Stellaris is a high-strategy 4X video game taking place in a science-fiction universe developed by Paradox Development Studio and published by Paradox Interactive, released on May 9, 2016 on Microsoft Windows, OS X and Linux.
Stellaris is a real-time strategy game that starts in the year 2200. The player can control each ship by micro-management or he can create one or more sectors (set of some solar systems) that will be controlled by the AI. . Players are able to develop trade agreements through diplomacy with the other races he meets. Players can create a species with specific technology, ethics or policy characteristics. The player will start with one planet in his space, an engineering ship, a small fleet of warships, a spaceport, and a science ship.
At the very beginning, this will involve exploring and colonizing the immediate area. Then, in the middle of the game, the activity will focus on the diplomacy and governance of the empire. At the end of the game, critical events can occur and will have a galactic-scale repercussion such as a AI uprising or an invasion by extra-dimensional or extra-galactic forces.
Stellaris is developed by Paradox Development Studio and published by the parent company, Paradox Interactive. The game uses the same Clausewitz engine used by the studio in 2007 for Europa Universalis III, but with some modifications, such as the use of physically based rendering (PBR) . The game was officially announced at Gamescom in August 2015. Stellaris is released to the public on May 9, 2016.
After the launch, the developers confirmed that there would be a number of expansion packs, as well as free updates to fix bugs and introduce new gameplay elements. The first major patch is released on May 24, 2016, highlighting the many AI enhancements, as well as an additional playable race.
In a pre-version of the game, Adam Smith of Rock, Paper, Shotgun writes that Stellaris "could be the moment of glory for Paradox by becoming a milestone in the development of game design in 4X and big strategy."
Upon release, Stellaris receives favorable reviews: those of Metacritic which gives it an overall score of 79.
A number of comments underline the game's accessible interface and design, with a very immersive game beginning and almost similar to RPGs, heavily influenced by the player's cash direction decisions, as well as the novelty of critical end events. The more mixed opinions also noted that the mid-game might be less convincing, because of a simple diplomatic system and a somewhat passive AI.
Less than 24 hours after its release, Paradox Interactive announced that Stellaris had been sold more than 200,000 copies, beating the revenue record of previous titles of Paradox Interactive during the same period. It has almost matched the current sales record held by Cities: Skylines. It became the fastest selling game of Paradox Development Studio.
A first additional content, called "Plantoids Species Pack" was published on August 4, 2016. It adds an additional phenotype, 15 appearances, based on life forms "Plantoids". It also adds an extra vessel and colony appearance.
A second additional content called "Leviathan Story Pack" was published on October 10, 2016. It adds various mechanisms such as enclaves, guardians and a galactic war system between the fallen empire awakened. The player has new quests and new diplomatic possibilities with fallen empires and enclaves.
A third additional content called "Utopia" was published on April 6, 2017. It adds mechanisms such as the possibility of building megastructures inside certain star systems, and ascension perks and the possibility of leading an hive-minded empire. It also modifies the cash management system of its empire, politics and factions.
A fourth additional content titled "Synthetic Dawn" was released on September 21, 2017. This one allows the player to start with a robotic empire from the beginning of the game, adds a whole new series of quests, improves the revolt of artificial intelligences and add some artificial portraits.
A fifth additional content entitled "Apocalypse" was released on February 22, 2018. It added orbital weapons of mass destruction, more massive capital ships, a new system of piracy, a solution to the dreaded "Doom stacks" and finally new ascension perks
