No patience for Civilization? Compact 4X strategy game is under $2 on Steam

In Hexarchy, players lead their own civilization and compete for territory, resources and military dominance on procedurally generated hex-grid maps. Instead of waiting for traditional build timers, buildings, units, technologies, wonders and social policies are played as cards. Developer Main Tank Software has transformed the familiar 4X formula into a much faster and more streamlined strategy experience. Thanks to simultaneous turns and an accessible card system, matches usually last just 30 to 60 minutes. That makes Hexarchy particularly appealing to players who enjoy the core ideas of 4X strategy games but do not have the patience for multi-hour Civilization sessions. On Steam, Hexarchy normally costs $19.99. Until June 25, a 90% discount brings the price down to $1.99. According to SteamDB, this matches the game’s previous all-time low, which was last reached in early May.

The main appeal lies in the combination of 4X strategy and deckbuilding. Players found cities, explore new tiles, gather resources, recruit armies and improve their decks at the same time. Since a bloated deck can make key cards less reliable, buying, removing and carefully timing cards becomes an important part of the strategy. Diplomacy barely plays a role – Hexarchy clearly focuses on expansion and military decisions.

TheSixthAxis reviewed Hexarchy at launch in October 2023 and particularly praised its accessibility, successful deckbuilding and fast gameplay flow. Because cards take effect immediately once played, there is hardly any downtime. Criticism focused on the lack of diplomacy, an AI that can sometimes feel unfairly fast in research and the game’s comparatively limited depth. However, whether that reduced depth is actually a weakness depends on what players expect. Hexarchy is clearly aimed at those who want a more approachable and faster alternative to traditional 4X games. TheSixthAxis ultimately awarded it a strong 8 out of 10.

The Steam ratings paint a similar picture: 81% of more than 1,500 user reviews are positive. On Metacritic, the game currently has a User Score of 7.2; a Metascore was not available at the time of writing. On the Steam Deck, Hexarchy is rated as “Playable.”

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