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What is a 4X game? A first-timer's guide

A 4X game is a strategy game where you explore a map, expand by founding cities, exploit the land and exterminate or outlast rivals, usually turn by turn. This first-timer's guide explains where the name came from, lets…

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012 guides Game Night Playing with others: co-op, party, board and card games. Enter ▸ 022 guides Handheld & Mobile Touch controls, Steam Deck and Switch. Enter ▸ 032 guides Level Up Skills that carry over: aim, timing, reading tells. Enter ▸ 042 guides Loadout Controllers, mice, wheels and settings that help. Enter ▸ 052 guides Play Smarter Strategy and decisions: openings, builds, odds. Enter ▸ 062 guides Retro & Indie Old games, hidden gems and learning without save states. Enter ▸ 073 guides Start Here Getting into a genre or game with no experience. Enter ▸ 082 guides Under the Hood Why games feel the way they do: difficulty, RNG, matchmaking. Enter ▸

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  1. 01We don't claim hands-on testing. Picks are examples, not reviews.
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