Stellaris

Game constantly crashes during launch. Iv been playing it on an off for a year, steam would not refund me when I found out that it constantly crashes. Great game, just with it would stop crashing.

>Be Stellaris
>245 different species
>Hundreds of star systems
>Thousands of mods
>Huge replayability
>Hundreds of different ways to play the game
>Game full of oppertunities and different stories to be told
>Be me
>Still only play Xenophobic Imperial Humans
>Still buy all species packs so I am able to exterminate them to
10/10 would purge again

Stellaris is my first real experience with Paradox, and on a larger scale, 4X games in general. I literally don't realize where the hours go when I'm playing it. Extremely deep and detailed mechanics make Stellaris insanely replayable. You'll never run out of ideas to do in a playthrough.

At the time of writing this review I've played the game for 75 hours and I still haven't seen the infamous end-game crisis. Hell, I don't even know how the game ends and someone wins. That's how insanely big it is. I just keep restarting my games in favor of implementing a better idea, only for it to fail even more miserably :D

Be warned though, you'll have to give it time, maybe watch a few tutorials as well. So the barrier to entry, on a complexity level alone, is already high. And is made even higher with Paradox's business model for the game and its DLCs. You simply don't want to spend that much money on a single game. I get that. So if you do decide to give Stellaris a shot, I'd recommend picking up the Starter Edition and then expanding your collection with each discount sale (Stellaris goes on sale a lot) if you enjoy it.

Currently while writing this comment I have about 30 hours of total playtime (6 on my PC and around 25 on my ps5). Stellaris was an honest shocker to me the first time I tried it. The UI seemed so complex as I had never played a Paradox title before. When I came back to the game after about 6 months I was instantly enveloped into the complexities of this game. Over about a week and a half of delving into this game, I can proudly say that this is a game that I don't think i'll play 24/7, but will definitely boot it up every couple months to see what I can get up to.

100 Hours in...After spending 10+ hours of watching youtube, visiting Reddit post, and having multiple campaigns failing due to the learning curve. I Finally can increase the difficult of the game from ensign and fight stronger AI. 10/10 would put myself through this torture again.

This game is a masterclass in strategy gaming, blending deep customization, rich storytelling, and expansive galactic exploration. Its dynamic events and endless replayability make every playthrough unique and exciting!

What more can one write about a game that has more than 120K reviews already?
Most of the positive things they write about it are accurate and most of the negative things they write about the publisher company and their business model are also fairly true.

I keep coming back to it for the epic soundtrack and the replayability value. There is always something you haven't tried before and even the same empire can play quite differently with different starting parameters (like galaxy shape/size, number of inhabitable planets or hyperlane density etc).

It's a good game, but it's full of bugs and Paradox is too busy making DLCs to fix them. I really hope they change their business practices.

It sounds fun to be able to play a customizable race, until you play a devouring swarm intent on eating everything only to be forced into peace for several years because of the games mechanics. It is incredibly dumb that while roleplaying as the tyranids my entire plan is haulted because the game says so. Also instead of destroying enemy fleets they just magically disappear and reappear somewhere else a year later to cause issues again (same for your fleets, so its actually really hard to lose or kill fleets)

They removed content to resell as a DLC? I've played previous verions of this game as it updates all the game time for some reason. And you could change the hair color's and customize the rulers alot more. IDK why they would remove build in features to then try and resell for more desperate money. Says alot about the company, and who you're dollars are going to.

Gameplay Mechanics: 9/10
Narrative: 7/10
Graphics: 8/10
Sound and Music: 9/10
Replayability: 10/10
Innovation: 9/10

Stellaris is arguably the best space 4X game available today, offering an unparalleled blend of empire building, exploration, diplomacy, and warfare. Its gameplay mechanics are incredibly rich, providing players with the tools to shape their civilizations from scratch. Customizing species traits, government ethics, and technological paths creates a highly personalized experience, while strategic depth in diplomacy, economy, and combat ensures long-term engagement. For its depth and versatility, gameplay scores a strong 9/10.

The storyline, however, is the game’s only weak point. While Stellaris excels at emergent storytelling through procedurally generated events, anomalies, and crises, it lacks a formal campaign or structured narrative. This absence might leave players seeking a cohesive story feeling slightly underwhelmed. As a result, the narrative scores a 7/10.

Visually, Stellaris delivers a stunning portrayal of the cosmos. From starship designs to planetary landscapes, the game captures the grandeur of space exploration, even if its graphical fidelity is not cutting-edge. Graphics earn a solid 8/10.

The sound and music are a triumph, with a sweeping, atmospheric score that immerses players in the vastness of the galaxy. Every sound effect, from the hum of space travel to the ominous signals of impending crises, enhances the experience. This dimension scores a 9/10.

Replayability is where Stellaris truly stands out. The procedural generation, diverse customization options, and constant updates make every playthrough unique. Coupled with expansions, it ensures a near-endless replay value, earning a perfect 10/10.

Innovation is another strength, as Stellaris seamlessly blends 4X and grand strategy elements. Its Ethics system, varied FTL methods, and galaxy-wide crises are standout features that push the genre forward. For this, innovation scores a 9/10.

In summary, Stellaris is a masterclass in 4X strategy, delivering an endlessly replayable and deeply engaging experience. While it lacks a formal story, its gameplay and emergent narratives more than make up for it, solidifying its place as the definitive space strategy game.

boycott paradox interactive! they will robb you and close to mock you for not being able to legally do anything about the money you feed them for products that remain broken and unfixed! shameless thieves the lot of them! *spits*

Stellaris is an absolute must-play. The complexity of empire-building, strategic depth, and vast galaxy exploration are perfectly balanced. Each decision—from planetary management to interstellar diplomacy—requires thoughtful consideration and offers a rewarding challenge. The game's adaptive AI and dynamic events ensure that no two playthroughs are the same, keeping the experience fresh and engaging. For anyone who loves mastering intricate strategies and conquering the stars, Stellaris is the ultimate 4X experience.

Stellaris is a must get if you like grand strategy and space themed games, though the combat and a few other mechanics can get repetitive after a few games every playthrough is different. you can play as a star nation that treasures diplomacy over war. or an exterminator that seeks to commit mass genocide on a galactic scale. and everything else in between. while there are over 20 dlc's you need to buy to get access to all of the games content, you only really need a few (Utopia and Megacorp to name a few) to experience most of what the game offers. and once you get board of the base game you can download one of the tens of thousands of mods on the steam workshop which can completely change your game. if are looking for a new game to try, i would highly recommend checking Stellaris out.

I love trying to play this game. I don't often know what I'm doing and I've never completed a game... But I find it fun to try my best and do what I can.

Don't like the game? No worries just wait a year and every core system will become unrecognisable through forced dlc updates

This is 4X strategy game that focuses more on storytelling and providing players opportunities to role-play with their chosen or created civilization. It has a carefully calibrated balance of managements depth, enough to be engaging, but without delving too deeply into simulating the intricacies of ruling different aspects of interstellar empire, as it is in games like Space Empires V.

I can recommend this game both to fans of the strategy genre and to those who is unfamiliar with it, but who enjoy compelling, both player-driven and emergent stories.

Great game, it gets a lot of love from it's developers, like most Paradox games. It is a very special title because it has no historical basis like other Paradox games, which does give you more freedom in playing the game, although it has les story behind it but the stories are good. The only thing which counts for every Paradox game is that it has a lot of expensive DLC.

Even tho Stellaris is one of the oldest titles in the new gen of paradox games, its still is by far the best one when it comes to continuous updates, balance and new high quality DLCs. The game is the perfect 4x experience a player could have even after almost 10 years since it was released thanks to the awesome support the devs have given to it.

Cool space strategy game, The game is pretty boring without the dlcs though, and the game ends up being really costly if you want to own all the dlcs.

Stellaris is a great game. I have played quite a bit of this game and I do honestly enjoy the game for what it is, despite the many flaws the game inherently has.

So why make it not recommended? The DLC. At the time of this review the game is about an average of 50% off, and it costs over $300 to own the game and all it's DLC. Paradox has a habit of releasing DLC with very cool and fun mechanics, but only allowing a sliver in the base game leaving those mechanics feeling extremely bare bones and kind of disappointing, and that is by design. You are incentivized by dumping unreasonable amounts of money into the game under the guise of "enhancing your gameplay experience." It's garbage. It's always been garbage and always has been garbage.

All of Paradox's games do this. Look at any of them, you'll see the exact same glaring problem. Crusader Kings 2 and 3, Europa Universalis IV, Cities Skyline, Hearts of Iron IV just to name a few. All of them have the same problem.

It's a predatory way of doing things that I have definitely fallen into with Crusader Kings 2 and Stellaris. It's unacceptable and I cannot abide by such a destructive way of doing things. I do not want to see really good games treated like this. We deserve better.

On its own, the base game is hollow to the point where its insulting to the player. Its only enjoyable with at least a couple DLCs. CK3 for comparison is pretty solid without DLCs, but here its empty with barely anything to do.

As always, this is a natural consecuence of a company being publicly traded and having to submit to mutual fund shareholders who will force radical cuts and staff rotation if they dont pull in enough cash. Remember to support private devs to let them stay that way as long as possible.

One of the truly great things about Stellaris is that it manages to create a natural difficulty curve that feels fair without being frustrating or making you want to stop playing. While I admit I don't love the DLC structure, it is one of the best nation-building games I've ever played, and there's a fair bit of strategy that goes into it too.

I've been playing 4X games for 30 years starting with the original Master of Orion. The variability in each game and the evolving updates just make this one of the best 4X games ever made. Such a fun, great game.

this is a great game but it always felt empty and now i know why, it is because they removed most of the game to release as expansions later on. i own the first few expansions they really made the game more interesting but now i am missing out on about 6 expansions. i don't have the money to support this kind of exploitation. i wish i could support the makers by buying their stuff but as it stands now i have invested too much money in one game to justify paying anymore.

bit of a rant now.

in the real world you have fight tooth and nail to get money from people just to pay rent and eat decent non-foraged grub. massive organisations constantly try to fleece people of their money extorting them anyway they know how often unethically like this. Its not going to happen. I mean an man cant even own his own business and make a fair wage anymore not to mention the problem with housing in the UK many of us will simply never own a home. i think its completely pathetic when people feel they need charge such inflated costs for so little.

i have no end to this argument, it is just more of the same.

Have you played Risk and thought "This game is too short!"?

Got a sci-fi child you need keeping busy for the next 10 years?

Do you enjoy trying and failing to micromanage the ants in your garden?

Then boy of boy do we have the game for you!

Stellautism!

The game where only 5.9% of players have won a match... a game which 50 hours in you'll still be getting tutorial tips and be reading them like its your wedding vows... where you'll look up from your PC like you finally woken up from a coma to see your family have aged, the plants have died, that cup of tea you forgot about has evaporated and you've lost 30 lbs from lack of eating.

Highly recommend! 10/10

This game is the new gold standard for 4X games. The mod capabilities make this game an incredible option!

Stellaris is honestly such a good game. Whether you're watching videos of other people playing it or playing the game yourself, the game can burn hours of time. Playing the game myself I typically enjoyed looking at what the tech tree was and what each trait in the empire creator had an effect on. This game is good for those who need hours to burn or something to play with your friends, but also for those who get really invested in the individual mechanics of games in an attempt to master them. The only flaw in the game is that DLC is generally much needed to spice up your game-play loop, which can be a problem, especially for those who don't want to invest so much money into one game when they could just buy a new one. Overall, however, Stellaris is definitely worth playing, and can addict you for several hundred hours, but it could also be a chill game that you play on and off, It has unique features and a unique environment among games like it, and you can commit space genocide. I personally recommend playing this game

A huge learning curve and too much expensive DLC, but if you're committed then its hands down one of the best space/ strategy games out there.

This is the best space sci-fi grand strategy game you will find.

Unlike the other games that play similarly to this, I never feel the need to completely finish games, they just go on till your ready to call it a victory or defeat. Maybe this is just my personal experiences with the game but some of my favorite playthroughs were when I was completely beat by challenges that can come from improperly managing a galactic empire. In some games I will rule by being this megacorp, collecting unreasonable amounts of wealth all to build an military that I cant support the upkeep of as my trade routes fall from the wars I started. Another game I had completely lost by making a 1984 style empire where my civilization, after the struggles of a multi-front war, decided it was the perfect time to revolt. A civil war broke out and my military turned on me. One time I made a sentient rock hive mind creature that focused on eating planets from the inside out which supported my rapid expansion requiring the ai to team up to stop my insane speed of colonization by branding me as the crisis of the universe. There are sooooooo many options and the ai are just as free to have these play-styles as well making each game feel insanely unique.

The mechanics of the game leave so much to the imagination, the way people are treated gives them political power allowing you to really feel the benefits of oppressing everyone for more planet-wide stability or, if you accept the challenge of creating a utopia in a universe full of warmongers, you can prioritize consumer goods over a powerful military and prosper through your political pushes in the galactic empire. Some people talk about ground invasions being dull but the fact that I reanimated a giant skeleton carcass I found floating in space and was able to orbital drop that shit on my enemies to start a zombie Apocalypse on their home planet is something I have never got from another game. I dare you to go full cyborg one game and make special war robots to see just how scary you can be.

Space combat feels good. What at first feels like throwing numbers at your opponent is given more depth as you are able to outfit the ships in your squads with special equipment meant for handling certain enemies over others. I never got too far into it but i think the option to not need go too deep in this mechanic makes the game a whole lot easier for a new player to learn. It feels more important to battle for control of valuable checkpoints in the star map.

So yeah, about the DLC. I have them all, and I don't normally buy dlc for games. There are a lot of dlc for this game and Ill admit that the game is not at its fullest without them. I recommend you do what i did, start small. play the game first and if you like the way you can create your own empire and the basic mechanics of the game then purchase some of the more important ones which id just watch a youtube video to learn about all the features each will give because they can actually add quite a lot to gameplay mechanics. let your love of scifi guide your decisions because with every dlc you add, you add more to the universe you are fighting over.

I bought the base game and a few DLCs in the sale. Otherwise the cost would have been prohibitive. It was otherwise just expensive. For that I got what I consider to be the equivalent of an ok game that could have been developed. So the base game on its own would be extremely lacking in depth and detail for its cost.

Many people have said it and it's a major factor: do you get value for money? Not in my opinion. And I would disagree with anyone who does think the model of fleshing out (somewhat) this skeleton of a game at an incredibly high cost demonstrates a good attitude towards a player/customer base.

I wouldn't even recommend it on sale: it really doesn't differ overmuch from any other game of this type and isn't particularly good, while in some ways being ok.

It's just an expensive, mediocre game.

A good, solid game, and the expansions actually expand the game, not just adding visuals.

very engaging with enough complexity but still able to enjoy the game, a bit load of micromanagement but thats about it..... Very recommended

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Great game—still no clue what I'm doing."

After 500 hours , I can confidently say I’ve almost figured out how to play. Of course, that hasn’t stopped me from making the exact same mistakes over and over again, just in more creative ways each time.
Every game starts the same. I tell myself, “This time, I’m going to be the good guy!” I dream of a peaceful, enlightened federation, where my alien neighbors and I hold hands and sing intergalactic Kumbaya. And for a while, it works. The early game feels like a wholesome Star Trek episode, all about exploration, diplomacy, and peaceful coexistence. But the game simply rewards my ego and desire to own everything, ask yourself this: "Why have one of it, when I could have all of it?". After a couple decades of boring kindness and aliens settling worlds around me, and oops- I've accidentally colonized my neighbors world! Its okay though, im still the good guy even though suddenly I've transformed my empire of free worlds into a surveillance-heavy police state, complete with mandatory loyalty oaths and a fleet large enough to blot out entire star systems. All it takes is a couple decades, and every game I realize the galaxy is a dangerous place, and the only path to peace is my iron fist crushing everyone else’s.

By the midgame, things take a hard turn into Star Wars territory. Alliances are shaky, fleets are massive, and some smug neighbor decides to declare war because I accidentally colonized "their" holy world. (It wasn’t holy when I found it, pal.) Cue the point in the game where I realize everything is mine, its just being warmed up for me by the xenos.

Fast forward a hundred years into the end game where I realize my computer runs better when aliens are dead. That’s when the mask of diplomacy drops, and I go full Imperium of Man on the xenos. It’s no longer about peaceful coexistence or even pragmatic alliances. No, by then, it’s about total galactic domination, fueled by centuries-old grudges against alien scum who dared to insult my empire. (Did they insult me? Maybe not. But they looked at me funny in 2304, and that’s close enough.) Suddenly, it’s me against the galaxy—a total war where even my own vassals question if they backed the wrong genocidal megalomaniac.

Jokes aside,what keeps me coming back is the infinite customization. One game, I’m a benevolent (sort of), plant-based collective spreading spores of love across the stars. The next, I’m a psychotic robot swarm assimilating everyone into my glorious machine hivemind. The sheer variety means that even after hundreds of hours, I’m still finding new ways to create, ruin, and rebuild empires.

In the grim darkness of the near future, there is only war...

As an experienced gamer, I have always had high hopes for the game Stellaris. As a strategic simulation game that combines exploration of a vast universe, its rich content and complex mechanics have always attracted me. However, after purchasing all the DLCs, my gaming experience has been filled with disappointment, leading to deep frustration.

Firstly, the stuttering issues in the game are unbearable. What was once a smooth gaming experience has frequently turned into frame drops and serious lag after acquiring all the DLCs. While exploring the vast universe, building civilizations, and engaging in battles, this stuttering not only disrupts the game's fluidity but also affects my decision-making and controls, often causing me to lose an advantage in critical moments. This is clearly contrary to what I expect from a strategy game; the rhythm of the game has been thrown off, resulting in a significantly diminished experience.

Secondly, the various bugs that have emerged leave me feeling helpless. Sometimes my fleets mysteriously disappear from the map and cannot be restored; sometimes tasks cannot be completed, preventing me from progressing in the game. There are also UI errors that make saving and loading games unusually cumbersome. These technical issues are simply unacceptable in a game that comes at a considerable price and boasts many DLCs. As players, we invest not only money but also our expectations for quality and loyalty to the game, yet all this seems futile in the face of these bugs.

Additionally, while the content is rich, many DLCs don't substantially increase the game's playability. Compared to the fresh experiences brought by major updates, the content of the DLCs often feels repetitive and redundant. In an attempt to pursue greater depth and complexity, some game mechanics have become overly intricate, requiring players to spend a lot of time adapting and understanding them. The overly complex gameplay makes the game feel heavy and tiresome, seemingly losing its initial charm.

For someone like me, who has been following Stellaris for a long time, it is deeply regretful to see the game’s imbalances in technical aspects and gameplay mechanics. As a game with potential, Stellaris should provide a more polished experience, rather than leaving players to struggle through stuttering and bugs. I also hope that the development team will take player feedback seriously and timely address these issues, balancing the various mechanics of the game to truly fulfill the vision of a "vast universe" that we expect.

In summary, I feel deeply disappointed with my purchase of Stellaris and its DLCs. Despite the promising concepts and potential, the shortcomings in technology and design severely impact the overall experience. I hope future versions can bring better optimization, and I wish my expectations can genuinely transform into a great gaming experience.

I would say that this game is one of the best RTS games I have played ever. The feeling of controlling a nation and having huge fleet battles with ground battles (Which I wish there was more depth on the ground fights) is just awesome. Ever game is new and playing with friends can cause one of the most dramatic wars and diplomatic talks. I would recommend this game 100%, the mods are also very good.

way too much! it is fun but seriously they have added way to much stuff to the game and give no real direction. I dont want them to hold my hand the whole time but at least get me started. The tutorial is a joke. 32 hours in the game and 6.5 on tutorial videos, i'll probably put some more time into it but i have pretty much given up trying to learn the game.

Unless you have a friend group with a solid schedule I cannot in good faith recommend this game. I personally love it, however, the sheer degrees of unfairness from the AI, even in the easiest of difficulties is stupid. There are shadow mechanics and rules which are never explained. Fundamental aspects of this game are completely inaccessible without hours of dedicated study to understand its function.
Additionally, its DLC is extraordinarily overpriced for what it offers for players new and old.

There needs to be serious rectification before I can consider recommending this game as a stand-alone experience.

Only fun with mods, only truly playable with unreasonably expensive dlc, multiplayer DOES NOT WORK. Unless you want to spend half the time going through your harddrive to have the same exact file make up as the other players. Also the loading times are abysmal.

I played this game for over 5 years now and it was one of my favorite games. It was a game about wonder and exploration, giving you creative freedom to deciding your own path in a vast galaxy.

But since they started using AI for their DLC content, artworks and assets, it no longer feels like that.

Before that i got every DLC for this game, now i just want to refund it. And that comes from someone who spend 900 hours in this game.

I enjoyed my time with this game, however it is sooo expensive! And not well optimized. I haven't touched the game in a few years, and already I'm $100 to $150 behind on all the DLC's. When will it end? Probably never. Hence my reason for this review.

TLDR: Good game, poor people need not apply.

Very nice game, would say it's worth the money especially if you like a rather in depth game and the ease of modding is amazing and makes it much more fun although i have trouble playing with others after modding. Overall 8/10 in my opinion

Watched about 8+ hours of informational and tutorial videos before even attempting to play.
I've only* played for about 41 hours (iron man only) and have yet to finish** 1 game at this point.
The sheer number of things one can do and customise are staggering, and I think I'm only using half of the options available to me if I even get to that amount.

Still watching my little insect spawn infest almost a full arm of the galaxy and ordering an empire wide upgrade of my robot citizens feels great.

If you are a fan of 4x games, space games, tactical games, too many options to count, then Stellaris is for you.
If you just want to create creatures and have them conquer the galaxy; Spore will have your back.

Be sure to pick this game and additions up while they are discounted as even then the'll be a large money sink.


*If you don't have time to invest and just want a quick game, don't start this, it will demand and take your time.
**My game didn't properly cloud transfer from my laptop to my PC so I'm maintaining 2 separate empires at the same time.

Dunno, just one of the better RTS games out there. The micromanagement can seem daunting at first but it eventually becomes muscle memory and there are systems in place to automate everything. The combat can be intense and dynamic. I'll often have to pause and have a thing to myself how best to deploy my forces to fight on multiple fronts. Often with a mobile war fleet on the other side of the galaxy completely cut off from reinforcements and with my finest admiral at the helm.

Resource management is easy enough but it is also easy to get complacent and start neglecting your colonies, which always turns out poorly.

The workshop is both surprisingly well-curated and expansive. All you have to do is make sure the mods are for the current version of the game and you can turn Stellaris into just about any flavor of RTS you want.

Overall, 8/10. There's always room for improvement. But as far as space empire grand strategy RTS games go, this is one of the absolute best.

Write your own story in a galaxy, across different timelines... It's never gets bored when you pick it up once in a while wanting to try something new.

If only the DLCs can be purchased with Unity...

It really does suck you in - you constantly have something to do while in game. The automated planet management is a liver saver. Need to learn a lot of things to play the game but it's not that difficult to get started - the tutorial is pretty clear.
Basically every flaw gets overshadowed by the fact that you can play as space creatures and robots. Got bored of the human playthrough (to learn) - changed to the killer robo, immediately having more fun just with the robotic narrator voice

While it is alot to understand at first, once you understand it its really fun. Its A fun space civ game, explore the stars and try to dominate the galaxy. It does suffer from alot of dlcs but the race and story dlcs help to give new life to games and extra events to see and handle. im not a fan of civ games but i like this one alot (the space theme got me).

I very much like this game, and would love to be able to recommend it. The gameplay is fun, the emergent storytelling is great, but you can't really justify the horrid DLC practice.

Used to be you didn't need DLC, you could just mod the game. Now most mods require most DLC, and there's a LOT of DLC, and they're not cheap. I'm a frog boiling in the pot, as it were. I spent the money on the DLCs over a long time, but to new players it will be a very financially daunting prospect to get into the game with the triple digit USD cost of total DLC. That number is only gonna get larger and larger over time.

Paradox games tend to be more digestible if you get them at launch.

Good Game. Just gets destroyed by too many DLC adding stupid buttons and then they forget to integrate old stuff and then if you don't have all DLC game is being balanced properly etc etc. They need to come up with a new finance model.

If you’re into space games, Stellaris is a must-try! It’s basically a dream come true for anyone who loves exploring galaxies, building an empire, and making big decisions that impact the fate of entire civilizations. You get to shape your own unique alien race, develop advanced tech, and even face some seriously intense crises that pop up randomly and keep you on your toes. The game’s also really good at pulling you in with its visuals and soundtrack; it’s immersive, epic, and somehow still cozy.

One of my favorite things is the diplomacy and interaction with other species—whether you’re making alliances, trading, or going to war, the game lets you choose how you want to play. The updates Paradox releases are pretty regular too, so they keep adding new features and events that make each game feel fresh.

It’s complex, sure, but once you get the hang of it, the depth is super rewarding. So if you're looking for a game where every choice matters and you can genuinely lose yourself in the story you’re creating, Stellaris is where it’s at!