Put on your tinfoil hats, as Stellaris' psionic new DLC is available now

Too few videogames involve mind control as a central mechanic. It occurs occasionally in the fantasy genre, with the likes of necromancers and mages summoning zombies or controlling unsuspecting NPCs, but the influence of psychic abilities tends to stop there. Even Star Wars games, with their Jedi trickery, tend to lean more on the lightsabre action than psychic powers. That's why I can't wait to dive into Stellaris' Shadows of the Shroud DLC, which introduces the psionic cult of the Mindwardens and launches it into a rare pantheon of games alongside Control and Psychonauts.

Psionic powers are psychic abilities on the grandest scale. Labeled Psionic Auras by developer Paradox Interactive, the Shroud is capable of warping systems and reshaping destinies. Put simply, they're not to be trifled with, and they're about to get a whole lot more powerful.

However, as all of the best grand strategy games do, Stellaris allows you to either shun this new race or embrace them. If you choose the path of Psionic Ascension, a whole new Shroud tab will open up to you, and your actions will dictate which Shroud Patron shares its bonuses with you.

There's a new Major Patron in Shadows of the Shroud, the Cradle of Souls, and eight minor patrons to encounter based on your alignment. When you reach a certain level of Attunement with a domain, your empire unlocks Accords and Aura technology, which provide passive benefits as some of the Shroud's power leaks back into reality.

If you're not into all this mind-warping mumbo jumbo, it's probably best to get in touch with the Mindwardens. With fortified minds free of the effects of the Shroud, they offer myriad services including the 1984-esque 'Thought Police' and the Shroud Seal, which protects against Psionic foes.

In addition to this, there are new origins, civics, ships, advisors, and music tracks. It's a beefy expansion that should provide hours of fun. And if that wasn't enough to pull you into Paradox's grand strategy game, the base game is currently 75% off on Steam.

Stellaris: Shadows of the Shroud is available now for $19.99 / £16.75. The base game of Stellaris is on sale for $9.99 / £8.74 until Monday, September 29. You can buy them on Steam here.

If this has got you in the mood for more extra-terrestrial exploration, check out our list of the best space games for a fun time. Alternatively, download some of the best Stellaris mods to change your next playthrough.

What do you make of the new Stellaris DLC? Let us know in our community Discord server, where readers and staff try our best to move things with our minds.