Humankind review: Culture clash

Humankind is my favorite type of game: a glorious mish-mash of mechanics from other standouts from its genre, all informed by a studio’s design and visual philosophy. This 4X game (explore, expand, exploit, exterminate) takes the main ideas from Civilization, and Amplitude Studios blends them with the city-building and clean, pretty UIs of its Endless series.

The conceit here is as you advance your civilization, you may choose a different culture at the dawn of a new era. Its spin on other 4X empire builders also includes a better early game, diplomacy mechanics, and city-building.