Age of Wonders 4 reignited my love of 4Xs by letting me become Frankenstein

Key art illustration for Age of Wonders 4, showing a group of armed figures including an armored individual full a glowing, full-faced helmet and magic flintlock pistol, flanked by a bird-person who's wielding a floating magic orb.

After nearly three decades and a genuinely unhealthy number of hours spent raising armies and devouring maps, I confess that my passion for 4X games has started to dwindle. As grand strategy games like Crusader Kings have grown ever more complex and flavourful, Civilization and its children just don't pack the punch that they once used to. But Age of Wonders 4 has reignited something.

Personal Pick

(Image credit: Future)

In addition to our main Game of the Year Awards 2023, each member of the PC Gamer team is shining a spotlight on a game they loved this year. We'll post new personal picks, alongside our main awards, throughout the rest of the month.