Swedish developer and publisher Paradox Interactive is well known in the strategy game scene, particularly grand strategy. While they may be better known for their work in historically-themed strategy games, such as the insanely complicated Hearts of Iron, one of their most popular and best-selling games is Stellaris. The game sold over 200,000 copies within 24 hours of launching. Generally speaking, their games survive well past the usual life cycle of games with the use of both expansions and mod support.
The upcoming expansion, Necroids, is looking like it’s going to set a much darker tone with the addition of a new undead species. Death is no longer the end in this new Stellaris expansion, it’s quite literally only the beginning, for this species pack anyway. This is sure to put an interesting spin on play-throughs for both experienced players and newcomers! On top of this latest expansion, there is also a hefty sale on most of Paradox Interactive’s DLCs as part of Strategy Weekend, with up to 50% off on those and a huge 75% off of Stellaris. If you’ve been on the fence about picking up any of this publisher’s games, now is the time.
Stellaris is a real-time strategy game that has a heavy focus on space exploration and empire management, including diplomacy and interacting with the other in-game civilizations. The player assumes control of an early space-faring species in the year 2200, shortly after the invention of faster than light travel. You can use either one of the pre-made civilizations or create a totally custom one yourself, choosing both positive and negative traits that will influence how the game plays out. Additionally, using Ethics and Civics points players defines the general culture of their empire, whether they’re a war-hungry race out for glory or a peaceful species just looking to advance technology. This freedom creates an almost infinite number of possible combinations giving unlimited replayability.
