For the sake of argument, let’s say you were more than a little disappointed with Civilization 7. You’re waiting for the new season of Stellaris. Manor Lords updates are still in the works. Cities Skylines 2…isn’t there yet. Essentially, there’s a good chance that a strategy-game-shaped gulf has appeared in your life – there are a lot of solid choices out there, but perhaps you’ve worked through them all already. In that case, meet Ixion. Created by Bulwark, the studio behind Warhammer 40k Mechanicus, while it’s not without its fans, it’s also managed to slip under the mainstream radar. If you’ve not heard of it, or you’ve been waiting for a robust reason to play, Ixion is now cheaper than ever.
A strategy game and a city-building game, Ixion casts you as the administrator of a prototype space station that houses the final vestiges of the human race. Earth is destroyed. We need to find a new home. Naturally, this means outfitting the station with fundamental amenities like housing, power, and industry. But you also need to manage the morale and trust of your people.
Other, competing factions have escaped from Earth and may try to attack your station or overthrow your rule. You also have to contend with the myriad perils of interstellar travel. Imagine FTL, but much larger – hull breaches, fires, and malfunctioning power grids are part of daily life in Ixion.
You can build probes and other exploration vehicles, and use them to mine resources or recover the survivors from derelict ships. But there’s also a chapter-based narrative. As well as looking fantastic (I’m a sucker for intricate, top-down detail, and all those little moving parts) Ixion is a strategy game with a story.
Originally released in 2022, though it peaked at just over 17,000 concurrent players, it feels like Ixion has fallen undeservedly by the wayside. If you want to give it a shot, you can get it now for a 60% discount, meaning you will pay $13.99 / £11.80. Just head here.
Otherwise, try some of the best space games, or maybe the best 4X games available right now.
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