What else should I be playing if I like this: If you liked this, then you'll probably like its sequel, Galactic Civilizations III. Galactic Civilizations II: Endless Universe More importantly, it's still enjoyable, more so in many ways than the game that inspired it.ġ7. After more than 20 years, does Descent remain an essential game in the same way as Doom? Given that it would morph into Freespace and remain to some degree in Red Faction's DNA, yes, yes it is. What it did have was speed, maze-like 3D levels and a range of movement in all directions that was at beautiful odds with the limited space in which to manoeuvre.ĭisorientation was a constant companion - for some players so, too, was motion sickness - but in rescuing trapped colonists otherwise doomed to die and escaping each quaking level before it was engulfed in a nuclear fireball the game paid out in full. True, it didn't have many rock star developers working on it, there were no demons from hell rampaging through it's claustrophobic corridors and there was not one smear of blood to enrage or delight its audience. Having been lumped in with run-and-gun first-person shooters since the time of its release (CGW magazine called it 'Doom on Benzedrine in a vacuum'), Descent's numerous innovations have often been serially overlooked. What else should I be playing if I like this: There's been no shortage of Descent-style games recently, including Sublevel Zero, Retrovirus and NeonXSZ, and we're big fans of Overload and Blast-Axis, too. If you've ever balked at the commitment required to play a 4X, Slipways is a perfect starting point.ġ8. It's a wonderful blend of efficiency and risk management, but the best thing about Slipways is that each run lasts just 45 minutes, delivering all that lovely puzzle-y, 4X goodness in manageable, bite-sized chunks. There are different planet types to consider, which come with their own imports and exports to sort out, and you'll also need to send out probes to discover what lies beyond the edge of your current borders, which costs time and may end up being detrimental to your empire's happiness and sustainability in the long run. However, the titular slipways can’t cross each other, so you need to consider all future connections with each expansion.īut there's a lot more to Slipways than just managing resource exchange routes. The goal is to create a prosperous, star-spanning galactic civilisation by linking up networks of planets so that each one has access to the resources it needs to first survive, then thrive.

What else should I be playing if I like this: There aren't that many space games that scratch the same puzzle itches as Slipways, but if it whets your appetite for meatier space-themed 4X games, then get thee to Stellaris.Īt first glance, Slipways looks like another spacefaring 4X-athon, but it's actually a fiendishly moreish strategy-infused puzzle game. Slipways Where can I buy it: Steam, GOG, Epic Games Store And don't listen to the naysayers, the final game drops the ball a bit during the closing act, but otherwise it's a cracking end to the trilogy.ġ9. The middle game might be the best, but the first lays all the groundwork. And being the boss largely means telling people what to do - and snogging.Ĭommander Shepard's second mission remains their best - it's a planet-hopping Argonautica and suicide mission with some of BioWare's best-realised characters - but now the entire trilogy has been remastered as part of the Legendary Edition, there's really no reason not to play the whole lot from start to finish. You're not Sulu, blowing Klingons out of space, or Chekov, piloting a ship you're the boss. The Mass Effects are Captain Kirk simulators. What else should I be playing: Mass Effect wouldn't exist without Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, which saw BioWare bid farewell to Dungeons & Dragons and head into space for the first time. Mass Effect Legendary Edition Where can I buy it: Steam, Humble, Origin Galactic Civilizations II: Endless UniverseĢ0.Disagree? Tell us about your favourite space game in the comments below, and maybe you'll convince others to give it a try. There are still plenty of classics here, but for we've focused on games we'd recommend you play today for this list, rather than a 'greatest space games of all time' affair. There are loads of brilliant space games to be found on PC, but we've selected 20 of the best below.

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