Who would've thought you could buy entire new planets for $5? Ah, video games. Today you can do just that with Forbidden Worlds, the first expansion pack to Sins of a Solar Empire's excellent expandalone addition to the franchise, Rebellion.

This time around, that war between loyalists and rebels is still waging—but who has time for drama when there are four new planet types to ruthlessly exploit for resources? There's also a new planet specialization system, giving you the option to expand your planets' social or industrial output. Would you rather a cultured planet, or one that basically exists as a production line for new ships? Additionally, 15 new research subjects and 40 discoverable planet bonuses are added to Rebellion's already-sprawling galaxy.

Forbidden Planets is available through Sins of a Solar Empire's own website, as well as via Steam—because the galaxy can only go without a fresh supply of sin for so long.

Sometimes a sequel wants to say more than the original ever could. Fallen Enchantress: Legendary Heroes, a new standalone expansion to the Stardock strategy game, puts you at the helm of a fantasy empire in a hostile world filled with flaming corpse monsters and wailing undead banshees.

The game was released on Steam and elsewhere yesterday and while it's being called an expansion to 2012's original Fallen Enchantress game, Legendary Heroes appears to be something of a reboot for the title.

“Fallen Enchantress gave us a lot of great feedback,” said Derek Paxton, the lead designer of Legendary Heroes in a press release. “With Legendary Heroes we wanted to take that feedback and deliver a deeper, more polished and more welcoming game than what we started with.”

The champion units have seen what looks to be a major change from the original game, in that instead of being encountered randomly throughout the game map, a player earns champions by gaining fame through successful empire building.

Some of the other updates in the expansion include a new leveling system, more factions, and an improved graphics engine. For a complete list of detailed changes to the game, check out a an abbreviated—but still lengthy—changelog assembled by Paxton. It's also worth pointing out that at $39.99, the standalone expansion is $10 more than the original title. Be sure to check out Tom Francis's detailed review of the original Fallen Enchantress.

Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion, the standalone expansion to Stardock's RTS/4X released almost a year ago, is getting a small, $5 DLC out of the black. Dubbed Forbidden Worlds, the new content will include new planet types, new steam achievements, and a planet specialization system.

Here's the features list from the official press release:

Four new planet types to colonize and exploit (Barren, Ferrus, Greenhouse, Oceanic), each created with beautiful high-res textures.
New Planet Specialization System: Dedicate your worlds to either social or industrial output. Devoting your planet to social improvements will increase its population and culture, at the cost of trade income and ship production. Choosing an industrial path will limit your growth and culture, but make your planet a trading and ship building powerhouse.
15 new research subjects allow the races to conquer and expand onto the forbidden worlds.
Discover 40 new planet bonuses during your exploration of the galaxy, unlocking the dark past of the Sins’ universe.
Unlock five new Steam Achievements and display your mastery of forbidden space!

The DLC releases June 5, just a week off from Rebellion's one year anniversary. While you're checking out the DLC, you might as well check out the Mass Effect conversion mod. It's still in alpha, but has been lauded by friends looking over my shoulder as "pretty slick."