The Best 4X strategy Games for Linux

Update : Coldridge added at rank #32.
1

The Battle of Polytopia (2016)

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94
Review score
Logo of The Battle of Polytopia Screenshot of The Battle of Polytopia Screenshot of The Battle of Polytopia Screenshot of The Battle of Polytopia

IOS iPhone PC Windows Linux Mac OS Android Nintendo Switch

The Battle of Polytopia is a simplified 4X game that allows players to experience the Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate aspects of the genre in under an hour. Available for mobile devices, it's the pocket-sized 4X that anyone can play anywhere.

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What we like:
  • Distillation of the 4X genre in a great turn-based action game
  • Mechanism for competitive play
  • Addresses limitations of chess
What could be improved:
  • Limited multiplayer and co-op options
  • Not ideal for players who want a longer game

  • turn-based
  • 4x
  • strategy
  • civilization
  • diplomacy
  • empire
  • multiplayer
  • building
  • economy
  • tactical
  • real-time

2

Airships: Conquer the Skies (2018)

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93
Review score
Logo of Airships: Conquer the Skies Screenshot of Airships: Conquer the Skies Screenshot of Airships: Conquer the Skies Screenshot of Airships: Conquer the Skies

Linux PC Windows Mac OS

Construct mighty steampunk airships and fly them into battle, waging war and conquering the skies!


  • grand-strategy
  • real-time
  • naval
  • steampunk
  • strategy
  • i
  • wargame
  • 4x
  • authentic
  • pvp
  • data-driven
  • cooperative
  • mech
  • combat
  • tanks

3

Sid Meier's Civilization VI (2017)

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90
Review score
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PC Windows Android Xbox One Playstation 4 Nintendo Switch IOS iPhone Mac OS Linux

Lead your civilization to greatness in Sid Meier's Civilization® VI by expanding your cities and engaging in espionage. With endless customization options and challenging diplomatic relationships, you will enjoy an engaging and rewarding experience. The game is packed with content, has brilliant visuals and a fantastic musical score, making it an utterly compelling and deeply satisfying experience for players of all ages.


What we like:
  • Attention-grabbing gameplay
  • Endless possibilities and variables to account for, including many DLCs
  • Fun to play with friends
  • Good for all ages
What could be improved:
  • Aesthetic choices may not appeal to all
  • Agenda system can be annoying
  • Workers expire after improvements
  • Might be a letdown for fans of Civ V

  • strategy
  • empire
  • turn-based
  • military
  • 4x
  • tile
  • war
  • tactical
  • historical
  • city-building
  • economy
  • resource
  • card

4

Element (2018)

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75
Review score
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Nintendo Switch Xbox One PC Windows Android Linux Mac OS IOS iPhone

✨ Element Clicker ✨In Element Clicker, you click on elements to gain even more elements! Every 3 hours, you get a new element added to your collection. Each element is crafted by our amazing community on Discord. Come hang out with us and let’s grow into something extraordinary! 🌟


  • strategy
  • fantasy
  • 4x
  • tactical
  • real-time
  • turn-based
  • post-apocalyptic
  • battle
  • resource
  • simulation
  • war
  • empire

5

Stellaris (2016)

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86
Review score
Logo of Stellaris Screenshot of Stellaris Screenshot of Stellaris Screenshot of Stellaris

PC Windows IOS iPhone Android Playstation 4 Xbox One Linux Mac OS

Explore a galaxy full of wonders in this sci-fi grand strategy game from Paradox Development Studios. Interact with diverse alien races, discover strange new worlds with unexpected events and expand the reach of your empire. Each new adventure holds almost limitless possibilities.


  • grand-strategy
  • empire
  • 4x
  • strategy
  • sci-fi
  • space
  • war
  • exploration
  • resource
  • political
  • real-time
  • construction
  • politics
  • military
  • economy

6

Northgard (2018)

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81
Review score
Logo of Northgard Screenshot of Northgard Screenshot of Northgard Screenshot of Northgard

Android Linux Mac OS PC Windows Xbox One IOS iPhone

Join the Viking explorers in Northgard, a new land filled with danger, riches, and mystery. Assemble your settlement, assign your vikings to various jobs, and manage your resources carefully to survive harsh winters and fend off vicious beasts. Expand, conquer, trade or become a God in a game that offers unique strategies and victory conditions. With multi-level AI and dedicated servers, you can play against your friends and grind your way up to the final Norse God rank.


What we like:
  • Fun and addicting RTS game
  • Focuses on core mechanics of building and expanding settlement with minimal micromanagement
  • Offers a less time-consuming experience compared to other RTS games
  • Immersive atmosphere with breathtaking landscapes
  • Challenges players to think strategically and make tough decisions
What could be improved:
  • Slow-paced gameplay for RTS games
  • Inconsistent balancing with some clans being overpowered
  • Low playerbase

  • strategy
  • real-time
  • city-building
  • trading
  • resource-management
  • military
  • mythology
  • tile
  • vikings
  • simulation
  • management
  • 4x
  • base-building
  • multiplayer
  • war

7

Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War (2018)

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72
Review score
Logo of Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War Screenshot of Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War Screenshot of Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War Screenshot of Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War

Linux PC Windows

Warhammer 40,000: Gladius – Relics of War brings you to a world of terror and violence. Four factions will engage in a brutal war for dominance over the planet’s resources. In the first turn-based 4X strategy game set in Warhammer 40,000 you will lead one of four unique factions.


  • 4x
  • turn-based
  • strategy
  • warhammer-40k
  • war

8

Conquest of Elysium 4 (2015)

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81
Review score
Logo of Conquest of Elysium 4 Screenshot of Conquest of Elysium 4 Screenshot of Conquest of Elysium 4 Screenshot of Conquest of Elysium 4

Linux Mac OS PC Windows

Conquest of Elysium 4 is a quick turn based fantasy strategy game with a touch of rogue-like. The game is full of depth, details and monsters. There are also a huge number of factions, each with its own unique gameplay and magic rituals.


  • turn-based
  • strategy
  • fantasy
  • 4x
  • rogue-like
  • management
  • tile
  • moddable
  • resource
  • magic
  • battle
  • pixel

9

Old World (2020)

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78
Review score
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PC Windows Linux Mac OS

Old World is a revolutionary new historical strategy game where you lead your dynasty over generations of rule against rival kings and queens. Wage massive wars, manage your court, and build a dynasty — or watch your empire crumble to dust. What legacy will you leave behind?


  • 4x
  • historical
  • strategy
  • grand-strategy
  • turn-based
  • management
  • military
  • moddable
  • war
  • diplomacy

10

Conquest of Elysium 3 (2012)

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80
Review score
Logo of Conquest of Elysium 3 Screenshot of Conquest of Elysium 3 Screenshot of Conquest of Elysium 3 Screenshot of Conquest of Elysium 3

Android Linux Mac OS PC Windows

Conquest of Elysium 3 (CoE3) is a streamlined turn based fantasy strategy game with a touch of rogue-like and the complex undertones of Illwinter's Dominions series. While CoE3 appears to be a simple game with limited options at first glance, delving further into the game reveals a game of complex decision making and risky endeavors.


  • strategy
  • turn-based
  • 4x
  • fantasy
  • tbs
  • dungeon-crawler
  • rogue-like

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