a year ago, and have followed the development of GC3 since then closely.
Let me tell you, getting a 4X game that incorporates all the features that hard-core strategy gamers want, while remaining both relevant and competitive, is really hard. As in, EXTREMELY hard. StarDock has done an excellent job with GC3. That’s not to say there still aren’t quibbles over the direction certain features have taken, but the reality is, that if you actually want to release a game, certain decisions are going to have to be taken, and you’re sure to piss off someone who wanted that feature and didn’t get it. But GC3 is a solid and entertaining game, if not a radically innovative one.
– Real player with 2842.9 hrs in game
First of all it is critical to understand that the game is still in beta testing and therefore has some glitches. That said it has been pretty stable for me. (Four year old dell xps 8100 with 16gb and a 750 Ti video card). At present the plan seems to be to a go for a final release in May. There will be frequent patches before then and perhaps a beta 6 release (beta 5, with enormous additions, was released yesterday (Mar26). If you don’t like encountering bugs and reporting them to help the game, then wait for the release. Of critical importance remaining is tuning the AI to be smarter and more aggressive, imo.
– Real player with 2285.4 hrs in game
Old World
Old World is a historical strategy game where you lead your empire through multiple generations, building a grand legacy to last beyond your own years. This is an era of great leaders, from the revered to the feared. Which will you be?
Marry for politics, raise your heirs, and manage your relationship with the families of your kingdom. In the fast and furious world of kings and queens, family matters.
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Each of the 7 kingdoms has four noble families that provide various benefits when put in charge of your cities.
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Manage family ties through events, actions, and marriages to keep them happy and reap additional benefits. Upset them, or make them too powerful, and you risk their ire.
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Maintain a strong family unit, or distract yourself with more illicit adventures.
The world is full of great characters with distinct personalities, strengths, and weaknesses. Use them to forge your kingdom, defend your borders, and build ties with other leaders.
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Seek out and recruit famed warriors, philosophers, builders, and more. Have them tutor your children, lead your armies, and further your reign.
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Different personality archetypes allow your court members to perform different tasks in similar roles. Find the right combinations to take full advantage of governors, diplomats, spymasters, and even your spouse.
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Characters develop new personalities and traits over time, growing old, gaining experience, and finally falling ill and passing away, leaving room for the next generation.
Unsettled tribes, barbarian marauders, and remnants of previous cultures are all waiting in the vast unexplored wilderness.
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Discover artifacts and great heroes of the past at ruins scattered across the map.
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Experience over 3,000 unique events inspired by history and mythology.
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Contact with foreign dignitaries triggers event chains, stories, and courtroom drama.
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Pursue ambitions and legacies related to conquest, development, faith, and more.
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Historically inspired scenarios, weekly challenge games, and a choice between randomly generated and handcrafted maps to explore. Lead Carthage to victory as Hannibal in the Punic Wars, hold your own against Barbarian Hordes, or compete against other players in tackling fictional scenarios.
Why do things the way they’ve always been done? Old World brings a new take to key elements of the 4X strategy genre:
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Go beyond the traditional resources. Buildings are made of wood and stone, not “industry.” Population doesn’t grow off “food” alone.
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Orders are a resource shared across your realm. Instead of moving every unit once per turn, each unit can be moved multiple times until fatigued or Orders are depleted.
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Technological advancement is not predetermined. Randomization helps keep technology trees feeling fresh with each new playthrough.
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Quality of life improvements, such as the ability to undo mistaken commands and nested tooltips, ensure you’re always making informed decisions.
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Play with friends in countless multiplayer modes — from hotseat, to asynchronous, to cloud play.
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Mods further open up infinite options for new worlds, empires, and dynasties — inspired by our real world, and by works of fiction as well.
Silicon Valley Investor
Huh, I surprised when it finished suddenly at the end of the 25th investment year. Even if it was stated at the beginning I missed that point. I am disappointed for it, 25 is a short period I think. Isn’t it possible a 30 years old people, starting investment with 300-400k and S/he can live 60 more years.
Why did I restricted to buy a limited amount of company share? If I had enough money, I should buy whatever I want.
I did not interested with social skills at the beginning (because I don’t know it will end after 25 years.), so I have no idea about this part.
– Real player with 2.2 hrs in game
Dungeon Crusher Kiritan
Cute little puzzle game with unique presentation.
Combat/movement is not exactly turn-based and more like tile-based - you move at the same time as your enemy 1 tile at a time and have to figure out when you will be in advantage to strike first.
Levels are handcrafted and not procedurally generated which is a big plus in my opinion.
There is also a level builder so looking forward to cool community-made maps.
Can recommend, especially with the launch discount.
– Real player with 15.9 hrs in game
For similar games follow:
https://store.steampowered.com/curator/35180752-3-point-play/
Tohoku Kiritan is a VOICEROID character popular in Japan. VOICEROID is a type of text to speech software widely used in the Japanese Let’s Play scene. The Japanese way of doing things dictates that if you can substitute something with a cute anime girl you definitely should and it makes anything automatically better. Instead of using a webcam to record their faces most Japanese let’s players prefer to use anime characters as avatars and if they don’t possess cute girl voices, then the VOICEROID package provides an easy solution for both needs. The characters can serve as narrators or commentators to the provided gameplay thus putting more focus on the let’s player’s script writing ability rather than personal charisma, while also boosting creativity and providing greater freedom. As an added bonus most VOICEROID characters double as singing software on the VOCALOID or UTAU platform and therefore come with an already established fan base in the music scene. Of course this approach to let’s plays and streaming is largely unknown outside of Japan because of the language barrier. It’s also the reason why you may have stumbled on this game’s page without knowing what it’s about.
– Real player with 3.5 hrs in game