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The Battle of Polytopia - 7 more mobile 4X games worthy of Civ

Mobile strategy games with a little of that Civ magic

The Battle of Polytopia - 7 more mobile 4X games worthy of Civ

In case you haven't encountered it, The Battle of Polytopia is a really rather fabulous mobile strategy game that a lot of people are playing right now.

It's actually been around for a couple of years now, but a recent multiplayer update has reinvigorated interest in the game.

Polytopia belongs to the 4X strand of the strategy genre, which stands for 'explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate'. In other words, you're responsible for building a mini-empire from scratch, then going out and conquering others.

The defining example of 4X strategy is the Civilization series on PC, or Civ to its fans. Polytopia is notable for successfully distilling this Civ/4X formula for mobile.

It's far from the only mobile game to offer a decent 4X experience on mobile though. If you've played Polytopia to death and are still hungering for that Civ fix on the go, try these out for starters.

A Planet of Mine

Polytopia isn't the only mobile 4X game to appeal to a wider audience with cute graphics and a more intuitive interface.

A Planet of Mine ticks both of those boxes, arguably with even greater vigor, whilst still retaining a surprising amount of resource-gathering, economy-bolstering depth.

Hero Generations

Here's another game that makes 4X cute and approachable for a mobile audience, but with a roguelike slant.

In Hero Generations, every step represents a lost year of your life, meaning you need to factor in the limitations of old age and issues of legacy while you're planning your next conquest.

Empire

Where Polytopia streamlines the 4X formula, Empire strips it right back to its bare essence.

There are just a handful of unit types and cities, limited resources, and a simple CCG battle system as Empire hones in on the desperate early stages of the Civ experience.

Planar Conquest

A deep fantasy 4X that casts you as a sorcerer seeking to control the seven planes of existence.

Planar Conquest might look like a somewhat simplified take on the genre, but its strategic scope is truly vast.

Demise of Nations

Demise of Nations is a mobile 4X game that doesn't believe in compromise. It covers multiple empires across a vast time period, from the Romans to the modern US.

This is a seriously meaty strategy experience that involves a lot more than just attacking your rivals, and it also has an intriguing take on turn-based movement systems.

Civilization Revolution 2

There have been a couple of attempts to get Civilization itself working on mobile, with Civilization Revolution 2 standing as the most recent example.

While it doesn't come close to the majesty of the latest PC games, it does serve as a smart summary of the things people love about Civ, with diverse empires and historical leaders adding flavour to the simplified empire-building.

Starbase Orion

Starbase Orion has been around since 2011, when it launched as a solid but fairly unspectacular sci-fi 4X game. In the years following, however, it has gradually morphed into one of the most engrossing hardcore strategy experiences on mobile.

It's not particularly pretty, but if you want a game that rivals many PC strategy games for depth, check it out.

Jon Mundy
Jon Mundy
Jon is a consummate expert in adventure, action, and sports games. Which is just as well, as in real life he's timid, lazy, and unfit. It's amazing how these things even themselves out.