Space Empires III

About

Space Empires III is a turn-based strategy game that allows players to design their own spaceships and explore the galaxy. It features a detailed ship design system, diplomacy, research, and various playable races. Players can choose to play as a peaceful explorer or a ruthless conqueror, competing against AI or human opponents in a vast, procedurally generated universe. The game offers a high level of customization and replayability, making it a must-try for fans of the 4X genre.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

77%

Audience ScoreBased on 30 reviews

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game offers deep mechanics and customization options that are rare in modern 4X games, providing a unique and engaging experience.
Despite its outdated graphics, the game holds up well and is still enjoyable for fans of the genre, with a nostalgic charm.
Players appreciate the tactical combat system that allows for detailed control over ship movements and targeting, enhancing the strategic gameplay.

The game suffers from significant technical issues, including unresponsive ship movements and range check errors that make it frustrating to play.
The user interface is cluttered and unintuitive, lacking a proper guide, which can make it difficult for new players to navigate.
The graphics and overall presentation feel extremely dated, which may deter players looking for a modern gaming experience.

graphics
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
45%
27%
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as outdated and simplistic, lacking customization options and resolution settings, which limits their appeal. While some players appreciate the clean and timeless quality of the visuals, many feel that modernizing the graphics could significantly enhance the game's demand and overall experience. Despite the graphical shortcomings, the gameplay remains enjoyable for fans of the genre.
- “The graphics are very simple, but their simplicity means they are also very clean and haven't really aged in the way that 3D graphics from the time have.”
- “Graphically dated (obviously), but still a fantastic game to play for any fan of the genre.”
- “There are aspects of new 4X games that I prefer, such as graphics, details, and modern UI.”
- “There's no options to change the resolution for the game or customize the graphics settings.”
- “There's no way for gamers to try to improve the low-quality graphics.”
- “Rough graphics comparable to a common utility program.”
gameplay
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The gameplay is characterized by a unique combination of in-depth mechanics that set it apart from other 4X games, despite its simplistic 2D static user interface reminiscent of browser games. Players appreciate the configurable ship cap, which addresses performance limitations while enhancing the strategic experience. Overall, the game offers a rich and engaging gameplay experience that appeals to fans of the genre.
- “No other 4X game (not even SE4/5) has quite the specific combination of mechanics that works like magic here.”
- “For gameplay purposes, the user interface for this game is mostly just 2D static images; it might as well be a browser game.”
- “The game even has a configurable ship cap setting, not for the purposes of a gameplay rule, but because older systems literally couldn't handle 2000 individual ships floating around at once.”
- “It has a lot of in-depth mechanics that you don't really see in more modern 4X games, which I really enjoy.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
The game offers significant replayability through its customizable features and randomly generated maps for each playthrough. Players can enhance their experience further by personalizing the names of systems and enemies, allowing for a unique gameplay experience each time.
- “This game might look basic compared to today's games, but it is customizable and offers endless replayability with random maps created for each new game. It enhances replayability if you take advantage of the ability to customize the names of the systems and enemies by inputting your own (go to files > systems.txt and files > empires.txt, delete what's in those files, and write your own lists).”
- “The game lacks meaningful content to keep players engaged after the initial playthrough, making it feel repetitive and dull on subsequent attempts.”
- “While the game has some random elements, the core gameplay remains the same, leading to a lack of incentive to replay once you've experienced it once.”
- “After a few runs, the novelty wears off quickly, and the limited variety in gameplay mechanics makes it hard to justify multiple playthroughs.”
story
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game offers a unique approach to storytelling by allowing players to create their own empires and narratives from scratch, providing maximum flexibility and customization, albeit at the cost of a pre-defined storyline.
- “The story feels disjointed and lacks a coherent narrative, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “Character development is shallow, and the plot twists are predictable, leaving little room for surprise.”
- “The game fails to provide a compelling backstory, resulting in a world that feels empty and uninspired.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
While the game offers an enjoyable mix of unit design and turn-based strategy, players have noted significant glitches and bugs that affect stability, along with lengthy match durations, especially in larger multiplayer settings.
- “Despite the glitches and bugs, this game has a beautiful blend of designing your own units and turn-based strategy that I love so much, but be prepared for the eternity each match takes (especially on large maps with multiple players).”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly impossible to enjoy the experience.”
- “I encountered numerous stability issues that disrupted my gameplay, leading to frustrating moments.”