The Battle of Polytopia is an award-winning 4X strategy game (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate). You get to control one of several tribes, each with a unique design and attributes that can help you expand on the procedurally generated, geometrical map called "The Square." The title is a simplified alternative to traditional strategy games that are usually very complex and long.
In the Battle of Polytopia, you need to explore the surrounding terrains, gather resources, research new technologies, build an army, and wage war on other tribes, all in short turns. You need to plan your moves and develop a tactic in order to succeed. These tasks force you to balance diplomacy with managing resources and military actions, so that you have a chance at dominating the surrounding world.
Even though the play sessions in the Battle of Polytopia are short, they still deliver a complete and satisfying strategic experience. You can choose to play the game solo to battle AI-generated enemies or in a multiplayer mode against other players. There are two gameplay modes, which enable you to play in a limited number of turns or without this limit. You can buy the Battle of Polytopia for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Nintendo Switch, but you can also download it for free on mobile devices running iOS and Android.
Why should I download The Battle of Polytopia?
Anyone who loves strategy games but doesn't want to invest an extensive amount of time into them will love the Battle of Polytopia. This game holds up both on mobile devices and computers, and it's the perfect blend of a compact format and challenging mechanics. It's basically the essence of big 4X genre games like Civilization, set in a smaller scope, where each game takes around 30-60 minutes.
You play the Battle of Polytopia in matches where, at the beginning, you need to choose your tribe. Each of them has a different starting technology, like climbing to access mountains, fishing, or hunting to get resources faster. There are over 12 tribes to choose from, some offering enchanting animals or freezing terrains, so you can pick a different tribe every time and get new gameplay that forces you to adapt different tactics.
The technology tree in the Battle of Polytopia simplifies the ones known from other similar games, so you can focus your moves on researching agriculture, archery, mathematics, navigation, or other techs. These, in turn, unlock new units, better resource gathering, or improved travelling and exploration options. You can also expand your city with stars, which are the in-game currency, and as you grow, you get more building slots and additional bonuses. You can choose what kind of building to construct, so getting a lumber hut, park, or forge can increase your population or economy. Your decisions have an immediate impact, which adds to the game's fast-paced nature.
Every time you start a new game, you get a new, randomly generated grid-based map, so you never know where you'll end up. You can define things like the map's size or difficulty, but you have no influence over the specific layout, resources, and villages that will end up there. No two games are the same, so exploration always remains fresh and poses new challenges. When it comes to combat, in the Battle of Polytopia, each unit has a clear advantage and skill, and you can choose from swordsmen and knights to archers, catapults, and naval ships. You also need to learn how to use the terrain to your advantage, as it highly influences your movements and defenses.
The Battle of Polytopia has two main solo playing modes. The first one is called "Perfection," and you have 30 turns to expand your tribe as much as possible to get the highest score. If you pick the "Domination" mode, you have no turn limit, but your task is to eliminate all the other tribes and dominate the entire map. Your opponents are AI-generated, and you can choose from various difficulty levels. For multiplayer options, you can select between asynchronous or real-time play and participate in ranked online matches, invite friends to private games, or play hotseat-style on the same device.
Advanced players can customize maps in the Battle of Polytopia, as well as terrain types and the tribes themselves. The game has simple UI and graphics that force you to focus on the gameplay and strategy itself, making this title a perfect, light-weight tactical experience. You can download the game for free on iOS and Android, or buy it for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Nintendo Switch.
Is The Battle of Polytopia free?
Depending on your platform, Battle of Polytopia is either a free game with in-app purchases or a paid title.
To play the game on Nintendo Switch or computers running Windows, macOS, or Linux, you need to pay, though it's not an expensive title, and that purchase unlocks the whole game.
If you choose to get it for mobile devices, you can download it for free, but that version is limited to 4 basic tribes, so to play the full game, you need to get it through in-app purchases.
What operating systems are compatible with The Battle of Polytopia?
You can download the Battle of Polytopia on Windows XP or later, macOS 10.6 and up, Linux Ubuntu, Nintendo Switch, iOS 13.0 or higher, and Android 7.0 or newer.
What are the alternatives to The Battle of Polytopia?
Sid Meier's Civilization VI is the most well-known and robust 4X game on the market. It provides you with deep management options on the empire level, but you also need to take care of diplomacy, trade, science, and culture over huge game maps. You can get it on PC, macOS, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox either as a base game or with different DLCs. It's a full-fledged strategy game aimed at hundreds of hours.
Humankind is a grand strategy title based on the 4X principles. In it, you can rewrite the world's history by combining cultures from different civilizations. This historical simulation with complex strategic and managerial mechanics makes it a great option. Humankind is a paid game available on Windows, macOS, PlayStation, and Xbox.
0 A.D.: Empires Ascendant is a free RTS game from an open-source project that focuses on building your base and fighting other players in real time. You can play it through a web browser on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and it focuses on managing economic aspects along with military operations.
