Endless Space 2's Awakening expansion is out now, introducing yet another weird faction to the peculiar Endless universe. The Nakalim faction, once a huge empire, has seen better days, and now waits for the return of their gods. But they'll make time for galactic conquest, too. 

Since Endless Legend, Amplitude has really leaned into faction design, so each of the Endless Space 2 factions plays differently from the rest. The Nakalim, for instance, get a technological head start, but to simulate their stagnation, they can't research any new technology—instead hunting down relics to unlock new advances. 

The Nakalim's other unique hook is its relationship with the Academy, which is now an empire itself, though not a playable one. The Academy is a permanent fixture of the Endless games, but it's largely just a way for players to recruit heroes. Now it can build fleets, take over systems and request assistance from other factions. The Nakalim can gain control over systems through temples, and then turn them into Academy worlds, though not without some hefty compensation. 

The Academy plays a pretty big role in Endless Space 2's story, so it's good to see it evolving from an abstract game system into a galactic mover and shaker, and you can still use it to hire heroes. 

Awakening also throws a new Dust-sensitive minor faction into the mix, along with new Academy roles that the empire's ruler doles out as rewards. And even if you're not playing as the Nakalim, you'll be able to recruit the four new Nakalim heroes. 

Endless Space 2: Awakening is available on Steam now.

Endless Space 2 developer Amplitude Studios is hosting a summery event this week, offering free Sega games, putting on competitions and doing daily streams, including the developer's first German and French language streams. 

Some recent chat in PC Gamer's Slack inspired me to buy up all the Endless Space 2 and Endless Legend DLC I was missing last night, so I was up till 3 am trying to conquer aliens worlds this morning. I've still got energy to tackle the the new custom developer factions in Endless Space 2, though. 

To get access to the freebies, you'll want to sign up to Amplitude's Games2Gether programme. It's a community platform that the developer has used for its Endless games to track development, get feedback, give the community free stuff and host events like this. 

By linking your Steam account, you'll be able to grab two of the Sega classics on offer, which include Ecco: The Tides of Time and Ristar. There are a further 23 rewards you can download from Games2Gether, ranging from Endless-themed mocktail recipes to free DLC. 

At E3, Sega told us that the Games2Gether platform was one of the reasons it wanted to acquire Amplitude, and it's something the publisher would like to see built on, possibly with other studios getting involved. 

The Endless Summer event is live now and will run until July 11. 

April Fools' Day is over for another year, thank goodness, but its spectre still looms over us. Don't worry, it's a good spectre. Back in 2018, Endless Space 2 developer Amplitutde Studios teased a dating sim set in its sci-fi universe. Yesterday, it released Love Thyself—A Horatio Story for free. 

If you're not au fait with the Endless Universe's colourful characters, Horatio is both an individual and a species. He's the ultimate narcissist, using genetic engineering to create a whole civilisation of Horatios. Think the classic Red Dwarf episode Rimmerworld. And now one of them is looking for love. 

As a Horatio cadet, you'll have to navigate the complexities of a clone society, try to become the most perfect Horatio in the galaxy, or rebel and chart your own course. And you'll need to seduce some other Horatios—four identical potential paramours for you to choose from, you lucky clone. 

You might be wondering where this lies in the Endless canon, and luckily Amplitude has an answer for you. 

"The Endless Universe’s 'true story' gets rebooted every time you start a new game. Love Thyself: A Horatio Story positions itself firmly on our in-universe sliding scale of canon as a 'dude, probably'".

Despite its origins being a joke, Love Thyself doesn't seem like a parody. There are some gags and silly dialogue options, but most of what I've played has been more concerned with fleshing out Horatio society. See, the Horatio in question is defective, absent the imprinted memories of the rest of the clones, so they have to wing it, learning about how to act so they don't get discovered and recycled. 

It's a very simple visual novel, but like most of Amplitude's factions, the Horatio are intriguing enough to carry the story. It's also accompanied by some cracking retro sci-fi backdrops, as well as character art that manages to make all of these clones look distinct.   

You can grab Love Thyself—A Horatio Story for free on Steam.

If you're looking for something to play this weekend and don't want to spend any money, Amplitude Studios has made a trio of Endless games—Endless Space 2, Endless Legend, and Dungeon of the Endless—free for the weekend on Steam. The Endless Space Collection, which includes the original Endless Space and the Disharmony DLC, is also free, but you get to keep it. 

The free weekend comes alongside the release of a couple of new expansions, Penumbra for Endless Space 2 and Symbiosis for Endless Legend. All three games are also on sale, if the freebies convince you to jump in with both feet: Endless Space 2 is $14/£12/€14, Endless Legend is $8/£6/€8, and Dungeon of the Endless is up for $3/£2/€3.   

As an added bonus for Endless Space 2 players, Amplitude is teasing new in-game content that will unlock based on the number of systems explored. The first, a new minor faction known as the Basryxo has already been unlocked. Four more pieces remain. 

The free-for-keeps Endless Space Collection has to be claimed through Amplitude's Games2gether platform. It can be a little bit of a struggle but once you're set up and you Steam account is linked, you'll find the redemption button on the account rewards screen. Hit that, then check your Steam library, and like magic—there it is.

Amplitude has announced details and released trailers for the Endless Space 2 and Endless Legend Penumbra and Symbiosis expansions. They're both out next week.

First up, Endless Space 2: Penumbra will introduce a new, wraith-like faction, the Umbral Choir. Since the dawn of time, the Umbral Choir have remained silent, observing the difficulties the galaxy faced, but now they've decided to take action and "rush to the aid of those who suffered." Here's more from Amplitude on how the Umbral Choir came to be:

"10 months ago, we started out on a journey to co-create the Umbral Choir faction with our community. We held a series of votes on everything from species origin, morphology, nomenclature, ship structure, lore & much more…. This series of 11 community votes helped us create the badass spectral faction we’ve arrived at today, which looks unlike all the factions we’ve created before. Thank you to everyone who contributed!"

In addition to the new faction, hacking and invisibility will also be introduced. You'll be able to attempt to hack into others' home systems, regardless of the faction you're playing. Invisibility modules for ships will also be introduced, allowing you to hide from enemy view, though detection modules to counter them will also be available.

You can check out the trailer below.

Symbiosis, meanwhile, will be Endless Legend's last expansion, over four years after the game originally launched. Amplitude has teamed up with NGD Studios again for the this one (they previously worked together on the Inferno expansion), which will see the introduction of a new faction, the Mykara, and new tameable beasts, the Urkan.

You can see both the Mykara and Urkans in action in the trailer below.

Both Penumbra and Symbiosis expansions are available for pre-order now at a base price of $12.99/£10.99, though both are available with an additional ten percent off on Steam. And if you're interested in owning both, you'll nab a 20 percent discount if you purchase them together.

Endless Space 2: Penumbra and Endless Legend: Symbiosis are set for release next week on January 24.

This time last week, we learned of Endless Space 2 and Endless Legend's new Supremacy and Inferno expansions—both of which land today. This time this week, I'm here to tell you both games are getting a free weekend. 

From now through Sunday at 10am PST / 6pm BST, Endless Space 2 and Endless Legend are free to try (as are Amplitude's other games Dungeon of the Endless and the original Endless Space). More on that features in the trailer above. If you already own all of the developer's games, the free weekend's custom-made website and stretch goals might be of interest. 

Here's Amplitude with the skinny: 

On our free weekend website, we’ll be putting up Stretch Goals that will be unlocked based on the total number of hours played by our community, across all of our games. 

Last year, 240,000 participated in the free weekend, unlocking all six reward tiers in the process. This year, we're back with another Community Challenge!

Simply play Endless Legend, Dungeon of the Endless, or Endless Space 2 and reach 1 million hours of collective playtime to help the community unlock all the rewards, which include a Cravers Prime skin that was only available during Early Access, and as stretch goals, 6 additional fleet skins to unlock. 

Said free weekend website lives this way. 

If you fancy Endless Legend's new Inferno expansion, and Endless Space 2's new Supremacy add-on, here's some fresh in-game footage. First, Inferno: 

And second, Supremacy:

Both expansions are available on Steam, and cost £9.89/$11.69 (ten percent off till August 30) each; or £17.58/$ 20.78 (20 percent off) when purchased together.  

You wait all day for a Fire Ship and/or Dreadnought then two come along at once. Amplitude Studios has unveiled new "major" expansions for both Endless Space 2 and Endless Legend. Both are due on August 2. 

Which is one week from today. Lovely. Let's have some trailers, then we'll talk to the nuts and bolts. First, Endless Legend Inferno.

Second, Endless Space 2 Supremacy.

Working alongside NGD Studios—the folk responsible for the Master of Orion reboot—Amplitude has added the Kapaki, a Lava Biome and Dust Eclipses to Endless Legend via Inferno. Forced to leave their native volcanic homeland, the former are determined to set up shop among the ash, fire and ruin and are billed as a "crafty new faction of tinkers and inventors."

The fiery landscape isn't exactly brimming with life, but is ripe in industry, science, dust and volcanic anomalies—which is where Dust Eclipses come in. 

"In these new events, you’ll notice the skies darken and the atmosphere become thick with Dust," explains publisher Sega. "Now, in normal conditions, this would be a pain, but Auriga is special, and these Dust infusions will create short-lived 'Dust Confluxes' all over the map, bestowing a temporary boon to whichever army reaches them first."

Onto Endless Space 2, and The Hissho mark Supremacy's newest major faction. Having first featured in the original ES, the group's central feature is Keii, "or honor", that powers special abilities and can boost systems and fleets mid-battle. Keii is replenished through combat, which leads Sega to say: "space is about get a little bit rowdier." The Hissho also bring minor faction Illo to fight—machines said to be "hell-bent" on eliminating the weakest species of war.  

Supremacy also brings with it a new ship type for all factions. Here's more on The Behemoths: 

Ever wished for a gigantic ship that was customizable to your specific purposes? Wish no more! These gigantic ships are remnants of the mysterious Endless era, providing significant economic or scientific boosts, and can be customized into “Obliterator”, “Juggernaut”, and “Citadel” specializations. The Hissho start the game with one they’ve just awoken, and the rest of the players can catch up through a cooperative quest. 

Again, both Endless Space 2 Supremacy and Endless Legend Inferno land on August 2. Available on Steam, pre-orders cost £9.89/$11.69 (ten percent off) each, or £17.58/$ 20.78 (20 percent) when purchased together.   

Like the countless Humble Bundles that have come before it, the new Humble Strategy Bundle offers a selection of good games for just $1: In this case, Dungeon of the Endless, the Endless Space Collection, Planetary Annihilation: Titans, and Company of Heroes 2 – Whale and Dolphin Conservation Charity Pattern Pack. That last one requires Company of Heroes 2, but that's okay because it's a full-on charity gig anyway: "All of the associated Relic / Sega revenue will be donated to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation charity," as its Steam page states. 

Moving on, paying more than the average price will also unlock the Empire: Total War Collection, Endless Legend – Classic Collection and the Endless Legend – Tempest DLC, and 66 percent off of Total War: Warhammer, which drops the price to $20 until May 24.   

Finally, we get to the $12 price point, which adds Endless Space 2, Tooth and Tail, and the Tooth and Tail soundtrack to the collection. Anyone who spends at least $1 will get ten percent off their first month on a new Humble Monthly subscription, and everyone, even those who spend nothing at all, can claim an exclusive Flag and Camo, 250 Doubloons, and three days of premium account time in the free-to-play World of Warships.   

Funds raised by this Humble Strategy Bundle will go to support WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, which also kind of explains the presence of that Company of Heroes 2 DLC in a bundle that doesn't offer COH2. The bundle will be available until April 24. 

Welcome to our round up of the best 4X games on PC. Ever since the term '4X' was coined for the original Master of Orion, we’ve been Exploring, Expanding, Exploiting, and Exterminating our way through fantasy, history, and the depths of space. The genre has seen something of a renaissance in the last half decade, and while it’s great to have options, there’s also a lot to sort through. 

Not every 4X game is for everyone, so we’ve taken a look at all the major players to enter the stage in recent years and why you might, or might not, want to play them.

Dominions 5

Let's start with an unusual one. Dominions 5 is a 4X game about warring gods and their fantastical armies. You start by designing your deity, which could be a raging dragon or a mystical inanimate rock. Turn by turn you muster armies, recruit wizards to research apocalyptic magic spells, and fend off the attentions of other pretender gods. 

Dominions' visuals are... old school, let's say. You need to dig into the community and get some decent user-made maps but, once you've done that and scanned the manual you'll find a detailed strategy game that generates mad stories. I'm used to controlling spaceships and cavalry in 4X games, only in Dominions can I send an alliance of satyrs, wyverns, elemental spirits and ghosts off to fight some atlanteans. The AI is easily to beat once you have played a few games but the game thrives in multiplayer about other people.

Who's it for: Players happy to get past primitive visuals to unpick a detailed magic system and command dazzling and varied factions.

Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion

A unique blend of 4X and RTS set in space, Rebellion is more fast-paced than most of the games on this list. It’s a standalone expansion, but also the definitive version of Sins currently available—so you don’t need to worry about grabbing the original to have a good time.

Who it’s for: Existing RTS fans who want to branch out into 4X, and players who like to get to the action fast and maintain a challenging pace. This one may be a little chaotic for the turn-based armchair generals of the world.

Fallen Enchantress 

This turn-based fantasy 4X revolves heavily around Hero characters and a faction leader called a sovereign who can go on RPG-style quests and be used in many aspects of empire management, not just limited to combat.

Who it’s for: Classic RPG fans will feel right at home with the quest system, and the customizable fantasy armies are likely to appeal to tabletop miniature painters of the Warhammer and Hordes persuasions.

Endless Space

One of the most intriguing aspects of the universe in which Endless Space (and its sequel) are set is the mythology behind it. Much revolves around the ancient empire known as the Endless, and the quasi-magical Dust they left behind.Who it’s for: A good all-around entry level space 4X that will also challenge experienced players, and holds added appeal for anyone who wants to unravel facets of a mysterious, pre-written story while dominating the galaxy. It’s also available for beans now that ES2 is in Early Access.

Sid Meier’s Civilization 5 

If we could crown a king of 4X, Sid Meier’s Civilization would have little competition for that throne. Taking one of an armload of civilizations from the ancient to the modern age while competing for various victory conditions, this is the series that has championed the genre for years.

Who it’s for: Even with Civ VI out, Civilization V frequently goes on sale for absurdly low prices, so if you’re not sure you’ll like the series and just want to try it out without dropping the full $60 on the new one, by all means take advantage. It’s certainly an excellent, entertaining game in its own right, particularly with the Brave New World expansion. Plus, the mod scene is excellent.

Europa Universalis IV 

While most of the other games on this list put you in a randomly-generated world or galaxy, EU4 is built on an extremely in-depth recreation of Earth between the years of 1444 and 1821. You can lead any nation on the planet, from France to the Comanche, through centuries of colonization, exploration, and technological discovery.

Who it's for: Considering it’s the highest review score I’ve ever given out, it’s almost easier who to ask who it’s not for. The complexity of the simulation and sprawl of interlocking systems for trade, war, and diplomacy might intimidate newcomers to 4X and grand strategy, but EU4’s interface and tooltips do an excellent job of helping you wade into the shallow end and get a feel for the water.

Eador: Masters of the Broken World 

Taking the role of a demigod battling others of your ilk for control of the shards (all that’s left of the eponymous broken world), Eador is another 4X game that’s hard to categorize. It features 4X, RPG, and board game-like, tactical turn-based elements.

Who it’s for: Eador’s greatest strength might just be how different its setup is compared to most other 4X games. The breaking of the game world into shards, which each behave like a smaller version of a strategic map in a game like Total War or Crusader Kings, means you’ll enjoy it if you’re looking for something a bit different than the standard map conquest or flipping largely static planets in a vast expanse of space to your color.

Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth

Taking the Civilization formula into space, Beyond Earth casts you as the head of one of the first human colonies on an alien planet. You guide its development and compete with other colonial concerns using mechanics that will feel highly familiar if you’ve played Civ 5.Who it’s for: Beyond Earth is, in my opinion, a bit of a misstep in the Civ series, lacking elements that drive its siblings to success. While it has some cool things going for it, like a nonlinear tech system that allows you to evolve your futuristic technology in a number of distinct directions, it ultimately feels like a high budget Civ 5 mod that didn’t hold my interest for more than a couple dozen hours.

Endless Legend

Similar to its sci-fi counterpart Endless Space, the unfolding fantasy epic of Endless Legend takes place in a richly realized world with character and backstory to spare. Civilizations are highly customizable, and each presents distinct opportunities.

Who it’s for: We awarded Endless Legend a Commendation for Design in 2014. It has its foundation in the time-tested elements that make 4X what it is, but is unafraid to build on and remix them in ways that will especially interest long-time players who might be suffering from genre fatigue. Beyond that, anyone just wanting to explore a rich and interesting new fantasy setting won’t be at all disappointed.

Warlock II: The Exiled

Warlock is pretty close to what I’d imagine a well-done fantasy overhaul of Civilization might look like. It makes good use of neutral factions on the map to be more than just an early-game annoyance.

Who it’s for: Due to its relative simplicity and adherence to genre norms, this is a fairly welcoming first step for those wanting to branch out into fantasy 4X from other subgenres. It also has a sharper sense of humor than its more dour, grandiose counterparts like Endless Legend and Fallen Enchantress.

Distant Worlds: Universe

Allowing you to discover the stars in a pausable, real-time galaxy, Distant Worlds features one of the more robust models of a civilian economy (which can run on auto-pilot while you handle the political stuff) I’ve seen in a 4X game.

Who it’s for: Aside from just being an overall well-designed 4X, Distant Worlds will have a special appeal for those who like to focus on exploration. This is because it really succeeds where so many other sci-fi games have failed: it makes space feel really, really big.

Star Ruler 2

Similar to Sins of a Solar Empire, Star Ruler 2 is a bit of a 4X/RTS hybrid. It boasts quite in-depth systems for diplomacy and planetary development.

Who it’s for: This one skews toward the higher end of the complexity scale, and the sheer amount of fine control you have over its systems might be intimidating to newcomers. If you’re looking for gigantic, animated space battles, however, it may be worth your time to wrap your head around it.

Galactic Civilizations III 

Galactic Civilizations has cemented itself as the other 'blockbuster' contender in the 4X space, and GalCiv III is the most polished and extravagant entry to date.Who it’s for: If you’re sick of cookie-cutter victory conditions, one of the most positive changes GalCiv 3 made to the series’ formula was turning victory into a set of objectives you can pick and choose from. So even two different runs going for the same victory condition might look different.

Stellaris

Stellaris takes Paradox’s historical formula and blasts it to the stars where you’ll manage military, political, and economic aspects of your space empire.Who it’s for: Fans of historical grand strategy will feel at home in Stellaris, but for those used to more traditional 4X, it takes some getting used to. There’s a much heavier focus on politics, with elements like your form of government and the will of your citizens playing a large role.

Master of Orion

The most recent in the lauded Master of Orion series doesn’t do much we haven’t seen before, but it plays the old hits well and wraps them in stratospheric production value and some big name sci-fi voice talent.Who it’s for: Despite being so new, MoO is bog standard 4X. Not much has changed here since its 1996 predecessor other than the graphics. That does make it a nice starting point for total newbies, but the real draw is hearing John de Lancie lament the war that's brewing between his empire and yours.

Endless Space 2

Endless Space 2 builds on some of the best ideas of its predecessor, this time crafting more unique story content for each of the distinct interstellar empires.Who it’s for: It shouldn’t surprise you at this point in the list that connoisseurs of interactive storytelling should jump for anything that says 'Endless' on it. Endless Space 2 is also arguably a better starting point for newcomers than the first one, as it’s made lots of improvements to your ability to access important, contextual information.

Sid Meier’s Civilization VI

Civilization VI emerges from its chrysalis to reveal the most transformative and fresh take on the series in its storied history. Also, it has Sean Bean.

Who it’s for: Just about anyone who enjoys turn-based strategy. It presents lots of new challenges and opportunities even for the most weathered series veterans, but also remains among the most inviting 4X games for first-timers.

As we reported last month, turn-based 4X 'em up Endless Space 2 recently launched a mod competition in collaboration with ModDB. The winners are now in, and lilyophelia's Endless Romance has secured first place. 'Tis Valentine's season after all.  

With mention of terrorist attacks and weaponised viruses—alongside some pretty unsettling imagery—this isn't your typical lovestruck affair, though. Endless Romance is a quest mod that adds romanceable heroes, 34 new events, 85 unique choices, 19 different endings, three epilogues, and eight buildable Histories. 

Speaking to that last part, the mod's creator says: "[Endless Romance] adds a large assortment of buildable histories, based on your story choices during your playthrough of Endless Romance. Histories are like mini-wonder buildings that provide a thematic bonus (flat and scaling) and make your empire feel more personalized and storied."

More information on Endless Romance, including installation instructions, can be found here. 

Other highlights from the EndlessMods contest include Redraluin's More Traits, KumaNoYuushi's Rebalanced Luxuries, and CyRob's Sandbox Mod—the latter of which grants players 9999 Trait Points. The full list of winners is found in this direction. 

For more Endless Space 2 reading, I like what Robert Zak has to say.