In Episode 28 of Critical Moves, hosts Tim, Adam, and new regular Jack take a break from big announcements and deep dives to chat about the strategy games they’ve actually been playing. From spacefaring adventures to classic RTS brawls, the team shares what’s been keeping them busy and what’s been disappointing them lately.
Tim’s Starsector Adventure
Tim kicks things off with Starsector, an indie strategy RPG set in a hostile galaxy. It’s a sandbox game where you start with a single ship, gradually building a fleet while managing colonies, trading, fighting, and navigating diplomacy. Tim describes it as “Mount & Blade in space,” with a heavy focus on economic micromanagement and faction juggling. The group dives into how Starsector blends real-time ship combat with long-term strategic planning, and how it compares to other space games like X4 and Space Rangers. While there’s a bit of a learning curve, the group agrees that a 20-minute tutorial can help ease new players in.
Adam’s Beyond All Reason Obsession
Adam had planned to talk about Aliens: Dark Descent, but instead, he raves about Beyond All Reason (BAR) again. Initially drawn in by its free price tag and large-scale battles, Adam is now hooked. Despite losing most of his competitive matches, he’s spending every night thinking about it. The hosts all agree that BAR hits a sweet spot. It’s massive in scale, well-designed in terms of UI, and it lets you play like a general rather than a micromanager. Adam even gives a brief shout-out to Tempest Rising, though it’s clear that BAR is getting the most love in this episode.
Jack’s Game Rotation: Bannerlord, Stellaris, and Tropico 5
Jack talks about his current rotation: Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, Stellaris, and Tropico 5. He makes the case that Bannerlord is a strategy game, pointing to its troop morale mechanics, resource planning, and large-scale battles. Tim agrees, especially when they draw parallels between Starsector and Bannerlord with their shared focus on management. When it comes to Stellaris, Jack is candid: he rarely pushes through to the endgame, preferring to spend most of his time in the early phases. There’s some frustration with the pacing of grand strategy titles like Stellaris, which often front-load all the excitement. On the other hand, Tropico 5 is pure comfort for Jack—a relaxed city-building game that he plays to unwind, with his fiancée enjoying watching him build banana plantations and issue edicts.
Diplomacy in Strategy Games
A major topic of discussion in this episode is the failure of diplomacy systems in most strategy games. The hosts explore how games like Stellaris and Victoria 3 could benefit from more meaningful diplomatic mechanics. Tim points to Suzerain as an example of well-executed diplomacy, though it wouldn’t fit neatly into a typical 4X. There’s also a quick tangent into multiplayer diplomacy, with Victoria 3 getting praise for how voice chat turns politicking into something engaging and dynamic.
The Stellaris Midgame Struggles
Everyone agrees that the early game of Stellaris is brilliant. It’s all about discovering alien life, building your empire, and exploring the unknown. But once you hit the midgame, the cracks start to show. There are too many systems to manage, and the AI loses its appeal. Jack points out that Stellaris shines when it embraces the weird science fiction elements, like interacting with Shroud entities or marauder clans, rather than just dealing with random technocrats. The group all agrees that the game stalls after first contact, with potential being left untapped.
Victoria 3: The Best Economy System Yet?
Tim and Adam both rave about Victoria 3—a fast-paced (for a Paradox game) grand strategy with a truly remarkable economic simulation. Adam compares it to Hearts of Iron, saying it provides more session-length flexibility than Stellaris. The game’s deep economic mechanics impress them both, with Tim admitting that Victoria 3 helped him understand real-world political decisions. The hosts also give a lot of attention to Victoria 3’s multiplayer voice chat diplomacy, which they argue adds an extra layer of fun to the game.
Games That Didn’t Stick
Not every game makes an impact. Adam admits that while he gave Riftbreaker multiple chances, it just didn’t click. Despite liking its base-building, twin-stick shooting, and tower defense elements, Aliens: Dark Descent and BAR kept pulling him back in. Tim is thinking about another Baldur’s Gate 3 run, and Adam is eyeing Sins of a Solar Empire 2 when it’s on sale. Jack has Age of Wonders 4 on his radar. Everyone has a backlog, but no one finishes Stellaris. Some things never change.
Meet Jack
This episode also marks the first full appearance of Jack, who’s a game composer and long-time listener. He brings his smooth voice and strong opinions to the table. Jack is based in the US and you can find his music at dryexpression.com. Welcome aboard, Jack!
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re a Starsector veteran, BAR addict, or someone who’s eternally stuck in Stellaris’ midgame, this episode has something for every strategy gamer. Tune in for the usual mix of honest opinions, frustrations, and laughs as the Critical Moves crew discusses the games that are keeping them engaged—or making them want to throw their keyboards.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Amazon Music. Or find us on your preferred podcast service by searching Critical Moves Podcast.
Tim’s Starsector AdventureTim kicks things off with Starsector, an indie strategy RPG set in a hostile galaxy. It’s a sandbox game where you start with a single ship, gradually building a fleet while managing colonies, trading, fighting, and navigating diplomacy. Tim describes it as “Mount & Blade in space,” with a heavy focus on economic micromanagement and faction juggling. The group dives into how Starsector blends real-time ship combat with long-term strategic planning, and how it compares to other space games like X4 and Space Rangers. While there’s a bit of a learning curve, the group agrees that a 20-minute tutorial can help ease new players in.
Adam’s Beyond All Reason ObsessionAdam had planned to talk about Aliens: Dark Descent, but instead, he raves about Beyond All Reason (BAR) again. Initially drawn in by its free price tag and large-scale battles, Adam is now hooked. Despite losing most of his competitive matches, he’s spending every night thinking about it. The hosts all agree that BAR hits a sweet spot. It’s massive in scale, well-designed in terms of UI, and it lets you play like a general rather than a micromanager. Adam even gives a brief shout-out to Tempest Rising, though it’s clear that BAR is getting the most love in this episode.
Jack’s Game Rotation: Bannerlord, Stellaris, and Tropico 5Jack talks about his current rotation: Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, Stellaris, and Tropico 5. He makes the case that Bannerlord is a strategy game, pointing to its troop morale mechanics, resource planning, and large-scale battles. Tim agrees, especially when they draw parallels between Starsector and Bannerlord with their shared focus on management. When it comes to Stellaris, Jack is candid: he rarely pushes through to the endgame, preferring to spend most of his time in the early phases. There’s some frustration with the pacing of grand strategy titles like Stellaris, which often front-load all the excitement. On the other hand, Tropico 5 is pure comfort for Jack—a relaxed city-building game that he plays to unwind, with his fiancée enjoying watching him build banana plantations and issue edicts.
Diplomacy in Strategy GamesA major topic of discussion in this episode is the failure of diplomacy systems in most strategy games. The hosts explore how games like Stellaris and Victoria 3 could benefit from more meaningful diplomatic mechanics. Tim points to Suzerain as an example of well-executed diplomacy, though it wouldn’t fit neatly into a typical 4X. There’s also a quick tangent into multiplayer diplomacy, with Victoria 3 getting praise for how voice chat turns politicking into something engaging and dynamic.
The Stellaris Midgame StrugglesEveryone agrees that the early game of Stellaris is brilliant. It’s all about discovering alien life, building your empire, and exploring the unknown. But once you hit the midgame, the cracks start to show. There are too many systems to manage, and the AI loses its appeal. Jack points out that Stellaris shines when it embraces the weird science fiction elements, like interacting with Shroud entities or marauder clans, rather than just dealing with random technocrats. The group all agrees that the game stalls after first contact, with potential being left untapped.
Victoria 3: The Best Economy System Yet?Tim and Adam both rave about Victoria 3—a fast-paced (for a Paradox game) grand strategy with a truly remarkable economic simulation. Adam compares it to Hearts of Iron, saying it provides more session-length flexibility than Stellaris. The game’s deep economic mechanics impress them both, with Tim admitting that Victoria 3 helped him understand real-world political decisions. The hosts also give a lot of attention to Victoria 3’s multiplayer voice chat diplomacy, which they argue adds an extra layer of fun to the game.
Games That Didn’t StickNot every game makes an impact. Adam admits that while he gave Riftbreaker multiple chances, it just didn’t click. Despite liking its base-building, twin-stick shooting, and tower defense elements, Aliens: Dark Descent and BAR kept pulling him back in. Tim is thinking about another Baldur’s Gate 3 run, and Adam is eyeing Sins of a Solar Empire 2 when it’s on sale. Jack has Age of Wonders 4 on his radar. Everyone has a backlog, but no one finishes Stellaris. Some things never change.
Meet JackThis episode also marks the first full appearance of Jack, who’s a game composer and long-time listener. He brings his smooth voice and strong opinions to the table. Jack is based in the US and you can find his music at dryexpression.com. Welcome aboard, Jack!
Final ThoughtsWhether you’re a Starsector veteran, BAR addict, or someone who’s eternally stuck in Stellaris’ midgame, this episode has something for every strategy gamer. Tune in for the usual mix of honest opinions, frustrations, and laughs as the Critical Moves crew discusses the games that are keeping them engaged—or making them want to throw their keyboards.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Amazon Music. Or find us on your preferred podcast service by searching Critical Moves Podcast.