Galactic Civilizations® II: Ultimate Edition
Get the complete Galactic Civilizations II saga including the acclaimed PC strategy game of the year Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords, the award winning expansion pack Dark Avatar, and the newest expansion pack Twilight of the Arnor!
Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords: Galactic Civilizations II is the sequel to 2003’s hit turn-based strategy game of the same name. The player takes on the role of the leader of a space-faring civilization and must guide its expansion in a hostile galaxy. Gamers must balance their economic, technological, diplomatic, cultural, and military power to forge alliances, fight wars, and ultimately dominate the galaxy. The game is single-player and allows the player to play randomly generated galactic maps or play through a multi-mission campaign that tells the story of an ancient enemy called the Dread Lords.
Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar: The expansion pack for Stardock’s award-winning hit strategy game, Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords. This expansion pack not only adds the usual content that expansion packs tend to do such as new opponents, new units and a new campaign. It also greatly expands the game play of Galactic Civilizations II. New features include asteroid belts on the map that can be mined for resources, unique planets that require special technologies to colonize, spies to conduct sabotage and destabilization (or used to protect your worlds from the same), new types of diplomatic treaties, an enhanced artificial intelligence engine, and much more!
Galactic Civilizations II: Twilight of the Arnor: The year is 2227 and the fire of war is consuming the galaxy thanks to the manipulations of the evil Dread Lords. But the remaining factions, led by the humans, have a plan to rid the galaxy of the Dread Lords once and for all.
Expand the Galactic Civilizations II universe with Terror Stars, unique technology trees per civilization, Map editors, Custom Scenario makers, campaign editors, new types of ships, new planetary improvements, and much more!
Key features:
- Beautiful 3D engine brings planets, stars, asteroids and ship battles to life.
- Create custom 3D ships piece-by-piece with your Shipyard.
- Play as any of a dozen unique civilizations or create your own.
- Multiple paths to victory: Military conquest, cultural domination, political alliance, technological supremacy or ascension.
- Addictive gameplay: Dynamic galaxies ranging from tiny to gigantic.
- Superior multi-threaded artificial intelligence enables computer players to provide a challenge without having to cheat.
- Put your scores online via the Metaverse and compete with players from around the world.
- Fully moddable design enables players to create unique opponents, graphics and scenarios.
- Advanced diplomacy enables players to trade, make treaties, alliances and more.
Game Discussion
Steam User 22
It is 2006, I'm spending my hours playing Gal Civ 2 and Oblivion, life is good.
It is 2025, I"m spending my hours playing Gal Civ 2 and Oblivion, life is good.
But seriously, this is an old but gold game that recently got an update so it runs on a modern resolution. Fantastic level of customization, the right level of cheese and humor, and it's dirt cheap. If you're looking for a space 4x that isn't Endless Space or maybe Stellaris, this is a great choice.
Steam User 9
Few 100s hours on GOG and then some before that. I've tried GC3, they went too far with micromanagement, I refunded GC4 due to worse UI experience, ship designer and important features being behind DLC paywall. GC2 while being an old game now gets straight to the point with its features, ship designer is amazing and there's no unnecessary micromanagement. It's showing its age a bit but it's still THE 4X space turn based game.
Steam User 7
One of the best civ-esque 4X games in a space setting that in some aspects has still not been surpassed in 2025.
Pros:
+ All 12 races have unique tech trees, AI personalities, diplomacy text and more.
+ Chess-engine type dynamic AI that has not been surpassed in any other 4X game and plays by the same rules as you.
+ Truly impactful galactic event system that keeps each game fresh.
+ Lots of different strategies to excel in, from influence, economy, diplomacy to war.
+ Actually really nice soundtrack for a 4X game.
+ Ability to create and download custom races and ship styles. (You can totally set up all Star Trek races).
+ A lot of content after 3 expansions, both in mechanics and in campaigns.
+ Well balanced and bug free after many years of community patches.
+ Runs on any computer and looks alright if you max everything out.
Cons:
- it's a game from 2008, expect some really shitty CGI and a lot of videos and UI elements to look a little low-res on modern resolutions.
- No in-game encyclopedia leaves you looking through the included manual, "Community Edition Guide" and old forum threads to figure out the intricacies of gameplay mechanics as the game came out before community game wikis became commonplace.
- Default ship designs are lacking, you are forced to use the ship builder to make optimized ship designs, this can be a chore and will lead to ugly designs if you can't bother to take the time to artfully place the modules.
- Ship designer does not let you modify the auto-generated designs.
- Suffers from the common "Space is empty" curse. No actual terrain, lots of uncolonizable planets and just deep space that is not fun or very distinctive either visually or strategically.
- Compared to stuff like Stellaris, planets are mostly samey as well.
- Civ4 style stacked combat system that does not really care for positioning outside of starbases.
Overall I would recommend it just for the very tight gameplay loop and good AI leading to very interesting gameplay.
Steam User 5
Galactic Civilizations II: Ultimate Edition is a strategy game that sinks its teeth into the core of what makes 4X games addictive: depth, customization, and the joy of outsmarting rivals across a galactic chessboard. Released well over a decade ago, this game still radiates the kind of old-school design energy that can turn a casual dive into a full-blown empire-building obsession.
Pros
Right off the bat, the game's crown jewel is its robust sandbox mode, where every match plays out differently. Factions aren’t just skin-deep variations — each has personality, philosophy, and a playstyle that affects everything from diplomacy to tech development. The AI stands out as unusually cunning, especially for a game of this era. It won’t just roll over once you’re on a roll. Expect clever peace offers, opportunistic betrayals, and alliances forged out of self-interest. It's the kind of behavior that gives each campaign its own life.
Customization is also a major strength. You can design your own ships from scratch, modify races, and tinker with settings to tailor each experience to your liking. The sheer scale of the universe — from star-spanning wars to micromanaged colonies — feeds that intoxicating feeling of control and ambition. If you enjoy plotting three moves ahead, this game rewards it in spades.
And though its age shows in the visuals, the clean, functional UI and readable graphics do the job. It doesn’t aim to wow with flash, but everything you need to build, scheme, and conquer is right at your fingertips.
Cons
That said, time hasn’t been entirely kind. The interface, while functional, can feel bloated during longer sessions, especially once your empire balloons into dozens of systems. Navigating and managing your holdings can become a chore without the modern conveniences seen in newer titles.
Another downside lies in the lack of a proper tutorial or onboarding experience. Newcomers are thrown into the deep end, and while some will relish the challenge, others might bounce off it entirely. You’ll likely spend your first few hours fumbling through menus and asking yourself what half the numbers actually mean.
The campaign mode, while offering some interesting lore, pales compared to the freeform sandbox experience. It's rigid, lacks player freedom, and can feel like an afterthought tacked on for structure. Also worth noting: the game’s audio design is forgettable, with repetitive music and sound effects that fade quickly into the background.
Final Thoughts
Despite its rough edges and dated feel in places, Galactic Civilizations II: Ultimate Edition delivers a deeply satisfying space strategy experience for those who have the patience to engage with it fully. It’s a thinking person’s game — one that asks for time and attention but gives back that classic 4X thrill of molding an entire galaxy to your vision.
Final Rating: 8.3 / 10
It’s not flawless, but for those who value strategic depth over polish, it’s a worthy gem.
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Steam User 4
It's a Civ game (what seems to now be called "4X", probably because 1 hour of gameplay eats 4 hours of real time).
Good if you want to get lost in the sauce.
Steam User 4
The entire game is incredible.
Its sandbox like game customizations means anyone at any skill level may be able to have significant fun and or challenge.
based off of the original galactic civilizations and has slight added content
Steam User 4
It was easy to learn and understand and very fun to play if you like SciFi games.