Galactic Civilizations III

 PC
User Score
7.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 257 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 140 out of 257
  2. Mixed: 69 out of 257
  3. Negative: 48 out of 257

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. xtom
    Jun 1, 2017
    9
    Great turn based 4x strategy game. Some newer 4x games go for a colder realistic and immersive look with their graphics but the galaxy maps, planets and UI in GalCiv are colourful, interesting and a joy to look at as you play. The ship designer and steam workshop add a ton of user made ships and civilizations so there's always plenty of new content to explore. Devs are actively working onGreat turn based 4x strategy game. Some newer 4x games go for a colder realistic and immersive look with their graphics but the galaxy maps, planets and UI in GalCiv are colourful, interesting and a joy to look at as you play. The ship designer and steam workshop add a ton of user made ships and civilizations so there's always plenty of new content to explore. Devs are actively working on and improving the game at time of writing. Recommend playing with the Crusade DLC as it adds a lot of great gameplay features and -1 from score if played vanilla.… Expand
  2. rockon
    Jan 20, 2018
    8
    This beautifully constructed game may actually be receiving lower average user ratings than what it should simply because, whether stated or not, the extremely high difficulty level, deep complexity, frighteningly steep learning curve, and slow-as-molasses game development wear entirely on their nerves. This is a game so exceedingly difficult to beat that users have practically beenThis beautifully constructed game may actually be receiving lower average user ratings than what it should simply because, whether stated or not, the extremely high difficulty level, deep complexity, frighteningly steep learning curve, and slow-as-molasses game development wear entirely on their nerves. This is a game so exceedingly difficult to beat that users have practically been weeping online about their being unable to win with any strategy they employ. The secret is that you must study the game like you're taking a college course. It takes many hours of study and play experience to even have a chance to win. Because if you don't play the first 20 turns exactly perfectly, you will lose. You won't find out it's hopeless and that you've blown the game until later and you've wasted your time by making those early mistakes. There is zero margin for error or one single bad decision in those first 20. The game really is that hard. First I played the game with cheats to see what it had. I never finished a game with cheats, just took a look. Then I played the game with out cheats and got crushed. Then I got crushed again. And again. Now I've watched about 6 hours of online tutorials and I'm typing notes that now have escalated into four typed pages. I have a few more hours of tutorials to watch before I attempt once again to play. Even after all this studying, the game is so hard that I still don't have the confidence that I can stay out ahead of the AI. The AI opponents are incredibly aggressive even on Normal setting. If you don't watch your diplomacy, you'll have all of them attacking you at once. They won't attack each other. Just you. And then there's little to no hope. As far as trying an Insane map Ascension Victory? You might need to invest 300 hours to finish that single campaign. And regrettably you'll know you've won long before you see the victory screen. Ditto with the Conquest Victory. People are saying leave all Victory conditions enabled. Research victories can also take a long time, but if you're trying a Conquest Victory on one of the bigger maps, you'd better have about two weeks on your hands with nothing else to do but play GCIII. Not a bad vacation, in my book. Get in some food, get some of the green stuff, and kick back in your recliner in front of your PC.… Expand
  3. Paradox1950
    May 14, 2015
    9
    I’ve been Beta testing this game through steam early access for some time and find that it doesn’t disappoint. If you like epic 4x turn based strategy and galactic conquest this is the game for you.

    When I say epic scale the largest map size labelled “insane” has 500,000 map hexes and you can play against up to 100 AI opponents. They have taken Galactic Civilization 2 and enhanced    I’ve been Beta testing this game through steam early access for some time and find that it doesn’t disappoint. If you like epic 4x turn based strategy and galactic conquest this is the game for you.

    When I say epic scale the largest map size labelled “insane” has 500,000 map hexes and you can play against up to 100 AI opponents.

    They have taken Galactic Civilization 2 and enhanced all aspects of it, the ship designer that allows you to design your own ships by scaling, rotating and clipping together premade parts is awesome fun. You also add practical things like weapons, defences, drives, and special equipment.

    The game has 7 premade factions all of which have some of their own unique abilities, technologies and planetary improvements out of the box and allows you to create further custom ones.

    It also includes a campaign that follows on from the GC1 & GC2 story lines though I have to confess I prefer to play in sandbox mode.

    The game still has a few bugs and rough edges here and there but StarDock have a well-deserved reputation for patching their games with not only fixes but features and improvements for years after release aside from already planned DLC and expansions so you can’t really loose with this game.

    Unlike its predecessor this game also supports multiplayer.    … Expand
  4. Tick
    May 17, 2015
    9
    Full Disclosure: I was a Fan of the previous games in this franchise. I also was an Alpha backer. I didn't participate much past the first two builds, and checked back in with the game with the last Beta.

    That being said... This is a really good game. It isn't light-years different visually or structurally than the previous game, but why fix what wasn't broken? The graphics got more    Full Disclosure: I was a Fan of the previous games in this franchise. I also was an Alpha backer. I didn't participate much past the first two builds, and checked back in with the game with the last Beta.

    That being said... This is a really good game. It isn't light-years different visually or structurally than the previous game, but why fix what wasn't broken? The graphics got more polishing, the game-play expanded upon, the ship designer was drastically improved, and the AI was made a LOT better.

    The game can also handle a lot more. It's programmed in 64Bit. This means they won't have limitations like they had with the previous 32 bit game. The music is better, you can zoom all the way in and see your ships the way you designed them on the map, in their own fleets. The sounds are better.

    Galactic Civilizations 2 was amazing in my books, and this game is a worthy successor. I am not giving it a 10 because I don't yet know what kind of expansions they will have and what content it will bring.    … Expand
  5. Jaehaerys61
    Dec 31, 2016
    8
    Malgrès son graphismes qui bof, je reconnais que ce 4X est prenant à la long. Mais j'espère que les développeurs vont amélioraient la partie graphismes et l'histoire.
  6. Bamdorf
    May 14, 2015
    9
    I have been a beta tester since last November, over six months. And just received the release update 1.0. This game is not only excellent as it stands, but has an extremely attractive upgrade path mapped out, not just for the next few weeks or months, but for years, partly as a consequence of the decision to code it as a 64-bit exclusive. Its predecessor, Galciv 2, was a very successfulI have been a beta tester since last November, over six months. And just received the release update 1.0. This game is not only excellent as it stands, but has an extremely attractive upgrade path mapped out, not just for the next few weeks or months, but for years, partly as a consequence of the decision to code it as a 64-bit exclusive. Its predecessor, Galciv 2, was a very successful game, but GC3 is a big improvement in almost every way, in appearance, in game play, in customize ability, and in numerous new features that add to the strategy mix. For a couple example, the separation of shipyards into a separate unit and the use of adjacency bonus to make colony building more interesting. I am a 4x gamer who started out, and very happily so, with Civilization 1 and have been active in the genre since. As such, I find GC3 to be not only a great addition to 4x gaming out of the gate, but a game that promises to increase enormously in quality and quantity over the next many months

    I must also add that as a relatively tiny company compared to the big software houses out there, Stardock has a stellar record of being responsive to the community without compromising their vision.
    .    … Expand
  7. Meteuremu
    May 15, 2015
    9
    I would give this game a 10/10 but there is some minor polishing that need to be addressed. Amazing game though, and it WILL be a 10/10 when it is patched. Will be playing this game easily for over 1,000+ hours just like I did for Gal Civ 2. On the large maps games can easily last you over 24 hours an then some to beat. If you wanna build an empire with ships that look like what you wantI would give this game a 10/10 but there is some minor polishing that need to be addressed. Amazing game though, and it WILL be a 10/10 when it is patched. Will be playing this game easily for over 1,000+ hours just like I did for Gal Civ 2. On the large maps games can easily last you over 24 hours an then some to beat. If you wanna build an empire with ships that look like what you want them to, then buy this game and enslave all...errhhmm I mean enjoy. :)… Expand
  8. pguyton
    May 14, 2015
    9
    I've been playing early access for a we weeks now on steam and I must say as a massive fan of 4X games this is the best one out there right now. extremely fun and well polished I like how responsive Stardock is.
  9. helloworlds
    Jun 1, 2015
    10
    This review might not help anyone but here it goes. I am really enjoying this game the ways to mod especially when they release all the tools will be insane. Races, Ships etc endless possibilities I've already played around with the files myself to create some little mods.

    As a 4x game in space hands down this is the best. Stardock is the master of this genre no one else even comes    This review might not help anyone but here it goes. I am really enjoying this game the ways to mod especially when they release all the tools will be insane. Races, Ships etc endless possibilities I've already played around with the files myself to create some little mods.

    As a 4x game in space hands down this is the best. Stardock is the master of this genre no one else even comes close. I also watch their streams and they have "road map" of what they want to do and update with this game for years to come. My only criticism is I wish it was delayed to get more content and some bug fixes finished before launch. But if you want the only and the best 4x game in space out there this is it.    … Expand
  10. CavieZ
    May 14, 2015
    10
    Galactic Civilizations III its very great game! Is the best game in the last decade.. When i played this game I have syndrom "One More Turn". Good is multiplayer too!
  11. ClinkinCups
    May 15, 2015
    10
    Now I've been following this game since alpha as a supporter. I've watched it flow and ebb and finally morph into a BEAUTIFUL final product. Here's why:

    The Dev's have been nothing but accommodating for us. Listening and taking our idea's from the forums to the project lists. This made us supporters feel like part of a family and i personally know i assisted in the making of this game.    Now I've been following this game since alpha as a supporter. I've watched it flow and ebb and finally morph into a BEAUTIFUL final product. Here's why:

    The Dev's have been nothing but accommodating for us. Listening and taking our idea's from the forums to the project lists. This made us supporters feel like part of a family and i personally know i assisted in the making of this game.

    The cinematic of battle mode make me have a "Nerd-gasm" every.single.time. Its fabulous and it has come a long way from its initial stages.

    The strategy itself is direct and time consuming. Something more 4x games need today. To wake up in the morning with your coffee and slug away on your immense universe. Struggling to keep your economy going in the midst of a global depression.

    The AI are SMART and **** Ive died multiple times from there cunning attacks and alliances against little old me. For anyone saying the AI is not well done. Take a step back and please, Please go look at other AI dependent games. You will see the beauty of Gal Civ 3.

    All in all? I love this game. I would recommend it to ANY of my friends. 4x fans or not.

    This is the strategy game of the year.    … Expand
  12. joggy
    May 16, 2015
    9
    Don't fix what is not broken. Guys from stardock kept that in mind and gave us remake of old hit, upgraded in a good way. If you played previous galactic civilization (and if you didn't, you should have cause it's legendary game) you will be right at home here, but you will see little improvements almost in every aspect of the game. Of course there are some technical issues still,Don't fix what is not broken. Guys from stardock kept that in mind and gave us remake of old hit, upgraded in a good way. If you played previous galactic civilization (and if you didn't, you should have cause it's legendary game) you will be right at home here, but you will see little improvements almost in every aspect of the game. Of course there are some technical issues still, unfortunately I don't expect the games of today to come out as 100% finished product. But these are minor things like loading saved game for 1-2 mins on high end rig. What is important is that this game is still fun to play, the "one more turn" syndrome is back and I like it :)… Expand
  13. TJvance87
    May 14, 2015
    10
    I haven't delved too far into this game, but I have experienced nothing but amazing things in this game. Massive play space and a huge multiplayer atmosphere. The visuals are greater than I ever expected. BUY THIS GAME!
  14. Fate001
    May 15, 2015
    10
    This game is almost everything that you want it to be as Gal Civ 2's successor. It feels just like playing a refined, polished version of GC2 and it's expansions with amazing, almost instantaneous turn times (tested up to large map size late game) - forget your Civ V sit around thinking about your next move for a few seconds in the late game sort of turn times!

    GC3 vanilla is coming    This game is almost everything that you want it to be as Gal Civ 2's successor. It feels just like playing a refined, polished version of GC2 and it's expansions with amazing, almost instantaneous turn times (tested up to large map size late game) - forget your Civ V sit around thinking about your next move for a few seconds in the late game sort of turn times!

    GC3 vanilla is coming with unique race tech tree's, custom races, exotic planets, animated ship components and map sizes that are six times bigger than GC2's biggest - the only notable things left out are Terror stars and espionage. When you think that Stardock has announced intentions to push at least two expansion's - possibly three - as well as various DLC packages just think about where this game might go!

    I've had a great time playing so far, and will continue to into the future!    … Expand
  15. Amigian
    May 25, 2015
    9
    Stardock, you just gotta' love em' eh? You buy one of their desktop tarting suites and the license only lasts a year and then you have to buy it all over again...pretty crap service if you ask me. What can I say about Galactic Civilizations 3? Well, maybe, just a very slim outside chance, you might probably maybe prefer playing Serious Sam 3...head over to Steam and treat yourself!
  16. omi
    May 18, 2015
    8
    It is pretty nice sequel. But far from what I was hoping to be in there. war is certainly the only option in game with any race. The diplomacy is yet again undermined. There is no experience gain for the ships, no governors or ship captains either. There is no rpg element in game. you feel forced to choose only 1 ideology during game due to increasing benefits, so mini RPG choices given toIt is pretty nice sequel. But far from what I was hoping to be in there. war is certainly the only option in game with any race. The diplomacy is yet again undermined. There is no experience gain for the ships, no governors or ship captains either. There is no rpg element in game. you feel forced to choose only 1 ideology during game due to increasing benefits, so mini RPG choices given to you is usually automatic one of 1,2,or 3 choice all the time without looking at what it is. No control in war other than rock-paper-scissor dynamic. AI is very weak.… Expand
  17. metaraf
    May 19, 2015
    10
    Game is awesome in terms gameplay and fun, i've played SM Civilization series from 1to5 and BE too for few thousands hours, and i must say that gameplay in GalCiv3 is much much better designed than SM Civilization V, becouse you have more ways to play this game.
    Another pros:
    + good oprimization game works fine on i5 + intel hd4600 (it crushes sometimes but this is not that big issue    Game is awesome in terms gameplay and fun, i've played SM Civilization series from 1to5 and BE too for few thousands hours, and i must say that gameplay in GalCiv3 is much much better designed than SM Civilization V, becouse you have more ways to play this game.
    Another pros:
    + good oprimization game works fine on i5 + intel hd4600 (it crushes sometimes but this is not that big issue just set autosave every2 turns)
    +great space climate
    Cons:
    -Game still needs polish eg: science officer looks similar in most races
    -Sometimes crushes
    -Only 8 major factions
    -you need at least 8GB ram (especially when you use intel HD grapphics),    … Expand
  18. Larsenex
    Jun 1, 2015
    10
    As a fan of Gal Civ II, I must say this game is all of the previous game and so much more! The game has IMMENSE maps, custom factions, a superb ship designer, large research trees, and excellent diplomacy!

    The game plays best on a rig at least 2 years old or younger and 6+ gigs of ram. I have not had any crashes or stuttering since release and many of my friends report the same. Make    As a fan of Gal Civ II, I must say this game is all of the previous game and so much more! The game has IMMENSE maps, custom factions, a superb ship designer, large research trees, and excellent diplomacy!

    The game plays best on a rig at least 2 years old or younger and 6+ gigs of ram. I have not had any crashes or stuttering since release and many of my friends report the same. Make sure you have a 64 bit OS.
    The ai is great and only continues to get better. Stardock has an excellent reputation for updating their games and they have done so with Gal Civ III. Simply put the Ai in this game is perhaps the best Ai ever released in a 4x game (to date). It will threaten you, it will attack you, it will use diplomacy to get you to fight its wars. Fun stuff!
    The view of the ships and the galaxy are stunning. Graphically at first you recognize Gal Civ II then while playing you realize ..."This is a beautiful game"
    If you like 4x games and you liked Gal Civ II this game is definitely what you are looking for!    … Expand
  19. lsc9x
    Jun 9, 2015
    9
    In my humble opinion, GC3 is a great 4x game and a definite and huge improvement on GC2. I found GC2 to be deep, but the interface was sort of clumsy and the maps weren't as big as I would have liked. This is, after all, outer space! But GC3 scraps the old interface in favor of one that is far more streamlined and easy to figure out. It didn't take me long to jump right into the gameIn my humble opinion, GC3 is a great 4x game and a definite and huge improvement on GC2. I found GC2 to be deep, but the interface was sort of clumsy and the maps weren't as big as I would have liked. This is, after all, outer space! But GC3 scraps the old interface in favor of one that is far more streamlined and easy to figure out. It didn't take me long to jump right into the game and get going with confidence that I knew what I was doing.

    But just because the game is more straight forward doesn't mean that it has lost a lot of depth. Sure, some things may be missing, but I wouldn't know what they were because I gave up playing GC2 because of it's complexity. GC3 doesn't suffer from that problem and it's really a joy to play!

    I can't say I understand the research process completely, that will take some studying, but the trees are deep.

    Also, ship customization and race customization are both there in full force! But you aren't forced to do any of that if you don't want to.

    Overall, I think they did a great job on this game, and after a few hours a playing, I can't put the thing down! That's always a sign of a solid 4x game. Enjoy!    … Expand
  20. TheDancingJesus
    Jun 2, 2015
    9
    Loving this game. It's not perfect, but I already have tens of hours sunk into it during a very busy month. I think it's a pretty good entry point for someone new to the series or genre, and has the level of detail and replayability for long time veterans to really sink their teeth into.

    Highlights: * Customization - ships, races, planets - the level of customization drew me more into    Loving this game. It's not perfect, but I already have tens of hours sunk into it during a very busy month. I think it's a pretty good entry point for someone new to the series or genre, and has the level of detail and replayability for long time veterans to really sink their teeth into.

    Highlights:
    * Customization - ships, races, planets - the level of customization drew me more into the stories I was creating in sandbox mode. Decent mod support will really help this shine once the community gets going. The
    * Good support - There's already been a couple of patches fixing some basic problems.
    * Performance - I know this has varied for a handful of people, but on a moderate rig and quite large maps, I don't get stutter, and the AI turns process incredibly quickly. None of the late-game lag waiting for the computer that you get with Civ/AoW/EL.

    It loses a point for a few (fixable) things:
    * The battle viewer is a bit janky. One patch fixed the camera issues, but the movement of the ships (mostly spinning in a narrow area) is strange.
    * Some missing systems like espionage as compared to GalCiv2, or most other 4x games. I've heard a rumor this will be added in a patch/expansion/DLC, but it remains to be seen what that'll cost, and if there's enough content to justify it.    … Expand
  21. Infarktbear
    May 12, 2018
    10
    Großartiges Spiel - empfehle aber, den Expansion Pack Crusade zu kaufen. Intrigue ist nicht nötig.
  22. MaxWar
    Nov 4, 2015
    8
    One of Stardock's biggest flaw is about releasing half finished games. One of their greatest quality is that they keep working on them until they turn out great in the longer run.

    For this reason when you look at reviews of GalCiv III, always look for recent reviews. Reviews from 6 months ago will not represent the game well. When the game was just released I did not like it very    One of Stardock's biggest flaw is about releasing half finished games. One of their greatest quality is that they keep working on them until they turn out great in the longer run.

    For this reason when you look at reviews of GalCiv III, always look for recent reviews. Reviews from 6 months ago will not represent the game well.

    When the game was just released I did not like it very much. It still felt like a beta. I came back to it periodically to find it substantially improved each time. They have now just released patch 1.4 and I started a new game. For the first time I think I can say I am truly enjoying the game.

    For me the game is stable, never crashes and does not glitch. Some users commented they had problems. On my intel i5 + windows 7 64bit machine it works great.

    At this point the AI has had a major overhaul and puts up a nice challenge. This was the main thing that prevented me from enjoying the game in my previous attempts. The two main areas that still need to be worked on are diplomacy and invasion mechanics. Stardock is scheduled to address these areas in upcoming patches. I give it 8/10 because it is already a good 4X. Should get even better.    … Expand
  23. andre_rossel
    Sep 3, 2021
    10
    A TRUE MASTERPIECE BUT FALL SHORT TO BE A LEGENDARY.

    This is a great game, not good; great, the tech tree has so much love just as the races and their playstyles and personalities, it has the best diplomacy system i ever seen. The AI in general is super responsive to your movements. And balancing economy, military and research can be a real challenge. Ideologies are also fun and ads to    A TRUE MASTERPIECE BUT FALL SHORT TO BE A LEGENDARY.

    This is a great game, not good; great, the tech tree has so much love just as the races and their playstyles and personalities, it has the best diplomacy system i ever seen. The AI in general is super responsive to your movements. And balancing economy, military and research can be a real challenge. Ideologies are also fun and ads to the game balancing between been consistent and do what its best.

    2 things stops this one from complete greatness. First the campaing its crap. Its crap because its too small scale and short to reflect the needs of a game made for civs developing over time on big maps.
    The second it has a meta. One power Ancient its totally broke OP, beats all other by far also missiles with miniaturization beats absolutely anything, just stack power, speed and other mod on small hull to total supremacy. I beat on gifted by research without barely even making contact with other civs. investigated entire tech lines on one turn.    … Expand
  24. apokalipto
    Aug 19, 2023
    9
    Very good game. I enjoyed playing this game a lot. I strongly recommend this.

Awards & Rankings

53
#53 Best PC Game of 2015
51
#51 Most Discussed PC Game of 2015
80
#80 Most Shared PC Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 31 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 31
  3. Negative: 0 out of 31
  1. GamesBeat
    Apr 29, 2016
    87
    Galactic Civilizations III is a great 4X space strategy game, one that will keep you pushing for one more turn late into the night. If you’re looking for a terrific multiplayer experience, GalCiv III won’t scratch that itch, and some parts of its core pacing stumble. But the combination of depth, ease of gameplay, and a sometimes-funny, snarky aesthetic, make GalCiv III a delight to play.
    Read full review
  2. Pelit (Finland)
    Mar 3, 2016
    80
    Galactic Civilizations 3 is too much work and too little game. [Jan 2016]
  3. Games.cz
    Oct 12, 2015
    80
    The universe of Galactic Civilizations III is so great - gigantic environment, generous editor and ever-improving game balance is hopefully a good apology to fans disappointed that new installment doesn’t change anything.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »