With its randomized maps, a variety of civilizations to choose from, and multiplayer as an accessible option, The Battle of Polytopia is surprisingly replayable. On top of that, being available for mobile devices, you can play it anywhere you go. Truly, The Battle of Polytopia is the pocket-sized 4X that I never knew I needed until I played it.

It’s hard to come up with many serious complaints about Polytopia. Would more game modes be nice? Would I like a few more units? Would I have appreciated more diversity between civilizations? Well...maybe. Part of the game’s charm is its simplicity. The game doesn’t pretend to be something more complicated than it is, and adding much more would start to push the game too far in the awkward space between casual and hardcore. Polytopia probably isn’t going to be your next Civilization or Stellaris, but if you’re looking for something a bit more laid back, there’s a lot here to enjoy.

While it’s going to be a little too simplistic for some people, it’s a very good game if you’re looking to introduce somebody else to strategy games, then it might well be the perfect chance to do so.

The multiplayer component is the key selling point here as quick multiplayer strategy matches sound fun, yet even that is hurt by the apparent lack of an active online player base. All of these issues leave The Battle Of Polytopia as a title that doesn't have enough options and content to make it worth going to war for.

The simple gameplay of Battle of Polytopia is actually a pretty fun breakdown of the genre - the problem is ultimately its simplicity is its undoing. Despite what it says or looks like, every starting race is nearly the exact same, which is a huge missed opportunity to diversify them. Battles late-game are very dry. For some casual players it is a fun romp, but anyone looking for depth or longevity won't find it here.