19 Games Like Sins of a Solar Empire
This selection of games like Sins of a Solar Empire includes other strategy adventures that use real time mechanics, space, starships and 4X elements.
Sins of a Solar Empire is a unique 2008 title within the science fiction video game genre with a blend of real time strategy and 4X elements that create a potent tactical challenge across an entire galaxy. At the heart of this strategy is the tree unique playable races (Vasari, Advent and TEC) with their own unique specialties to conquer planets in the sandbox and skirmish modes. Ultimately your objective is to take your spacefaring race to every star in the galaxy as you claim it for yourself through diplomacy, trade or military might.
Accordingly Sins of a Solar Empire focuses on the management this spacefaring race with resource collection, trade route establishment, bounties and planet based infrastructure dominating game mechanics. In addition players will find a wealth of technology, diplomacy and unit options to integrate into your strategy which results in a 4X inspired experience alongside the core real time strategy gameplay.
The games like Sins of a Solar Empire on this page include other classic space orientated games that give you an entire galaxy to conquer and are either real time or turn based games with 4X elements.
DarkOrbit
DarkOrbit offers a space orientated MMO that lets players take control of their own spaceship in this free to play experience. With shops controlled by both the AI and other players it’s a diverse and deadly galaxy that awaits you as you join the millions of other registered game accounts. DarkOrbit (later branded as DarkOrbit: Reloaded) was developed by Bigpoint Games with an original release in 2006. Developed dramatically since this first inception of the space adventure DarkOrbit still...[Read Review]
Endless Legend
Taking everything that they learned from their pervious 4X space strategy game (Endless Space) Amplitude Studios revisits the genre with a fantasy twist this time to create Endless Legend. Challenging players to dominate the fantasy game world known as Auriga you’ll command over a dozen factions to a number of varied game win conditions. With a standard core gameplay loop of exploration, founding of new cities, researching technology and ending the game through diplomatic or aggressive mea...[Read Review]
Alpha Centauri
Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri is a sci-fi 4X turn based strategy game with plenty of depth to explore that is often considered to be one of the titans in this genre of strategic titles. Released back in 1999 the game shifts the theme of the Civilization franchise into science fiction with a setup that sees seven different ideologies fighting for control of the Alpha Centauri planet of Chiron. In addition to the base game players have a single expansion pack available (Sid Meier’s Alien Crossfire) w...[Read Review]
Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds
Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds takes the popular science fiction Star Wars franchise into the real time strategy (RTS) game genre. With the same engine as the popular Age of Empires franchise (AoE 1 and 2) the adventure has many similarities in design and overall gameplay feel to that strategy series. Released in 2001 Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds was followed by an expansion pack a year later (Clone Campaigns) which add an additional two factions and new campaign content. Campaigns are t...[Read Review]
Galactic Civilizations II
Galactic Civilizations II is the second game in a series of 4X space strategy games developed by Stardock. The game is a turn based experience and was released in early 2006. The game saw two expansion packs released in subsequent years titled Dark Avatar and Twilight of the Amor. The setting in Galactic Civilizations II is the same as the previous game with players and several other alien species fighting for control over the galaxy. This race for control started after one of the youngest space...[Read Review]
Galactic Civilizations
Galactic Civilizations is a space themed strategy game that launched in 2003 with several sequels that built on the turn based strategy foundations of this original release. In 2004 an expansion pack to the core of Galactic Civilizations titled Altarian Prophecy was also released which added 2 new races to the game along with the addition of a campaign to provide players additional strategy choices and content. Galactic Civilizations is set in a distant future soon after humans discover the powe...[Read Review]
X3: Reunion
X3: Reunion continues the series of X adventure games with the third game in the franchise released in 2005. Just like the games before it players will find the game to be an expansive single player space experience involving trading, combat and plenty of galaxy exploration in between as you craft your own story within the world. Notable jumps from past additions in the franchise include improvements across graphics, user interfaces, economic systems and enemy AI that all combine to offer a grea...[Read Review]
Star Conflict
Star Conflict is a MMO experience that lets you to take control of your own starship and explore the vast depths of space while engaging in a wealth of PvP and PvE content. Originally launched in 2013 the Star Conflict experience has continued to expand with its free to play option in the space sandbox MMO genre available directly from their website or through the Steam platform. Star Conflict features clean 3D graphics with a galaxy that is set far into the future and approximately three thousa...[Read Review]
Space Empires V
Space Empires V was released in 2006 and was developed by Malfador Machinations. The game offers a 4X turn based experience that is very similar to that of the Civilization series. The game builds on many of the gameplay elements, races and technologies from the previous games in the series (such as Space Empires IV). Space Empires V is not simply an upgraded version of its predecessor though with many gameplay improvements altering the game in drastic (but positive) ways. The biggest feature is...[Read Review]
Galactic Civilizations III
Marking number three in the franchise Galactic Civilizations III once again returns to space with a premium 4X turn based strategy game offering that builds further on the marks of its predecessors. Launched in 2015 for Windows this Galactic Civilizations edition allows for near endless variations as you mix and match game settings to create your intended challenge. Galactic Civilizations III embarks on a story a decade after the war against the Dread Lords with their allies mostly being extermi...[Read Review]
Flotilla
Offering a turn based expedition in space Flotilla is a challenging strategy title where players can fully explore space based combat through the core 3D ship movement mechanic the game is set around. With a randomised galaxy to explore and a time limit on top Flotilla is one that encourages you to visit everything available and take each battle along the way. This ensures that no two games are the same in Flotilla given the many randomised elements of the core adventure portion of the space gam...[Read Review]
EVE Online
EVE Online is the premier space MMO adventure that offers a galactic scale of content for players to dive into and master. Well known for its vast amount of depth, in game currency tied to real world value and epic scale of community space battles EVE Online has continued to develop its offering since the original 2003 release. While the game launched as solely a subscription based title and accumulated a loyal subscriber base during that period the game has since transitioned to a free to play ...[Read Review]
Space Empires IV
Space Empires IV is part of the popular and long running 4X space strategy genre which has players attempting to achieve galactic conquest through turn based gameplay that utilises 4X fundamental gameplay. With a galaxy at your fingertips it’s an expansive game experience in line with the past titles that focuses on the explore, expand, exploit and exterminate framework of 4X. Space Empires IV (and the other games in the series) are often compared to the popular Civilization franchise with...[Read Review]
Sword of the Stars
Sword of the Stars belongs to the 4X space genre and features four different races (six with expansions) for players to use in their quest for galactic domination. The game shares similarities with the Total War series in that it blends turn based gameplay with tactical real time space combat. Since its release the game has received three expansion packs along with a number of free updates which add new races, technology and ship components for players to use. Just like in other space strategy e...[Read Review]
Endless Space 2
Revisiting the wide darkness of space yet again with a turn based strategy game is Endless Space 2 that offers the same science fiction setting of the original while expanding on the universe and strategy options. Released in 2017 for Windows and Mac it’s been five years since the first Endless Space 4X strategy title with the sequel seeking to offer similar addicting one more turn gameplay and self describes itself as a “strategic space opera”. Endless Space 2 takes place in a...[Read Review]
Distant Star: Revenant Fleet
Distant Star: Revenant Fleet blends the genres of space strategy title and rogue-lite challenge into a single galactic level adventure. Allowing players to design their ideal fleet this combat based journey will take you from one side of the galaxy to the other in order to save your home planet on Windows, Mac and Linux. Central to this adventure Distant Star: Revenant Fleet depicts the war between the A’Kari and Orthani races who have been locked in a war spanning the ages due to an ancie...[Read Review]
DarkStar One
DarkStar One focuses on space trading and combat as players explore the universe before them and carve their own path through the stars and planets. It launched in 2006 for Windows with an improved edition (Darkstar One: Broken Alliance) released two years later for the Xbox 360 platform providing console players the opportunity explore the universe of DarkStar One. In addition to a diverse range of planets and space anomalies your DarkStar One journey will feature half a dozen races with their ...[Read Review]
Endless Space
Endless Space is a science fiction 4X turn based strategy game that was released for Windows and Mac in 2012. The game was developed by Amplitude Studios and has drawn comparison to the Civilization series, Space Empires, Master of Orion and Alpha Centauri. Endless Space is packed full of content with 9 different civilizations that each offer their own unique playstyle. The civilizations available to the player vary dramatically based on military power, scientific capabilities, diplomatic resolv...[Read Review]
X3: Terran Conflict
X3: Terran Conflict is part of the X series of video games. Just like its predecessors the game is about trading and combat in a space environment. The game is set far into the future (2938) and takes place after Earth has been reconnected with the larger system of jumpgates in the X universe. This connection to Earth while an occasion of joy also created many new tensions and conflicts which is what the main story line of X3: Terran Conflict explores. X3: Terran Conflict is a single player only...[Read Review]