4X Game Tier List | 2026 Edition | 100 Games ReviewedBATTLEMODE2026-08-06 | I wanted to update this tier list now I've got a better handle on both the games in question and my ability to critique the games design.
Hope you enjoy it!
These always cause arguments so please keep it friendly and polite, and I'll try to answer as best as I can!Some Thoughts on My Tier-List Livestream With DasTacticBATTLEMODE2026-08-11 | This might give people some more insight into my motivations as a critic, why I often pick AoW4 as the target of my design criticism, and why I think the industry needs to pay attention to the issues I highlight even if they don't appear to be that important in the immediate term.UK State Propaganda Prioritised Over Authentic Content on YoutubeBATTLEMODE2026-07-05 | This is not a consultation, it's a thinly veiled attempt to manufacture consent to fill Youtube full of state propaganda slop. You can have your say here. It's such a bad idea even Google are fighting it:
I usually refuse to talk non-game related political topics on my channel but they've made me go there.
I hope this will be the last time I need to.Escaping the Walled Garden of Modern Gaming | NeoGeo AES+BATTLEMODE2026-06-15 | Gamers yearn for authenticity in an industry where almost all pretence of artistic merit has been systematically stripped. The symptoms of this problem permeate gaming all the way from the most expensive AAA title down to the most humble homebrew indie title.
It can be difficult to even recognise that we're lying to ourselves about the quality of modern games but eventually you're going to be pulled back into reality by the memories of what genuinely great gaming looked like.
Games developed in a time when artistic merit was a leading component of their financial success can be a solution of course, but retro-gaming has its own pitfalls.
Modern remakes of old consoles offer one potential solution and the incoming NeoGeo AES+ might be a good opportunity to learn to really enjoy and play the games we have.
Whether it can expand out of a small and rather limited market of retro-game collector enthusiasts will depend entirely on whether there are still those who understand the value of restraint.
#neogeoaesBATTLEMODE Channel Update May 2026BATTLEMODE2026-05-30 | I'm rambling while rambling!Shadow Empire: Republica | Venus Union Ep. 014BATTLEMODE2026-04-28 | I'm starting a new Shadow Empire Let's Play series, this time as the Autocratic Venus Union, on a cold ocean world.
Shadow Empire: Republica is the new expansion for Shadow Empire, focusing on an expanded political simulation, developed by VR Designs. This is a huge expansion that adds a lot to the base game, and there's a lot to digest.
Shadow Empire and Republica are available to buy over at Matrix Games and on Steam.
www.matrixgames.com www.slitherine.com www.vrdesigns.netBATTLEMODE Retro | ZX Spectrum GamesBATTLEMODE2026-04-25 | Here's a blast from my past! Here's a small selection of ZX Spectrum games I played back when I was a little kid.Shadow Empire: Republica | Venus Union Ep. 013BATTLEMODE2026-04-25 | I'm starting a new Shadow Empire Let's Play series, this time as the Autocratic Venus Union, on a cold ocean world.
Shadow Empire: Republica is the new expansion for Shadow Empire, focusing on an expanded political simulation, developed by VR Designs. This is a huge expansion that adds a lot to the base game, and there's a lot to digest.
Shadow Empire and Republica are available to buy over at Matrix Games and on Steam.
Shadow Empire: Republica is the new expansion for Shadow Empire, focusing on an expanded political simulation, developed by VR Designs. This is a huge expansion that adds a lot to the base game, and there's a lot to digest.
Shadow Empire and Republica are available to buy over at Matrix Games and on Steam.
Shadow Empire: Republica is the new expansion for Shadow Empire, focusing on an expanded political simulation, developed by VR Designs. This is a huge expansion that adds a lot to the base game, and there's a lot to digest.
Shadow Empire and Republica are available to buy over at Matrix Games and on Steam.
Shadow Empire: Republica is the new expansion for Shadow Empire, focusing on an expanded political simulation, developed by VR Designs. This is a huge expansion that adds a lot to the base game, and there's a lot to digest.
Shadow Empire and Republica are available to buy over at Matrix Games and on Steam.
Shadow Empire: Republica is the new expansion for Shadow Empire, focusing on an expanded political simulation, developed by VR Designs. This is a huge expansion that adds a lot to the base game, and there's a lot to digest.
Shadow Empire and Republica are available to buy over at Matrix Games and on Steam.
Shadow Empire: Republica is the new expansion for Shadow Empire, focusing on an expanded political simulation, developed by VR Designs. This is a huge expansion that adds a lot to the base game, and there's a lot to digest.
Shadow Empire and Republica are available to buy over at Matrix Games and on Steam.
www.matrixgames.com www.slitherine.com www.vrdesigns.netIncreasing Difficulty Without Classic AI Stat Boosts | Shadow EmpireBATTLEMODE2026-04-18 | In this video I discuss the concept of Organic Difficulty and how you can set the level of challenge you most enjoy in Shadow Empire without touching the classic difficulty settings at all.
Shadow Empire, Oceania and Republica are available to buy over at Matrix Games and on Steam.
www.matrixgames.com www.slitherine.com www.vrdesigns.netNew Player Setup Tutorial | Shadow EmpireBATTLEMODE2026-04-18 | In this video I show new players the best planetary generation settings and game options to enable them to learn the game at a steady pace. It's a complex game but it's remarkably easy to learn if you don't try to ramp the difficulty up too quickly.
Shadow Empire and Republica are available to buy over at Matrix Games and on Steam.
Shadow Empire: Republica is the new expansion for Shadow Empire, focusing on an expanded political simulation, developed by VR Designs. This is a huge expansion that adds a lot to the base game, and there's a lot to digest.
Shadow Empire and Republica are available to buy over at Matrix Games and on Steam.
Shadow Empire: Republica is the new expansion for Shadow Empire, focusing on an expanded political simulation, developed by VR Designs. This is a huge expansion that adds a lot to the base game, and there's a lot to digest.
Shadow Empire and Republica are available to buy over at Matrix Games and on Steam.
Shadow Empire: Republica is the new expansion for Shadow Empire, focusing on an expanded political simulation, developed by VR Designs. This is a huge expansion that adds a lot to the base game, and there's a lot to digest.
Shadow Empire and Republica are available to buy over at Matrix Games and on Steam.
Shadow Empire: Republica is the new expansion for Shadow Empire, focusing on an expanded political simulation, developed by VR Designs. This is a huge expansion that adds a lot to the base game, and there's a lot to digest.
Shadow Empire and Republica are available to buy over at Matrix Games and on Steam.
Shadow Empire: Republica is the new expansion for Shadow Empire, focusing on an expanded political simulation, developed by VR Designs. This is a huge expansion that adds a lot to the base game, and there's a lot to digest.
Shadow Empire and Republica are available to buy over at Matrix Games and on Steam.
Shadow Empire: Republica is the new expansion for Shadow Empire, focusing on an expanded political simulation, developed by VR Designs. This is a huge expansion that adds a lot to the base game, and there's a lot to digest.
Shadow Empire and Republica are available to buy over at Matrix Games and on Steam.
Shadow Empire: Republica is the new expansion for Shadow Empire, focusing on an expanded political simulation, developed by VR Designs. This is a huge expansion that adds a lot to the base game, and there's a lot to digest.
Shadow Empire and Republica are available to buy over at Matrix Games and on Steam.
www.matrixgames.com www.slitherine.com www.vrdesigns.netPop-Up Sellsword! | Conquest of Elysium 5BATTLEMODE2026-04-10 | This is genuinely one of the weirdest battles I've seen yet in Conquest of Elysium 5. Very fun, and an example of why this game is infinitely replayable and never gets boring.
www.illwinter.comThis Isnt Even My Final Form | Conquest of Elysium 5BATTLEMODE2026-04-10 | Scourge Lord Blessing can create some real monsters.
www.illwinter.comGhoul Marines | Conquest of Elysium 5BATTLEMODE2026-04-09 | This Guild Merchant and his guards didn't expect a flotilla of ghoul-crewed boats to waylay him on the open seas!
www.illwinter.comA Grognards Overview of Shadow Empire: RepublicaBATTLEMODE2026-04-09 | In this video, an old Shadow Empire veteran discusses the new Republica DLC that releases today, showing off gameplay features and how it changes the core gameplay of Shadow Empire in massive way.
Shadow Empire: Republica is the new expansion for Shadow Empire, focusing on an expanded political simulation, developed by VR Designs. This is a huge expansion that adds a lot to the base game, and there's a lot to digest.
Shadow Empire and Republica are available to buy over at Matrix Games and on Steam.
www.matrixgames.com www.slitherine.com www.vrdesigns.netConquest of Elysium 5 | Class Review | RaksharajaBATTLEMODE2026-04-07 | In this video I examine the Raksharaja class for Conquest of Elysium 5. This is part of a series that will go towards ranking each class in a tier list at the end.
Note: don't take this too seriously, it's still very subjective and just my opinion, but at least it allows me to look at each class in more detail than a classic tier-list video.
CoE5 Tier List Score System
01. Commanders & Units: Strength, diversity, utility 02. Class Power Access: how easy to get at the best stuff? 03. Battle Magic: Power and diversity 04. Synergy: between units, magic and abilities 05. Strategic Strength: holding terrain, speed, reacting to threats etc. 06. Power Curve/Scaling: relative strength from early to endgame 07. Battle Strength: how good are they in battle 08. Raiding & Sieges: stealing/denying enemy economy, taking fortifications 09. Versatility: vs other classes and across Society settings 10. Abilities & Tricks: the cool stuff they can do, anything overpowered?
Classes will be ranked by Tier at the end of the series, with a score system to come.
www.illwinter.comSneaky Business| Machiavelli the Prince Enhanced| Ep. 03BATTLEMODE2026-04-05 | This is a great exploration and trading game set in the Renaissance era, very much a cross between the early 4X genre and economic simulation games, with an interesting political system you can use to cheat your opponents with too.
Get the game on Steam!
store.steampowered.com/app/1297570/Machiavelli_the_PrinceExplore the World! Profit! | Machiavelli the Prince Enhanced| Ep. 02BATTLEMODE2026-04-04 | This is a great exploration and trading game set in the Renaissance era, very much a cross between the early 4X genre and economic simulation games, with an interesting political system you can use to cheat your opponents with too.
Get the game on Steam!
store.steampowered.com/app/1297570/Machiavelli_the_PrinceTrade, Lie, Steal! | Machiavelli the Prince Enhanced| Ep. 01BATTLEMODE2026-04-03 | This is a great exploration and trading game set in the Renaissance era, very much a cross between the early 4X genre and economic simulation games, with an interesting political system you can use to cheat your opponents with too.
Get the game on Steam!
store.steampowered.com/app/1297570/Machiavelli_the_PrinceInterview with Victor Reijkersz | Shadow Empire: RepublicaBATTLEMODE2026-03-31 | Shadow Empire: Republica is the new expansion for Shadow Empire, focusing on an expanded political simulation, developed by VR Designs. This is a huge expansion that adds a lot to the base game, and there's a lot to digest.
So today, I'm interviewing the developer Victor Reijkersz about the new features and gameplay Republics brings to Shadow Empire.
I also take the opportunity to discuss with Vic some common criticisms of the game, such as rule opacity, AI rule differences, where are the playable naval units and other fan favourite questions.
A follow up interview has been organised for @MetaAbuseCast later in the year, where we'll talk about the reception to the expansion and some of the other stuff we missed in this one.
Thank you to Matrix Games and Slitherine for facilitating this interview!
Shadow Empire and Republica are available to buy over at Matrix Games and on Steam.
www.matrixgames.com www.slitherine.com www.vrdesigns.netAshes of the Singularity II Demo | Multiplayer Gameplay & CommentaryBATTLEMODE2026-02-24 | Please be aware that I work for the publisher of this game, Stardock, and so I am biased and have a conflict of interest when critiquing the game. Take all value judgements I make here with the appropriate caution!
This is Oxide's new massive scale sci-fi RTS Ashes of the Singularity II.
Here I'm playing a team game against @WintergamingTV and a couple of other players who joined the match.
Winter is an experienced RTS streamer and I learned a lot from playing against him. He recorded the game too, you can see it at the end of his long stream here youtube.com/live/0p9oPzGs2WU?si=6QCoqyVvsO1HOB3a
This is the Steam NextFest demo. This is a work in progress Beta version of the game and so content is likely to change before the full release.Ashes of the Singularity II Demo | Steam NextFestBATTLEMODE2026-02-24 | Wishlist the game here!
store.steampowered.com/app/4312490/Ashes_of_the_Singularity_II_DemoBATTLEMODE Live HangoutBATTLEMODE2026-02-21 | Game time!Conquest of Elysium 5 | Class Review | SenatorBATTLEMODE2026-01-22 | In this video I examine the Senator class for Conquest of Elysium 5. This is part of a series that will go towards ranking each class in a tier list at the end.
Note: don't take this too seriously, it's still very subjective and just my opinion, but at least it allows me to look at each class in more detail than a classic tier-list video.
CoE5 Tier List Score System
01. Commanders & Units: Strength, diversity, utility 02. Class Power Access: how easy to get at the best stuff? 03. Battle Magic: Power and diversity 04. Synergy: between units, magic and abilities 05. Strategic Strength: holding terrain, speed, reacting to threats etc. 06. Power Curve/Scaling: relative strength from early to endgame 07. Battle Strength: how good are they in battle 08. Raiding & Sieges: stealing/denying enemy economy, taking fortifications 09. Versatility: vs other classes and across Society settings 10. Abilities & Tricks: the cool stuff they can do, anything overpowered?
Classes will be ranked by Tier at the end of the series, with a score system to come.
www.illwinter.comCreating the Perfect Game of Conquest of Elysium 5BATTLEMODE2026-01-15 | In this short video I'll be briefly explaining how to use the various game setup options to create fun, interesting and unusual scenarios for Conquest of Elysium 5. This is as suitable for beginners as it is for veterans.
I also go over the Classes with a quick overview of how the AI plays them and what kind of game you can expect if they're on the map.
www.illwinter.comConquest of Elysium 5 | Class Review | DruidBATTLEMODE2026-01-10 | This is an in-depth look at the Druid class in Conquest of Elysium 5. This is part of a series that will go towards ranking each class in a tier list at the end.
Note: don't take this too seriously, it's still very subjective and just my opinion, but at least it allows me to look at each class in more detail than a classic tier-list video.
CoE5 Tier List Score System
01. Commanders & Units: Strength, diversity, utility 02. Class Power Access: how easy to get at the best stuff? 03. Battle Magic: Power and diversity 04. Synergy: between units, magic and abilities 05. Strategic Strength: holding terrain, speed, reacting to threats etc. 06. Power Curve/Scaling: relative strength from early to endgame 07. Battle Strength: how good are they in battle 08. Raiding & Sieges: stealing/denying enemy economy, taking fortifications 09. Versatility: vs other classes and across Society settings 10. Abilities & Tricks: the cool stuff they can do, anything overpowered?
Classes will be ranked by Tier at the end of the series, with a score system to come.
www.illwinter.comConquest of Elysium 5 | Class Review | High PriestessBATTLEMODE2026-01-07 | This is an in-depth look at the High Priestess class in Conquest of Elysium 5. This is part of a series that will go towards ranking each class in a tier list at the end.
Note: don't take this too seriously, it's still very subjective and just my opinion, but at least it allows me to look at each class in more detail than a classic tier-list video.
CoE5 Tier List Score System
Rank each out of 10, for a total of 100
01 - 20 - D Tier 21 - 40 - C Tier 41 - 60 - B Tier 61 - 80 - A Tier 81 - 100 - S Tier
01. Commanders & Units: Strength, diversity, utility 02. Class Power Access: how easy to get at the best stuff? 03. Battle Magic: Power and diversity 04. Synergy: between units, magic and abilities 05. Strategic Strength: holding terrain, speed, reacting to threats etc. 06. Power Curve/Scaling: relative strength from early to endgame 07. Battle Strength: how good are they in battle 08. Raiding & Sieges: stealing/denying enemy economy, taking fortifications 09. Versatility: vs other classes and across Society settings 10. Abilities & Tricks: the cool stuff they can do, anything overpowered?
www.illwinter.comLumina Game Update 3 | Shadow EmpireBATTLEMODE2026-01-04 | Some of you recommended that I talk about games I'm playing offline, so here we are.
Shadow Empire is my favourite strategy game, a masterpiece 4X/Wargame hybrid from VR Designs, published by Matrix.
You can find the game at www.matrixgames.com.
explorminate.coBATTLEMODEs Planet Class Evaluation | Shadow EmpireBATTLEMODE2026-01-03 | In this short, concise and well edited video, I shall be exploring the various planet classes in Shadow Empire and the kinds of gameplay you can expect from each one. I've a lot of experience playing on some of these planets, less on others, and absolutely none on a few of the Oceania exclusive planets. Where I've not played them, I'm theory-crafting based on my knowledge of the game mechanics.
Please note: for full transparency, I have done a little work for the developer on Shadow Empire: early on I did some sound effect editing and I provided some game manual writing and proof-reading since 2025 too. So my name is on the credits. Please take all value judgements about this game with that appropriate caution.
-------------------------------------------
Shadow Empire is my favourite strategy game, a masterpiece 4X/Wargame hybrid from VR Designs, published by Matrix.
You can find the game at www.matrixgames.com.BATTLEMODE LIVE: 2026 New Year StreamBATTLEMODE2026-01-02 | Come hang out, check the game out, talk to me and the community about gaming stuff!Lumina Game Update 2 | Shadow EmpireBATTLEMODE2026-01-02 | Some of you recommended that I talk about games I'm playing offline, so here we are.
Shadow Empire is my favourite strategy game, a masterpiece 4X/Wargame hybrid from VR Designs, published by Matrix.
You can find the game at www.matrixgames.com.
explorminate.coBATTLEMODEs Shadow Empire User Interface Tutorial Pt. 3/3BATTLEMODE2026-01-01 | Let me be your Navigator and Gellar Field, and guide you through the chaos infested immaterium of the Shadow Empire game UI.
This is part three of a three part series.
WARNING! This is a long video by necessity, as Shadow Empire is a complex game. I did start out trying to make a short video but I quickly realised I'd need at least two videos to cover it. I don't have time to edit videos these days, but there's a lot of info in here you won't get in shorter form content.
No, the UI isn't bad, you are just weak. But you can be strong if you embrace the chaos. This is a complex UI as this is the most complex video game you'll likely ever play. And there's a method to it's madness.
If you stick with this video, your chances of translating out of the warp with your sanity intact are high. I make no promises about physical mutation, but you may be a better Shadow Empire player along with those tentacles.
Please note: for full transparency, I have done a little work for the developer on Shadow Empire: early on I did some sound effect editing and I provided some game manual writing and proof-reading since 2025 too. So my name is on the credits. Please take all value judgements about this game with that appropriate caution.
-------------------------------------------
Shadow Empire is my favourite strategy game, a masterpiece 4X/Wargame hybrid from VR Designs, published by Matrix.
You can find the game at www.matrixgames.com.BATTLEMODEs Shadow Empire User Interface Tutorial Pt. 2/3BATTLEMODE2026-01-01 | Let me be your Navigator and Gellar Field, and guide you through the chaos infested immaterium of the Shadow Empire game UI.
This is part two of a three part series.
WARNING! This is a long video by necessity, as Shadow Empire is a complex game. I did start out trying to make a short video but I quickly realised I'd need at least two videos to cover it. I don't have time to edit videos these days, but there's a lot of info in here you won't get in shorter form content.
No, the UI isn't bad, you are just weak. But you can be strong if you embrace the chaos. This is a complex UI as this is the most complex video game you'll likely ever play. And there's a method to it's madness.
If you stick with this video, your chances of translating out of the warp with your sanity intact are high. I make no promises about physical mutation, but you may be a better Shadow Empire player along with those tentacles.
Please note: for full transparency, I have done a little work for the developer on Shadow Empire: early on I did some sound effect editing and I provided some game manual writing and proof-reading since 2025 too. So my name is on the credits. Please take all value judgements about this game with that appropriate caution.
-------------------------------------------
Shadow Empire is my favourite strategy game, a masterpiece 4X/Wargame hybrid from VR Designs, published by Matrix.
You can find the game at www.matrixgames.com.BATTLEMODEs Shadow Empire User Interface Tutorial Pt. 1/3BATTLEMODE2025-12-31 | Let me be your Navigator and Gellar Field, and guide you through the chaos infested immaterium of the Shadow Empire game UI.
This is part one of a two part series.
WARNING! This is a long video by necessity, as Shadow Empire is a complex game. I did start out trying to make a short video but I quickly realised I'd need at least two videos to cover it. I don't have time to edit videos these days, but there's a lot of info in here you won't get in shorter form content.
No, the UI isn't bad, you are just weak. But you can be strong if you embrace the chaos. This is a complex UI as this is the most complex video game you'll likely ever play. And there's a method to it's madness.
If you stick with this video, your chances of translating out of the warp with your sanity intact are high. I make no promises about physical mutation, but you may be a better Shadow Empire player along with those tentacles.
Please note: for full transparency, I have done a little work for the developer on Shadow Empire: early on I did some sound effect editing and I provided some game manual writing and proof-reading since 2025 too. So my name is on the credits. Please take all value judgements about this game with that appropriate caution.
-------------------------------------------
Shadow Empire is my favourite strategy game, a masterpiece 4X/Wargame hybrid from VR Designs, published by Matrix.
You can find the game at www.matrixgames.com.Lumina Game Update 1 | Shadow EmpireBATTLEMODE2025-12-30 | Some of you recommended that I talk about games I'm playing offline, so here we are.
Shadow Empire is my favourite strategy game, a masterpiece 4X/Wargame hybrid from VR Designs, published by Matrix.
You can find the game at www.matrixgames.com.
explorminate.coShadow Empire | Minos Tribe | Ep. 092 - A Looming WarBATTLEMODE2025-12-30 | Shadow Empire is my favourite strategy game, a masterpiece 4X/Wargame hybrid from VR Designs, published by Matrix. In this new series, I ramp the difficulty up to Hard and play on what I expect to be a fairly difficult planet in the hopes of testing the AI out properly.
You can find the game at www.matrixgames.com.
explorminate.coDepth in Every System | Why I Love Shadow EmpireBATTLEMODE2025-12-29 | Shadow Empire is my favourite strategy game, a masterpiece 4X/Wargame hybrid from VR Designs, published by Matrix.
You can find the game at www.matrixgames.com.
explorminate.coShadow Empire | Minos Tribe | Ep. 091 - Replacement UnitsBATTLEMODE2025-12-29 | Shadow Empire is my favourite strategy game, a masterpiece 4X/Wargame hybrid from VR Designs, published by Matrix. In this new series, I ramp the difficulty up to Hard and play on what I expect to be a fairly difficult planet in the hopes of testing the AI out properly.
You can find the game at www.matrixgames.com.
explorminate.coShadow Empire | Minos Tribe | Ep. 090 - Lets Fix This MessBATTLEMODE2025-12-28 | Shadow Empire is my favourite strategy game, a masterpiece 4X/Wargame hybrid from VR Designs, published by Matrix. In this new series, I ramp the difficulty up to Hard and play on what I expect to be a fairly difficult planet in the hopes of testing the AI out properly.