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4X is a genre of strategy-based games in which players control an empire and "eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate". Emphasis is placed upon economic and technological development, as well as a range of non-military routes to supremacy. Games can take a long time to complete since the amount of micromanagement needed to sustain an empire increases as the empire grows.

Featuring extraterrestrial beings, these games often explore themes of space travel, alien invasions, or interstellar diplomacy. Encounter mysterious life forms, defend against alien threats, or uncover the secrets of the cosmos in these otherworldly adventures.