Distant Worlds 2 is a single-player space strategy game about building an interstellar empire across a galaxy full of other powers and unexplored systems. Its vast setting supports peaceful expansion through mining and diplomacy as well as conquest, while encounters with alien colonies, traders, pirates and space monsters give exploration a broader context than simply claiming territory.
Its distinctive format is pausable real-time, combining the depth associated with turn-based strategy with continuous play. Players can choose among seven base-game factions, pursue storylines or victory conditions, or leave those goals aside in an open-ended sandbox. Intelligent automation lets players decide how much of the empire to manage directly, from concentrating on one ship to overseeing the larger galactic enterprise; advisors can handle other areas. A built-in editor also allows customization of galaxies and their inhabitants.
Its scale can still vary considerably: galaxy-generation options create different setups, and the game presents both crowded, quick scenarios and longer campaigns across expansive space. That range helps explain why play can center on a narrow operational focus or unfold as a sprawling strategy campaign.
