This new Stellaris rival from a solo ex-Creative Assembly dev could be my latest interstellar obsession

Why are we so obsessed with space? Whether it's sending robots singing happy birthday to themselves on the surface of Mars or Tim Curry corpsing as he delivers a melodramatic line in Red Alert 3, we as a species have been obsessed with our place in the universe since we first looked up at the stars at night. That goes for games, too, and while nearly every genre has ventured into the far reaches of our solar system, 4X games do it best for me. Stellaris is the obvious measuring stick, but newcomer to the scene Stellar Reach might just become my latest obsession.

Stellar Reach has all the hallmarks of a great spacefaring adventure. Eight playable factions ensure maximum replay value as you navigate six different tech trees, harvest over a dozen different resources, and strategize with your innumerable fleets of devastating spacecraft.

Of course, it's got three different victory paths, too. Win via martial supremacy, citizen prosperity, or industrial dominance with an automated workforce. Now I'm already seeing these as 'good' and 'evil' playthroughs, but maybe you could be a benevolent dictator? Maybe this is a parallel universe where that's not an oxymoron? Either way, I'm sure as hell going to find out.

The most impressive feat in Stellar Reach, however, is that it has been made by one developer. Former Ubisoft and Creative Assembly dev James Miller has crafted this entire universe, a feat made even more impressive when you actually jump into the game and see the scale of the planets and systems he's created.

While Stellaris certainly isn't slowing down when it comes to DLC, sometimes it's nice to have a refreshing change of pace. With a free demo currently available and the full game only costing $17.99 / £15.07, it's worth checking out this rival to cleanse your palette ahead of Shadows of the Shroud, if nothing else.

Stellar Reach is now available on Steam. You can download the demo or full game here.

If this has you donning your finest astronaut costume, check out some of our picks for the best space games for more interstellar action. Our list of the best strategy games is also worth your time.

Will you be checking out Stellar Reach? Let us know in our community Discord server, where staff and readers discuss all the mysteries of the cosmos. And the latest gaming news.