Best 4X Games on Steam
Steam currently has 654 4X games available to download and play. Explore our list of the best picks ranked by Player Score. Our Player Score rankings are calculated directly from reviews left on the Steam store and will be updated in real-time as more players leave their feedback. 4X game rankings were last updated on 1/26/2025.
Looking for more? Explore other lists such as:
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1. STAR WARS™ Empire at War - Gold Pack
Command or corrupt an entire galaxy in the definitive Star Wars strategy collection. It is a time of galactic civil war. Will you take up the reins of the Rebellion, assume control of the Empire, or rule the Star Wars Underworld?
STAR WARS™ Empire at War - Gold Pack holds the #1 spot for "best 4X game on Steam" with a Player Score of 96. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 38,076 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 37,168 positive reviews and 908 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $19.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is possible to play STAR WARS™ Empire at War - Gold Pack on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Steam Price | $19.99 |
| Release Date | 5/26/2010 |
| Developer | Petroglyph |
| Publishers | |
| Steam App Id | 32470 |
2. Sid Meier's Civilization® V
Create, discover, and download new player-created maps, scenarios, interfaces, and more!
Sid Meier's Civilization® V has achieved a Player Score of 95, placing it in the #2 spot for the best 4X games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 201,863 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 193,383 positive reviews and 8,480 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $29.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Sid Meier's Civilization® V on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Steam Price | $29.99 |
| Release Date | 9/21/2010 |
| Franchise | Civilization Franchise |
| Developers | |
| Publishers | |
| Steam App Id | 8930 |
3. Total War: MEDIEVAL II – Definitive Edition
Spanning the most turbulent era in Western history, your quest for territory and power takes you through Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and even onto the shores of the New World.
Total War: MEDIEVAL II – Definitive Edition has achieved a Player Score of 94, placing it in the #3 spot for the best 4X games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 32,507 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 31,116 positive reviews and 1,391 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $6.24 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Total War: MEDIEVAL II – Definitive Edition on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Steam Price | $6.24 |
| Release Date | 11/15/2006 |
| Developers | |
| Publishers | |
| Steam App Id | 4700 |
4. Against the Storm
A dark fantasy city builder where you must rebuild civilization in the face of apocalyptic rains. As the Queen’s Viceroy, lead humans, beavers, lizards, foxes, and harpies to reclaim the wilderness and secure a future for civilization's last survivors.
Against the Storm has achieved a Player Score of 93, placing it in the #4 spot for the best 4X games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 29,626 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 28,161 positive reviews and 1,465 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $14.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Steam Price | $14.99 |
| Release Date | 12/8/2023 |
| Franchise | Hooded Horse |
| Developer | Eremite Games |
| Publisher | Hooded Horse |
| Steam App Id | 1336490 |
5. Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword
Sid Meier's Civilization IV®: Beyond the Sword is the second expansion pack for Civilization IV - the 2005 PC Game of the Year that has become a worldwide hit.
Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword has achieved a Player Score of 93, placing it in the #5 spot for the best 4X games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 4,411 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 4,254 positive reviews and 157 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $9.99 to play and can be played and ran on both Windows and Mac systems. At the moment, it is not possible to play or run Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword on the Steam Deck.
| Steam Price | $9.99 |
| Release Date | 7/24/2007 |
| Franchise | Civilization Franchise |
| Developer | Firaxis Games |
| Publisher | 2K |
| Steam App Id | 8800 |
6. Airships: Conquer the Skies
Construct mighty steampunk airships and fly them into battle, waging war and conquering the skies!
Airships: Conquer the Skies has achieved a Player Score of 93, placing it in the #6 spot for the best 4X games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 5,714 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 5,488 positive reviews and 226 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $9.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Airships: Conquer the Skies on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Steam Price | $9.99 |
| Release Date | 8/16/2018 |
| Franchise | David Stark |
| Developer | David Stark |
| Publisher | David Stark |
| Steam App Id | 342560 |
7. Rome: Total War™ - Collection
Control and conquer the greatest empire ever known to man.
Rome: Total War™ - Collection has achieved a Player Score of 92, placing it in the #7 spot for the best 4X games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 15,978 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 15,108 positive reviews and 870 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $0.00 to play and can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Rome: Total War™ - Collection on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 8/28/2007 |
| Developer | CREATIVE ASSEMBLY |
| Publisher | SEGA |
| Steam App Id | 4760 |
8. Empires of the Undergrowth
Command swarms of warriors at an unprecedented scale of warfare in this blend of RTS and base-building. Lead ant colonies against the many fearsome threats of the insect world, while building intricate nests, developing pheromone-based tactics, and evolving to meet growing dangers.
Empires of the Undergrowth has achieved a Player Score of 92, placing it in the #8 spot for the best 4X games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 14,259 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 13,473 positive reviews and 786 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $14.99 to play and can be played and ran on both Windows and Mac systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Empires of the Undergrowth on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Steam Price | $14.99 |
| Release Date | 6/7/2024 |
| Franchise | Hooded Horse |
| Developer | Slug Disco |
| Publishers | |
| Steam App Id | 463530 |
9. Master of Orion 2
Forge an empire in a universe where population growth is stripping away planetary resources. Colonize unknown planets and trade with other races for their knowledge.
Master of Orion 2 has achieved a Player Score of 91, placing it in the #9 spot for the best 4X games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 1,501 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 1,448 positive reviews and 53 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $5.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. At the moment, it is not possible to play or run Master of Orion 2 on the Steam Deck.
| Steam Price | $5.99 |
| Release Date | 2/25/2016 |
| Franchise | Wargaming Group Ltd. |
| Developer | SimTex |
| Publisher | Wargaming Labs |
| Steam App Id | 410980 |
10. Warsim: The Realm of Aslona
Warsim is a deep and rich text based kingdom management game unlike anything else. Complete with charming ASCII graphics, navigate the millions of different procedurally generated races, events and areas with a huge emphasis on player choice. Don't let its look fool you, there is depth in every direction.
Warsim: The Realm of Aslona has achieved a Player Score of 91, placing it in the #10 spot for the best 4X games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 1,838 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 1,766 positive reviews and 72 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $9.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Warsim: The Realm of Aslona on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Steam Price | $9.99 |
| Release Date | 12/20/2022 |
| Developer | Huw Millward |
| Publisher | Huw Millward |
| Steam App Id | 659540 |
More 4X Games
Explore even more rankings for the 100 best 4X games available on Steam.
| Image | Name | Actions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,239 | 5/26/2010 | 96 | $19.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 11,856 | 9/21/2010 | 95 | $29.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 2,441 | 11/15/2006 | 94 | $6.24 | Steam Charts | |
| 1,926 | 12/8/2023 | 93 | $14.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 1,215 | 7/24/2007 | 93 | $9.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 57 | 8/16/2018 | 93 | $9.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 592 | 8/28/2007 | 92 | ??? | Steam Charts | |
| 836 | 6/7/2024 | 92 | $14.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 148 | 2/25/2016 | 91 | $5.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 8 | 12/20/2022 | 91 | $9.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 203 | 6/12/2012 | 91 | $11.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 148 | 8/4/2020 | 90 | $14.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 25 | 2/25/2020 | 90 | $5.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 13,921 | 9/1/2020 | 90 | $14.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 18 | 11/27/2017 | 90 | $39.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 130 | 10/9/2014 | 90 | $6.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 1,926 | 6/20/2024 | 90 | $39.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 480 | 10/25/2006 | 89 | $19.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 6 | 6/3/2021 | 88 | $16.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 139 | 7/22/2024 | 88 | $19.49 | Steam Charts |
Soures & References
Steambase has best-in-class data powered directly by Steam, our data partners, and in-house experts. Reviews and rankings are enriched, analyzed, and updated in real-time to ensure we surface the most up-to-date insights. Learn more about the Steambase approach to data collection and our review methodology.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, January 26). Steam Store. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, January 26). STAR WARS™ Empire at War - Gold Pack on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, January 22). Sid Meier's Civilization® V on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, January 22). Total War: MEDIEVAL II – Definitive Edition on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, January 24). Against the Storm on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, January 2). Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, January 24). Airships: Conquer the Skies on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, January 22). Rome: Total War™ - Collection on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, January 25). Empires of the Undergrowth on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, November 7). Master of Orion 2 on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 9). Warsim: The Realm of Aslona on Steam. Steam Store.