So it’s after 1 am and I just managed to tear myself away from Galactic Civilizations. Back in the day I was a huge fan of “4X” games but as I grew older I found I didn’t have the patience for them anymore. GalCiv seems to somehow pack in that “grab you by the throat and never let go” gameplay with a sleek enough play mechanic that you don’t get bogged down, at least in the “small” galaxy maps. Part of this is probably because you only have a handful of planets to look after.

Add to that alternatives to the basic “Nuke ’em into the stone age” victory conditions and you’ve got a game well worth playing. Or at least, that’s my “initial reaction” determination. It remains to be seen if the game has legs.

Find out more about Galactic Civilizations at http://www.galciv.com.