Stellaris rival Stellar Reach, from a former Creative Assembly dev, finally has

Competition breeds innovation, or so the saying goes. Forthcoming sci-fi 4X game Stellar Reach hopes to provide just that to genre top dog Stellaris. Where Civilization has a strangehold on Earth-based grand strategy, Stellaris has that same grip on the sci-fi subgenre. However, with the power of former Ubisoft and Creative Assembly developer James Miller behind it, Stellar Reach hopes to break that monopoly and give players a new galaxy to conquer. But can it compete with the likes of Homeworld 3, Endless Legend 2, and Sins of a Solar Empire 2 in the shadow of Paradox's behemoth?

We won't have long to find out, as Stellar Reach developer Stelleas has just announced an October release date as a part of Steam 4X Fest. The festival, which runs from Monday August 11 until Monday August 18, showcases the best 4X games with demos and discounts galore.

With a real-scale map of the known universe and six distinct tech trees to follow, Stellar Reach promises frankly inconceivable levels of replayability. Will you build an impressive military and force the galaxy into submission, or improve the lives of your citizens so much that you achieve a victory based purely on prosperity?

With a focus on creating thriving economies, building huge armies, and developing intergalactic industry, Stellar Reach promises all the technical tactics that grand strategy games are known for. The vast tech trees look like complex flow charts, and it's important to synergize between them rather than focus on just one, so that you can build a well-balanced empire among the stars.

The game has been in development for a decade now, with solo developer Miller handcrafting every element of the exciting 4X title. "The game has grown beyond its original vision and is crafted with more depth and care than I originally expected for it," he said of his first independent game in a press release last month.

Every videogame is an impressive feat of writing, engineering, illustrating, composing, and more. Games made by solo developers are even more impressive. But a game of this size, scale, and scope? Made by just one person? I don't care if you've worked for Ubisoft and Creative Assembly, that's an achievement of gargantuan proportions.

Stellar Reach will release on October 8. You can wishlist it on Steam here.

If you can't wait two months for Stellar Reach, check out the best strategy games and best grand strategy games on Steam for a hit of exciting action.

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