eXplorminate
By explorminate
eXplorminate | eXpansion & eXploitation
Hi all.
We have had a bit of a break at eXplorminate, been enjoying the sweltering summer and the World Cup.
But, now we are back, with a new episode.
Listen to the whole team (and a special guest, who we hope to interview very soon :D ), based on 2 continents, talk about eXpansion and eXploitation, the 2nd (3rd?) in our holistic look at the 4X genre.
For reasons that will become clear in the pod, these 2 phases are intertwined.
After all, the empire must expand, to meet the needs of the expanding empire!(to paraphrase Oscar Wilde)
This is a 2hr episode, so buckle up.
Because of time differences, some of us were recording this is in the small hours of the morning, so apologies if we sound tired (mainly me!)
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This podcast wouldn’t be possible without our amazing Patrons.
eXplorminate is an independent games journalism and games loving website and community, but we cannot make things happen without your support.
Please donate to the Patreon, visit our YouTube, listen to our podcast and join our Discord, if you want to support us.
Cozy chat with DasTactic
The beauty of the internet is that people half a world apart can connect over just about anything. In our case, it is having a lovely chat about games with the man, the myth, the legend that is DasTactic, about games in 2026.
eXplorminate | Developer Interview with Zeikko
Welcome Zeikko, from Null Vector Studios, the creator of Astro Protocol.
Astro Protocol is an intense, short turn based game, set in space. It is very streamlined/distilled/refined, delivering short and intense matches.
It is quite well balanced and the AI is above average for the genre.
You can get the game here.
There is a video version of this podcast available here.
eXplorminate | Explore First, Ask Questions Later
DLC | The Good, The Bad and The Downloadable
Join the team along with special guest Al from Critical Moves as we jump into the deep and ever expanding world of DLC.
This podcast has a companion article available here, as well as a companion video, available here.
Looking ahead into 2026
Hello!
In our last podcast, we discussed the games we have enjoyed playing in 2025. In this episode we look ahead to 2026, discussing the games we are looking forward to playing.
Please note, that although most of these are getting an official release in 2026, some are already in early access, and we are NOT limiting ourselves just to games with an expected 2026 release date.
Merry 4Xmas | Our top played games of 2025
Merry 4Xmas!
I hope the festive season has been thus far enjoyable, and your bellies have eXpanded due to all the good food.
Maybe your game collection will too.
Join the regular crew and the Baron of Beardness himself, Battlemode, as we talk about the games we have been playing in 2025.
There is an accompanying article to the podcast, available here.
Note, this is a long podcast.
We had great fun talking about the game we have been playing, and our next podcast will be talking about the games we are looking forward to in 2026.
Olden Era | The resurgence of HoMM ( and competitors!)
Join the gang as we discus the renaissance of the HoMM likes, with Olden Era's expansive demo in the vanguard.
This podcast was edited by RP Productions - video and audio production made easy.
Read our thoughts on Olden Era here.
Endless Legend 2 - Early Access
So, from demo to early access, another look at Endless Legend 2.
What's changed? What's better, what's worse?
Is this a diamond in the rough, or a lump of coal?
Aspects, Broken Lords, Necrophage, Kin of Sheredyn or Tahuks, who shall rule supreme?
Is the monsoon-tidefall fun?
How is the combat?
Join the intrepid crew as we answer all these questions and more.
This podcast was edited by RP-Productions - your one stop shop for video and audio work.
AoW4 - flawed or flavourful?
Is this a battle of people with "battle" in their name?
Welcome BattleMode, well known for his uncompromising opinions on modern game design(don't mention "gameplay loop!)
Welcome BloodyBattleBrain, well known for his somewhat unhealthy obsession with Age of Wonders.
And welcome rickyP, neutral observer with fresh eyes.
Enjoy this conversation about the behemoth Age of Wonders, and you decided - is it flawed, or flavourful, or both?
Battle of the Songs
Whose music reigns supreme?
Whose chant echoes through the ages?
Who shall triumph, in the battle of the Songs?
Join BBB, Drexy, Ricky and David as they discuss Songs of Conquest and Songs of Silence.
Two songs enter, one song leaves?
Zephon and Eo
Join the gang as we go over 2 games that got dlc recently.
Which do you prefer, Conquest of Eo or Zephon?
Let's eXplore Endless Legend 2
Join the eXplorminate gang as we dig deep into the Endless Legend 2 demo, and talk about what we like, and what we think needs some more work.
Distant Worlds 2 and the Concept of "Awe"
What is the connection between Distant Worlds 2 and the concept of "awe"?
Awe - the feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear and wonder.
Awesome -having some awe. Now used to mean something good, cool, interesting. As in it was awesome to get Erik Rutins AND Dastactic on the show.
Awe inspiring - bringing about the sense of awe. As in, the concept of Distant Worlds 2 is awe inspiring.
Awful - meaning, literally, full of awe, yet somehow the exact opposite of awesome. As in, it is awful that I have waited this long to play Distant Worlds 2.
Yes, this show is about Distant Worlds 2. We have Erik Rutins, Dastactic, Drexy, David and Andy (who says very little because he is awestruck!)
Enjoy, and keep exploring!
The Death of 4X?
Join Drexy, Ricky and David as they discuss the current state of 4X. Is the genre dead? Are we in a golden age? Too many games? Too little innovation? Can games recover from a "bad" debut?
Listen on, and you decide.
A New Beginning
Andy (aka BloodyBattleBrain) and Drexy sit down for a brief chat about the eXplorminate handover, and what the future holds for this amazing community.
Bonaparte Interview with Studio Imugi
Rob, Drexy, and Ricky speak with Jongwoo and Martin of Studio Imugi about their upcoming grand strategy game, Bonaparte: A Mechanized Revolution.
ARA: History Untold Deep Dive
Rob, William, and David speak about their experience with ARA: History Untold, as the rest of the gang chimes in with questions and more! Support this podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/eXplorminatepodcast
Civilization 7 Reaction, ARA: History Untold, and More!
The gang got together and spoke about all of the recent news coming out of Gamescom, including initial reactions to Civilization 7 and the new gameplay footage of Ara: History Untold.
Age of Wonders 4: Eldritch Realms and More!
The new gang sits down to discuss the latest expansion for Age of Wonders 4 and more as they settle into their own new groove.
The Great Big Host Episode
In this episode, Rob and Drexy are joined by a menagerie of new hosts, as both Shaun and Ben have to step back. So, listen in as they new roundtable discusses the recent news of Civ 7 and Age of Wonders 4 and more and decide who makes the cut!
ZEPHON Interview: Exclusive Insights from Proxy Studios
Rob and Drexy were able to speak with Rok and Lorenz from Proxy Studios about their in-development post-apocalyptic 4X game, ZEPHON, and learn about their future plans, the feedback they’ve received, and much more.
Songs of Silence Interview with Alex
Rob and Drexy interviewed Alex, the creative director of Songs of Silence by Chimera Entertainment. You should check out if you haven't heard of this one! In fact, here's a link to its website: Songs of Silence (songs-of-silence.com)
Shadow Empire Interview with Vic Reijkersz in 2024
Once again, the eXplorminate crew speaks with Vic Reijkersz about his fantastic 4X game, Shadow Empire. What's next? Tune in to find out!
Dominions 6 Discussion
Join Ben, DasTactic, and LucidTactics as they discuss what's new, improved, and otherwise worth discussing with Dominions 6, the newest Illwinter Designs grand strategy game. Music by Whitebat Audio. All rights reserved.
Episode #52: 2024 - A Banner Year for 4X?
Rob, Ben, Drexy, and Shaun discuss the year that will be 2024X. They also digress a little, but that's not unexpected, is it? Music by WhiteBat Audio. All rights reserved.
2023 in Review and 2024X
Rob, Ben, Drexy, Shaun, and Jesse discuss the year that was 2023 and then hype up 2024, which we've dubbed 2024X. Read our recent article here all about the year 2024X: 2024X: A Golden Age of 4X - eXplorminate Music by Whitebat Audio. Used with permission.
Richard Yorke and the Gang
Ben and Drexy sit down with Richard Yorke, a strategy gamer grognard, and discuss strategy and wargames.
Commonwealth Episode #4
The Commonwealth gang, aka Ben, Drexy, and Shaun, discuss 4X, tactics, strategy, and even...RPGs?
Tune in to see what they're up to this month!
eXplorminate After Dark
Rob, Ben, Drexy, and Shaun discuss the games industry as a whole and dive into the latest news, releases, and drama. This is the first and only "After Dark" episode that will be released to the public. More episodes in this format are already available, and more are to come if you subscribe to eXplorminate | creating a 4X, Strategy, and Tactics Game Podcast | Patreon
*Some explicit language is in this episode, please be warned!*
Interview With Triumph Studios on Age of Wonders 4
Rob, Ben, and Jesse interview Lennart Sas, the Game Director of Age of Wonders 4, and Tom Bird, the Creative Lead. Learn about what went into the design, what got cut out, and what's in store for Age of Wonders 4!
Outro music by Whitebat Audio. All rights reserved.
Consider becoming a patron of our podcast so we can continue doing this indefinitely! Click this link!
Episode #51: The News and GalCiv 4: Supernova
Rob, Drex, and Ben discuss some of the latest 4X news and dive deep into Galactic Civilizations 4: Supernova.
Outro music by WhiteBat Audio.
Consider becoming a patron on our Patreon, please! Click this link to support what we do!
2nd Interview With VR Designs on Shadow Empire
Ben and DasTactic interview Victor Reijkersz of VR Designs, the developer behind the cult-hit Shadow Empire! Learn about what Victor expects for the future of Shadow Empire and much more! Please consider becoming a patron of the eXplorminate podcast! We really appreciate your support.
Outro music by WhiteBat Audio. All rights reserved.
Interview with Ail, an eXpert in AI Programming
Ben and Dastactic interview Ail, the AI programmer behind some great games, including the lauded Warhammer: 40K - Gladius!
Age of Wonders 4 Deep Dive
Join Rob, DasTactic, Jesse, and Ben for a deep dive into the newest 4X on the block, Age of Wonders 4. It's a good game, but is it great? What can be improved? Tune in to find out!
— This show wouldn’t be possible without our amazing Patrons. Please consider supporting what we do through our eXplorminate Podcast Patreon. For $3 USD, you can help us create the best 4X, strategy, and tactics podcast on the internet and get every episode WITHOUT ADS (and we know that's an incentive!) - https://www.patreon.com/eXplorminatepodcast — Get 20% OFF @manscaped + Free Shipping with promo code eXplorminate at MANSCAPED.com! #ad #manscapedpod
— Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/explorminate/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/explorminate/support Music by Karl Casey of Whitebat Audio
Interview With Edmon, Strategy Game Extraordinaire
Ben and Shaun sit down with Edmon, the Slitherine Games Community Manager, and an ultra-fan of strategy games, who's well known for playing games on their hardest settings. He has a lot of interesting opinions and this interview is a really fun listen! — This show wouldn’t be possible without our amazing Patrons. Please consider supporting what we do through our eXplorminate Podcast Patreon. For $3 USD, you can help us create the best 4X, strategy, and tactics podcast on the internet and get every episode WITHOUT ADS (and we know that's an incentive!) - https://www.patreon.com/eXplorminatepodcast — Get 20% OFF @manscaped + Free Shipping with promo code eXplorminate at MANSCAPED.com! #ad #manscapedpod
— Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/explorminate/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/explorminate/support Music by Karl Casey of Whitebat Audio
Episode #50: Oceania, Supernova, and Why We Play
This show wouldn’t be possible without our amazing Patrons. Please consider supporting what we do through our eXplorminate Podcast Patreon. For $3 USD, you can help us create the best 4X, strategy, and tactics podcast on the internet and get every episode WITHOUT ADS (and we know that's an incentive!)
Get 20% OFF @manscaped + Free Shipping with promo code eXplorminate at MANSCAPED.com! #ad #manscapedpod — Send in a voice message: anchor.fm/explorminate/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/explorminate/support
Music by Karl Casey of Whitebat Audio
The Commonwealth on Master of Magic and Distant Worlds 2
Rob's out. DasTactic is in! Joining your host Ben and the illustrious Drexy, Das and the rest of the Commonwealth Crew discuss the improvements made to "NuMoM" and Distant Worlds 2 since their releases, in this WHOPPER of an episode!
This show wouldn’t be possible without our amazing Patrons. Please consider supporting what we do through our eXplorminate Podcast Patreon. For $3 USD, you can help us create the best 4X, strategy, and tactics podcast on the internet.
Get 20% OFF @manscaped + Free Shipping with promo code eXplorminate at MANSCAPED.com! #ad #manscapedpod — Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/explorminate/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/explorminate/support
Galactic Civilizations 4 Interview with Brad Wardell (Plus AI Discussion)
Rob and Ben sat down with Brad Wardell, the CEO of Stardock, and discussed with him the future of Galactic Civilizations 4, what may have gone wrong in its development, but where it's headed now, and how AI has started to shape game development.
Music by White Bat Audio/Karl Casey. Used with permission.
This show wouldn’t be possible without our amazing Patrons. Please consider supporting what we do through our eXplorminate Podcast Patreon. For $3 USD, you can help us create the best 4X, strategy, and tactics podcast on the internet.
Get 20% OFF @manscaped + Free Shipping with promo code eXplorminate at MANSCAPED.com! #ad #manscapedpod — Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/explorminate/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/explorminate/support
Spellforce: Conquest of Eo Interview with Jan Wagner
Rob and Jesse sit down with Jan Wagner, the Creative Director at Owned by Gravity, and talk to him about the development process, what got left out, and what might be in store for Conquest of Eo's future!
Music by White Bat Audio/Karl Casey. Used with permission.
Get 20% OFF @manscaped + Free Shipping with promo code eXplorminate at MANSCAPED.com! #ad #manscapedpod
Spellforce: Conquest of Eo Review
Rob and Jesse sit down to objectively discuss the latest title that every strategy gamer is talking about, Spellforce: Conquest of Eo. Why is it good? What can it do better? Tune in to find out and get caught up on some of the latest news while you're at it!
Outro music is the title theme for Spellforce: Conquest of Eo.
Support the eXplorminate podcast: Get 20% OFF @manscaped + Free Shipping with promo code eXplorminate at MANSCAPED.com! #ad #manscapedpod
Episode #49: Age of Wonders 4 with DasTactic
Rob, Ben, and Drexy are joined by special guest, DasTactic, as they dive in deep into the Age of Wonders 4 reveal! At the end, Rob convinces Das to help him love Distant Worlds 2 like Das does.
Outro music by Karl Casey of White Bat Audio. Used with permission.
Commonwealth 'Cast #3: 2022 Retrospective and Looking to 2023
Rob's out. Ben, Drexy, and Shaun are in. The blokes discuss the games that drew their attention most in 2022 and the games they're looking forward to most in 2023.
Outro music by White Bat Audio. Used with permission.
Galactic Civilizations 4 Audible Review
Rob narrates his review from the site: Galactic Civilizations 4 Review - eXplorminate - Is GalCiv 4 worth your time, nearly a year after its release?
Episode #48: GotY and SpellForce: Conquest of Eo
Rob, Ben, Drexy, and Jesse sit down and discuss the release of Master of Magic, then Rob and Jesse provide their impressions of SpellForce: Conquest of Eo. Somewhere along the way, Rob and Drexy have it out over Stellaris, then they make nice, and they all talk about their personal games of the year.
Fun show.
As it's the final show of 2022, we just wanted to take another moment to thank you all for your unwavering support. It means the world to us. We hope that 2023 will be an even better year for you, your families, and eXplorminate.
Thank you all!
(Outro song by Karl Casey of White Bat Audio. Used with permission.)
Interview with Mila of Muha Games (Master of Magic)
Rob and Ben sit down with Mila of Muha Games, formerly of Thea 1 and 2 fame, now preparing for the launch of the Master of Magic remake by the time you're listening to this! Get Master of Magic (2022) here: Master of Magic on Steam (steampowered.com)
The Pegasus Expedition Early Access Review: Audible
Friends, we're trying something new with this episode. This is the audible form of our written Early Access review for The Pegasus Expedition, which you can find here: The Pegasus Expedition Early Access eXamination - eXplorminate
Is this a format you'd listen to and enjoy? We could start doing this for our reviews and previews if you are interested. Be sure to answer the poll, so we know how to proceed!
Episode #47: Is Stellaris Really Good Now?
Rob, Ben, Drexy, and Shaun all bring to the table one element of relevant strategy news and then talk about the games they're playing, including Rob's new obsession? with Stellaris.
Music by Whitebat Audio. Used with permission.
Interview with Hooded Horse's CEO, Tim Bender
Rob, Drexy, and Ben sit down with the CEO of the upstart publisher signing all the indie strategy games lately, Hooded Horse.
Outro music by White Bat Audio. Used with permission.
Times are not exact:
00:43 Intro
02:35 Publishing Philosophy
05:14 Tim's interest in strategy games
09:34 Terra Invicta
13:18 Disrupting the publishing industry
24:04 Pushing the strategy game genre
35:23 In search of developers
38:05 Release roadmap
42:14 Why Hooded Horse?
46:12 The Silmarillion and other scenarios
51:20 Wrap up
Episode #46: Site Success and Terra InVictoria 3
Rob, Drexy, and Ben talk about Terra Invicta, Victoria 3, the success of our reboot, and that of publishing newcomer, Hooded Horse, and much more!
Outro by White Bat Audio. Used with permission.