The earliest 4X games borrowed ideas from board games and 1970s text-based computer games. The first 4X computer games were turn-based, but real-time 4X games were also common. Many 4X …

Aug 11, 2025 · The 4X genre—explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate—has been a cornerstone of PC gaming for decades, offering players the chance to build vast empires, conquer galaxies, and …

Jan 14, 2025 · From reshaping history in Civilization 6 to charting the stars in Stellaris, these are the best 4X strategy games to play in 2025.

Nov 11, 2025 · In this guide, we’ll highlight the very best 4X games available today. I’ve selected titles that stand out in gameplay complexity, replayability, and thematic depth. From intergalactic …

Nov 13, 2025 · Our best 4X games list shows the empire building genre has a lot to offer, from Civilization 6 to Endless Legend and Stellaris. At its core, the best 4X games allow the player to do …

Dec 8, 2025 · From Civilization to Stellaris, these are the 20 best 4X games to pick up and play today. The best 4X games deliver some of the most satisfyingly in-depth strategy experiences that are built...

To put it simply, 4X stands for Explore, Expand, Exploit, and Exterminate. The term was created in 1993 by writer Alan Emrich, who called Masters of Orion an XXXX game in the Computer Gaming...

Paradox Interactive 's 4X games are the most well-known of the former, while Sid Meier's Civilization is one of most famous exemplars of the latter. Grand Strategy evolved from this genre, and the easiest …

The "4X" video game genre, characterized by the principles of eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate, is a fascinating and intricate sub-genre of strategy video games. This genre demands …

Mar 10, 2025 · Ready to explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate? Then check out this list of the best 4X games on PC you can play right now.