Astro Protocol

Ever want to do a run of a 4X game but were daunted by the game length and lategame dragging out too long? Astro Protocol's got you covered. Its a really tightly designed 4X where each game takes about an hour. Pretty much every action in the game takes 1 turn to complete. Colonize a planet, terraform a planet, research a tech, build a ship, build a research lab, all done in 1 turn. To prevent lategame stagnation and having to wipe out every opponent to win, you can win via victory points earned by reaching various milestones like number of techs, planets owned, ships destroyed, etc. Tech choices and victory conditions are randomized each run keeping things fresh. Its single player only, but the AI performs really well even when not given any resource bonuses. Its an impressively well designed and fun game and I hope more players discover it over time.

quick simple , not very replayable

Truly something else. 10/10

Fun "quick" space 4X with a lot of board game vibes (in a good way). Production quality isn't super high but that doesn't get in the way of some fun gameplay. The map is a little hard to read at first (kind of cluttered) but once you get in the swing of things and realize you want to "fill" the map it gets a little easier. Combat is simple but enjoyable, and the game is true to its word that you can play a full run through start to finish in a couple of hours. Unlike a lot of lower-end space 4X games I see out there, this one communicates its rules effectively and feels like a complete game experience. Definitely recommend if you're in the mood for something a little lighter than Stellaris.

This is such a fun game. It has that "one more turn" hook. The new custom factions are a hoot, and the random maps makes every new game exciting. You can complete a game in an hour but there is a lot of strategy going on for each turn. Highly recommend this game for those 4X fans that want something fast and furious when taking a break from the real heavy strategy games.

Fast paced 4x with good AI, something that is a rarity.

A very nice, compact take on the Space 4X genre. Games can be customized to play very quickly, and the victory conditions keep even larger games from becoming stalemate slog-fests. I like that many of the starting conditions can be set to random to keep the games fresh, and minor factions care a great wildcard! The team has been very quick with updates, improvements, and balancing changes. My only request would be for some more starting groups to choose from!

Absolutely love this game. It took out all the annoying and slow parts that tend to bog down 4x games. You could tell that every game design decision was made with fun and replayability as the most important values. It added ways of making each run different, giving you interesting decisions each run rather than just going in with the same game plan every time. This is especially well done with how science works by removing techs that you don't choose when offered, and the techs are also randomized. The combat is fun and tactical, and does not turn into a slog because of how deadly the weapons are. I love that you can go after enemy production, and choose where new units are built, like an RTS game.

Great 4x Game. Plays like a board game but without tedious setup. One game lasts about 0.5-3 hours depending on map size and play style. Faction differentiation and replayability are very strong

It's a lot of fun and well worth the asking price.