Endless Space 2 - Dark Matter (DLC)

Endless Space 2 is a turn-based 4X strategy game set in a sci-fi universe built around the remnants of a godlike ancient civilization. You pick a faction, colonize star systems, manage resources, research a branching tech tree, and eventually collide with rival empires in battles that blend automated combat with meaningful tactical card choices. It sits comfortably in the same genre shelf as Stellaris and Galactic Civilizations, but it carves out its own identity through strong faction asymmetry and a surprisingly coherent tone across its writing and visual design. The faction design is where this game earns its reputation. The Unfallen spread via vine-like tendrils across lanes rather than colonizing aggressively. The Vodyani consume population from other planets to sustain their arks. The Riftborn operate on a completely different colonization economy. Every faction is not just a reskin with different stat bonuses - it genuinely changes how you plan your first thirty turns, which sectors you prioritize, and what your mid-game economic engine looks like. If you have ever bounced off a 4X because every civilization felt interchangeable, Endless Space 2 is a direct answer to that frustration. The learning curve for a new faction is real, but the payoff in strategic variety is substantial. For newcomers, the tutorials are functional without being condescending. The game uses a quest system per faction that doubles as a guided introduction to that faction's unique mechanics, which is genuinely clever design. You will still hit a wall the first time a late-game crisis fires while your economy is mismanaged, but the game gives you enough contextual information to diagnose what went wrong. I would recommend starting with the Sophons or the United Empire, both of which use relatively conventional expansion and tech strategies, before trying the more exotic factions. Experienced 4X players can jump straight into any faction on Normal difficulty and expect a reasonable challenge from the AI, which plays competently if not brilliantly. The combat system is the most common sticking point in community discussions. It is automated and resolved through card-based battle phases, which removes direct tactical control. What it does instead is force you to invest in fleet composition and tech counters before battle starts, making pre-combat decisions matter more than real-time reflexes. Some players find this unsatisfying. I think it is a reasonable design choice that keeps the strategic layer central without fragmenting your attention into a separate mini-game. The bigger late-game issue is that fleet spam can still sometimes outperform clever composition against a weaker AI, which reduces strategic tension in the endgame against easier opponents. The mod ecosystem via Steam Workshop is active and extends the game meaningfully, adding factions, balance tweaks, and visual overhauls. The Dark Matter edition bundles the base game with its DLC content, which adds the Vodyani faction, the Horatio rework, and several scenario packs - this is the version worth owning if you are buying in now. At its best, Endless Space 2 delivers the kind of 4X sessions where you glance up and three hours have passed because you were optimizing a system build order and planning a diplomatic pivot simultaneously. That density of decision-making is exactly what this genre owes its audience. Diego, Scout Team