6. Civilization: Beyond Earth

The leaders lack charisma, but Beyond Earth is great if you’re looking for fun strategy in space.

Beyond Earth was the spiritual successor of the earlier Alpha Centauri, and certainly a radical departure from Civilization V. Set on an extra-terrestrial planet on which humans have landed to seek their fortune after leaving behind a decadent earth, Beyond Earth pitted factions such as the Slavic Federation and African Union in a bitter struggle for territory and resources.

Beyond Earth’s alien world setting was not as captivating as Earth with its familiar history, though, and the leaders were somewhat bland and lacked charisma. Also, the fact that the computer factions were a bit passive and offered little challenge did not help make this game a compelling experience. Firaxis added to the game in the Rising Tide expansion, though, improving the gameplay experience as they did with their critically acclaimed Brave New World expansion for Civilization V.