In the vast and intricate tapestry of the cosmos, where the mysteries of the universe unfold, there exists a genre of games that challenge the human intellect and spirit: grand strategy. While games of this genre often focus on shifting terrestrial map borders and the violence and politicking behind them, sci-fi grand strategy games cast a wider net, focusing on human futures that can’t be described in the curves of a two-dimensional map.
Embark on a journey through these six incredible gaming masterpieces, where the complexity of interstellar statecraft and the grandeur of cosmic exploration merge.
6 Stellaris (PC, PS4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S)
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From the grand strategy masters at Paradox, Stellaris is a game that lets players explore the grand tapestry of the galaxy and reshape it to their vision. Starting from a single home planet, players harness their inner Machiavelli to scheme, plot, and research as they extend their reach to the stars, meeting other races and subjugating or cooperating with them as they see fit.
During its lifetime in Stellaris, the player's space civilization will encounter nearly every threat one could imagine. From banal robot uprisings or cyborg zombies to exotic, almost Lovecraftian, extra-galactic invaders, each game of Stellaris manages to pull a different fascinating existential threat from the annals of science fiction history. Add over seven years of DLC and mods into the equation, and out comes the king of grand strategy in space (at least, for the time being.) And speaking of mods, we would be remiss not to bring up Star Trek: New Horizons, which turns Stellaris into the spiritual successor to the OG Star Trek grand strategy game, Birth of the Federation. Lead Earth into the peaceful Federation of the 24th century, or control a Terran Empire that burns the sky.
5 Endless Space 2 (PC)
If Stellaris is like Star Trek, offering thousands of hours of entertainment with stunning highs matched only by abysmal lows, Endless Space 2 is an epic anime OVA offering a similar emotional punch in a tighter, more refined package. Of course, as a space-themed turn-based 4X strategy game, it allows the player to explore the antipodes of their galaxy, settle new worlds, make exciting new scientific breakthroughs, and indulge their inner Sarek as they engage in diplomacy, (or war) with their interstellar neighbors.
Endless Space 2 offers immersive and dynamic storytelling not seen in most 4X titles. Each of the eight factions in the game follows a non-linear quest that guides their progress and development. With rich lore and a branching narrative that adapts to specific choices and actions, Endless Space 2's campaigns feel personal and have higher stakes than many of its peers. The game has built a passionate fan community that holds the title above others for not just its top-of-the-line production values, but the regular updates, which keep the game’s content feeling new and fresh.
4 Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri (PC)
The original planet colonization sim, no game has surpassed Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri in terms of breadth, depth, and intellect in over two decades. Pitched to fans as a spiritual continuation of the Civilization series (all versions of which allow players to seize victory by launching a spaceship to our nearest stellar neighbor) Alpha Centauri pushes the ideologies only hinted at in its forbearer to the extreme. Though it plays a bit like its direct predecessor Civilization II, this is not just a reskin of the 4X granddaddy. Alpha Centauri has intellectual aspirations that take it way above the half-remembered high-school history theming of Civ.
This new world requires a new way of being human, and it's up to the player to decide what that means. Will they repeat the mistakes of Earth on a new world? Will they conquer this world and make it theirs? Or will they adapt, and learn to live in harmony with a new ecosystem? Maybe the player is a free-market libertarian who wants to keep the government small in this new world. It's a viable way to play via the Morgan Industries faction. However, ideology and reality often disagree, and players may find themselves making choices they would have abhorred at the start of the game. The same holds true for the small liberal U.N. Faction, the Peacekeepers; the transhumanist and environmentalist Gaia's Stepdaughters; and the would-be Borg, The Hive. Each of the 14 factions featured in the game and its expansion paints the picture of good ideas taken to extremes.
3 Star Control 2: The Ur-Quan Masters (PC)
Star Control 2 is the grand strategy game for fans of Terry Pratchett and Monty Python. Originally released on 3.5" floppies for DOS over 30 years ago, SC2 focuses on quirky dialog and memorable alien encounters. Whether the player is chasing off the cowardly Spathi, challenging the arrogant Ur-Quan, or investigating the mysterious Orz, SC2’s alien menagerie stands above others, even as 30 years of sci-fi have come and gone.
Encounters and combat in Star Control 2 play out a bit differently than in other grand strategy games, with the player controlling a single ship as they encounter, hail, meet, make peace with, or fight new lifeforms and new civilizations. This focus on a single ship and alien diplomacy means that SC2 wears its Star Trek inspiration on its sleeve, and any Trekkie should put it at the top of their to-play list immediately. In addition to being widely considered one of the best games of all time, Star Control 2 is available for free in the form of a streamlined fan remake, called The Ur-Quan Masters, that is available right now.
2 Galactic Civilizations IV (PC)
The grognard’s choice, the Galactic Civilizations series has always lacked the easy-to-play accessibility of something like Civilization. While Gal Civ IV marks a step forward for the series in that respect, it still stands above its peers as a game with a massive amount of depth to explore only after one has managed to wrap their head around its intricacies.
The extensive customizability of Gal Civ IV makes it an ideal choice for those looking for maximum freedom of choice in their conquest experience. With 24 races to start with, plus the option to create one's own, Gal Civ offers an impressive amount of flexibility and freedom in a genre already known for those things. The game also likes to indulge in a little bit of humor, something rare in a genre that can be rather self-serious at times. After a fan made a splash in the community with his race of sentient Space Ducks, developer Stardock incorporated them into DLC along with other fan-made races like Space Cats, Space Hamsters, and Space Sloths.
1 Dune: Spice Wars (PC Early Access)
While most sci-fi grand strategy games focus on building an interstellar empire, Dune: Spice Wars takes the empire's existence for granted. The result is that space doesn’t matter. Ownership of the universe will go to whoever can maintain power on Arrakis. Dune: Spice Wars has players securing spice and fighting real-time battles one moment, and plotting their grand “wheels within wheels” strategy the next, in a gameplay loop not completely dissimilar from the Total War series, sans the massive body count.
While still in the early access stage, Dune: Spice Wars is easily one of the easiest grand strategy games to pick up and play, and any fan of sci-fi or Dune, in particular, owes it to themselves to check it out.