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Space Empires III

66%Game Brain Score
graphics, gameplay
79% User Score Based on 34 reviews

Platforms

PCPCWindowsWindows
Buy Nowfrom $3.99
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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
Space Empires III screenshot
Space Empires III screenshot
Space Empires III screenshot
Space Empires III screenshot

79%
Audience ScoreBased on 34 reviews
story3 negative mentions
  • The game offers deep mechanics and endless replayability, allowing for unique experiences with each playthrough.
  • It is a classic turn-based strategy game that combines simplicity with complexity, making it accessible yet engaging for players.
  • The tactical combat system is highly praised, allowing players to have direct control over their ships and strategies during battles.
  • The game suffers from outdated graphics and a cluttered user interface, which can be off-putting for modern players.
  • Technical issues, such as range errors and unresponsive ship movement, hinder the gameplay experience.
  • There is a lack of modern features like customizable graphics settings and multiplayer options, making it feel less appealing compared to contemporary games.
  • graphics
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are widely regarded as outdated and simplistic, lacking customization options and resolution settings, which limits their appeal.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 attractiveness. Despite the rough graphics, the gameplay remains enjoyable for fans of the genre, compensating for the visual shortcomings.

    • “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
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is noted for its complexity and depth, featuring a unique combination of mechanics that set it apart from other 4X games. While the user interface relies on static 2D images, which may give it a simplistic feel, the game offers intricate systems and configurable settings that enhance the experience, appealing to players who appreciate detailed gameplay.

    • “It is so complex, with many mechanics that are not visible at the beginning.”
    • “No other 4X game (not even SE4/5) has quite the specific combination of mechanics that works like magic here.”
    • “It has a lot of in-depth mechanics that you don't really see in more modern 4X games, which I really enjoy.”
    • “It is so complex, with so many mechanics that are not visible at the beginning.”
    • “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.”
  • replayability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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).”
    • “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. However, it does improve 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).”
  • story
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers complete freedom in crafting your own empires and narratives, lacking pre-defined stories or structures, which allows for maximum flexibility and creativity in gameplay.

    • “The game offers maximum flexibility in creating your own story, allowing you to design every empire and its characteristics from scratch.”
    • “The story feels disjointed and lacks a coherent narrative, making it hard to stay engaged.”
    • “Character development is shallow, and I found it difficult to care about their motivations or outcomes.”
    • “The plot twists are predictable and fail to deliver any real emotional impact.”
  • stability
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers a captivating mix of unit design and turn-based strategy, but players should be prepared for significant glitches and bugs that can affect stability, as well as 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 ready for the eternity each match takes (especially on large maps with multiple players).”

Buy Space Empires III

24h Median play time
24h Average play time
24-24h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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