by MarcM, 13 November 2025
When I started playing strategy board games again, I didn’t try Jim Krohn’s Space Empires 4X. It was too different from the wargames I was familiar with. But, when the final expansion All Good Things hit the shelves, I felt like I’d really missed out. Now, with GMT’s release of Space Empires fifth printing, I’ve got another chance.
click images to enlarge
I don’t play computer games like I used to, but 4X (explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate) computer games have been and still are some of my favorites. I never considered the concept of a 4X board game. Thanks to GMT games providing copies of the latest edition of Space Empires 4X and the expansions, now I get to see how it works. Obviously, this system isn’t new, but it’s new to me. So, if you’re like me and new to 4X board gaming, hang around for a look at the game and my first playthrough.
Re-Introducing Space Empires 4X
If you’ve never looked at Space Empires 4X, it’s a 1- to 4-player game where players take command of empires, expanding their own and exterminating the others. To do that, each empire sends ships across the board to explore. Exploration might yield minerals and wrecks to exploit, worlds suitable for expansion. It might also yield black holes, hostile aliens, or instant death.
In solo scenarios the player defends their empire from approaching doomsday machines. A single player can play empire vs. empire as well, with some caveats. We’ll get into that in a moment.
Space Empires comes with:
- Counter sheets for the empires with, unique colors and ship designs
- A 22-inch-by-29-inch mounted board
- Booklets for rules and scenarios
- Player reference cards explaining ship and tech upgrades
- A pad of record sheets.
Yes, you need to do some record keeping and math. Trust me though, if I can do it, you can do it.
The board was the first thing I had to acclimate to. I’m used to small hexes over forests, cities or deserts. Large hexes over black are different. In my preconceptions the board felt…small. But each hex isn’t a few hundred yards or a kilometer or two.
Each hex is a system. So, each hex could hold a planet or a nebula and a bunch of ships. Space is big, so the board is bigger than it looks. And while the board is relatively small, you need space for records and reference cards. Keep this in mind when planning your playing space.
A side note here…if you and a friend both have the game, there’s a scenario setup that uses two boards, allowing warp points between them. More to explore, more to conquer…it sounds pretty cool. And now I wish I had another copy.
How to Conquer the Universe
If you’ve played Civilization, Alpha Centauri (I loved Alpha Centauri), Endless Legend, Galactic Civilizations, Distant Worlds, or (on and on and on), you’re familiar with the 4X concept, as I was but it’s interesting to see how the mechanics of a 4X game unfold in the tactile world.
Coming soon . . . A Space Empires 4X after-action report!
Space Empires 4X Series
(Re)introduction ~ (Re)Learning AAR pt 1 & pt 2 ~ Ground Battles pt 1 & pt 2 ~ Replicators pt 1 & pt 2 ~ All Good Things pt 1 & pt 2 ~ Forum Thread
Thank you for visiting the Regiment of Strategy Gaming and riding with The Armchair Dragoons.
Rather than list a bunch of social media links, the easiest thing to do is to check out our LinkTree, which connects you to all of our various locales around the web.
You can also support The Armchair Dragoons through our Patreon, and find us at a variety of conventions and other events.
Feel free to talk back to us either in our discussion forum, or in the comments below.
