Lunchbreak-friendly space 4X Stellaris Nexus is out now in early access
It'll be around six months till the full release
Whatboy and Paradox Interactive's 4X spin-off Stellaris Nexus has boldly gone where many other games have gone before and entered early access. Apologies, I realise that reference is more appropriate to Paradox's other recent strategy release, Star Trek: Infinite, but I don't know the Stellaris fiction well enough to think of an appropriate in-joke. If you are similarly lacking in Stellaris knowledge, please rejoice in the fact that Nexus is a stripped-down, sped-up, turn-based version of the legendary space sim, which emphasises snappy tactical and strategic relationships over backstory.
In theory, anyway. I enjoyed my recent hands-on with the game, but I'm undecided about how successfully it adapts Stellaris for lunchbreak-length playthroughs. Nexus speeds things up in various ways: it uses a turn timer, turns spaceship combat into an elaborate round of rock-paper-scissors, and uses cardgame-style mechanics for production, research and building. There's still a lot of lore to sift through, however, and it'll take a few tries to get your head around the fundamentals and play at the promised pace.
The early access version of Stellaris Nexus supports single and multiplayer, with access to an offline and online Succession modes, skill-based matchmaking, and a singleplayer story with the first four missions. In Succession mode, you're all vying for Succession points that can be earned by, amongst other things, taking possession of the titular Nexus, a central throneworld.
The full version of the game will bring a ranked mode, additional factions and leaders, a full story campaign, and a bunch of new research techs, building projects, diplomatic plots, starship fleets, exploration events, player titles and resolutions (the latter awarded or issued during recurring Galactic Councils, when players get to vote on campaign modifiers).
Whatboy estimate Nexus will be in early access for six months, and the 1.0 version will cost more. Will you be giving this a try? If not, here's our list of the best strategy games with some alternatives.