The term '4X' originates from a 1993 preview of Master of Orion in Computer Gaming World by game writer Alan Emrich where he rated the game 'XXXX' as a pun on the XXX rating for pornography. The game can be won by becoming an elected leader of the galaxy, exterminating all opponents, or eliminating the Antarans. Unless extermination is targeted at non-player entities, it tends to be either nearly impossible (because of play balance mechanisms, since player elimination is usually considered an undesirable feature) or certainly unachievable (because victory conditions are triggered before extermination can be completed) in board games.Д¤X computer games such as Master of Orion II let empires explore the map, expanding by founding new colonies and exploiting their resources. The Civilization board game that gave rise to Sid Meier's Civilization computer game, for instance, includes neither exploration nor extermination. In the board (and card) game domain, 4X is less of a distinct genre, in part because of the practical constraints of components and playing time. In the new millennium, several 4X releases have become critically and commercially successful. Sid Meier's Civilization is an important example from this formative era, and popularized the level of detail that later became a staple of the genre. Many 4X computer games were published in the mid-1990s, but were later outsold by other types of strategy games. The first 4X computer games were turn-based, but real-time 4X games are common. The earliest 4X games borrowed ideas from board games and 1970s text-based computer games. Emphasis is placed upon economic and technological development, as well as a range of non-military routes to supremacy. The gameplay involves building an empire. 4X (abbreviation of Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate) is a subgenre of strategy-based computer and board games, and include both turn-based and real-time strategy titles.

Game pc strategi