Critical Moves - Strategy Gaming

Critical Moves - Strategy Gaming

by Critical Moves Podcast

Is Crusader Kings 3 Worth Playing in 2026? (Ep.82)

Jack and Adam dive into Crusader Kings 3 — where it stands six years after release, what the DLCs have added, and whether it's worth picking up if you've never played a Paradox game before. Adam comes in as a CK2 veteran with zero CK3 experience, which makes for a genuinely useful breakdown of what's changed, what's new, and what's coming. They cover the adventurer mode, the stress and traits system, the recent free update adding old age mechanics and a Kingdom Come Deliverance crossover, and the two upcoming DLCs that could change how the game is played entirely. More from Critical Moves Podcast: Web: https://criticalmovespodcast.com Forum: https://criticalmovesforum.com Newsletter: https://criticalmoves.beehiiv.com Spotify: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/spotify Apple: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/apple Amazon: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/amazon Discord: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/discord Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/criticalmovespodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/CriticalMoves_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/criticalmovespodcast Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/CriticalMoves

No Borders, No Worlds | Stellaris Season 10 (Ep.81)

Al, Jack, and Joe dig into the Stellaris Season 10 announcement: the Nomads expansion arriving 15 June, the Willpower ethics rework coming Q4, four new scenario packs introducing standalone game modes, and a rebrand of ascension perks to ambitions. They also weigh in on the Beyond All Reason commercialisation controversy, what it means for a game built by volunteers over two decades, and why the backlash may be missing the point. More from Critical Moves Podcast: Web: https://criticalmovespodcast.com Forum: https://criticalmovesforum.com Newsletter: https://criticalmoves.beehiiv.com Spotify: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/spotify Apple: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/apple Amazon: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/amazon Discord: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/discord Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/criticalmovespodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/CriticalMoves_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/criticalmovespodcast Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/CriticalMoves Critical Moves examines strategy games through weekly Friday episodes and Monday news updates. Six hosts across multiple continents analyze recent releases, forgotten classics, and industry developments without the typical podcast theatrics. We cover real-time strategy, 4X civilization builders, turn-based tactics, and hybrid games that blur genre boundaries.

Questions From The Critical Moves Community (EP.80)

Episode 80 is a community-led episode. Al is joined by Adam, Jack and Tim to work through fifteen listener questions submitted via the Critical Moves Discord, covering biggest gaming disappointments, steep learning curves worth the investment, the perennial argument about what a 4X actually is, how strategy games generate emotional investment beyond cutscenes, the best Total War entry point for a newcomer, the game sitting untouched in everyone's backlog, a Frankenstein exercise in building the perfect strategy game from spare parts, whether BAR can ever achieve mainstream appeal, randomness versus determinism in strategy design, the best soundtracks in the genre, what stops people engaging with competitive multiplayer, and all-time favourite factions. Joe was supposed to be here but was under the weather, which was a shame because someone had a very important question about his hair. More from Critical Moves Podcast: Web: https://criticalmovespodcast.com Forum: https://criticalmovesforum.com Newsletter: https://criticalmoves.beehiiv.com Spotify: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/spotify Apple: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/apple Amazon: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/amazon Discord: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/discord Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/criticalmovespodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/CriticalMoves_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/criticalmovespodcast Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/CriticalMoves

Victoria 3: Is This Now Paradox's Best Game? (Ep.79)

Jack is joined by Tim and Joe for a full episode on Victoria 3. They cover how the game has changed since launch, what the Charters of Commerce and subsequent DLC updates have done to the economic and political systems, and whether it now stands as Paradox's strongest title. The conversation moves through the learning curve, the best nations to start with, the true cost of war, and what the upcoming Russia and China expansions might bring. If you have bounced off Victoria 3 before or are wondering whether now is a good time to get into it, this is the episode to start with. More from Critical Moves Podcast: Web: https://criticalmovespodcast.com Forum: https://criticalmovesforum.com Newsletter: https://criticalmoves.beehiiv.com Spotify: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/spotify Apple: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/apple Amazon: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/amazon Discord: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/discord Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/criticalmovespodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/CriticalMoves_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/criticalmovespodcast Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/CriticalMoves

Bad Guys, Evil Factions, and Moral Grey Areas in Strategy Games (Ep.78)

Al is joined by Adam and Joe to dig into the role of villains and evil factions in strategy games. The conversation covers standout bad guy characters including Arthas from Warcraft 3, Kerrigan from StarCraft, and Kane from Command & Conquer, before broadening into whether strategy games are uniquely suited to letting players be evil. The discussion moves through Nuclear Gandhi, Paradox's approach to punishing warmongering, Stellaris' crisis mechanics, and the ethics of playing as historical atrocity-committing factions in games like Hearts of Iron 4. The episode closes on a pointed discussion about Gostomel Heroes, a recently released RTS that depicts Russian forces in the Ukraine conflict as heroes, and where the line sits between historical distance and active glorification of war crimes. More from Critical Moves Podcast: Web: https://criticalmovespodcast.com Forum: https://criticalmovesforum.com Newsletter: https://criticalmoves.beehiiv.com Spotify: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/spotify Apple: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/apple Amazon: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/amazon Discord: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/discord Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/criticalmovespodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/CriticalMoves_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/criticalmovespodcast Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/CriticalMoves Critical Moves examines strategy games through weekly Friday episodes and Monday news updates. Six hosts across multiple continents analyze recent releases, forgotten classics, and industry developments without the typical podcast theatrics. We cover real-time strategy, 4X civilization builders, turn-based tactics, and hybrid games that blur genre boundaries.

Our Most Legendary Strategy Gaming Moments (Ep.77)

Jack is joined by Timothy and Joe for a campfire session of war stories. Every strategy gamer has them: the run where everything clicked, the lucky seed, the moment the sandbox handed you something you could not have scripted. This week the team shares their most memorable gaming moments spanning World of Warcraft loot drama, a Beyond All Reason tournament upset, Dwarf Fortress hippo economics, Crusader Kings 3 diplomatic chaos, Victoria 2 alternate history, and a Stellaris run that had absolutely no business going as well as it did. Come for the stories, stay for the April Fools chaos. Web: https://criticalmovespodcast.com Forum: https://criticalmovesforum.com Newsletter: https://criticalmoves.beehiiv.com Spotify: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/spotify Apple: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/apple Amazon: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/amazon Discord: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/discord Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/criticalmovespodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/CriticalMoves_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/criticalmovespodcast Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/CriticalMoves

Non-Strategy Games for Strategy Gamers (Ep.76)

We're throwing you a curveball this week. Al, Jack, and Joe share the games they'd recommend to strategy gamers who want to step outside their comfort zone — covering classics, hidden gems, and a few surprises. Plus: is there strategy in almost every game? And how do you pronounce Stellaris? More from Critical Moves Podcast: Web: https://criticalmovespodcast.com Forum: https://criticalmovesforum.com Newsletter: https://criticalmoves.beehiiv.com Spotify: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/spotify Apple: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/apple Amazon: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/amazon Discord: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/discord Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/criticalmovespodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/CriticalMoves_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/criticalmovespodcast Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/CriticalMoves Critical Moves examines strategy games through weekly Friday episodes and Monday news updates. Six hosts across multiple continents analyze recent releases, forgotten classics, and industry developments without the typical podcast theatrics. We cover real-time strategy, 4X civilization builders, turn-based tactics, and hybrid games that blur genre boundaries.

The DLC Debate: Best, Worst, and Everything In Between (Ep.75)

Al is joined by Adam and Jack to dig into the world of downloadable content — what makes a great DLC, what makes a cynical one, and how the industry has shifted from the era of the standalone expansion pack to today's drip-fed content model. From Stellaris and Hearts of Iron to Civilisation 7's ongoing struggles, the trio unpacks Paradox's DLC machine, Firaxis's existential crisis, and why Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance might be the gold standard nobody talks about anymore. Plus: City Skylines takes a late hit, Adam drops a hot take, and the beauty-is-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder defence gets its moment in court. https://criticalmovespodcast.com/winning-over-the-heart-of-the-machine/ More from Critical Moves Podcast: Web: https://criticalmovespodcast.com Forum: https://criticalmovesforum.com Newsletter: https://criticalmoves.beehiiv.com Discord: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/discord Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/criticalmovespodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/CriticalMoves_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/criticalmovespodcast Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/CriticalMoves

RTS Games: Is There a Future? With Perafilozof (Ep.74)

Is the RTS genre dying, or is it on the verge of a real breakthrough? Tim and Al are joined by Perafilozof, one of YouTube's most dedicated RTS content creators, to dig into the state of real-time strategy gaming, what's holding it back, and what could push it forward. They cover the funding problem facing indie RTS developers, the tension between single player and multiplayer, the role of big IPs in reviving the genre, and why the audience's nostalgia might be part of the problem. Peter also shares his watchlist of upcoming RTS titles and gives his opinion on some of the most anticipated games in development.

The Innovation Problem in Strategy Games | Dr. Ben Angell Returns (Ep.73)

Dr. Ben Angell returns to Critical Moves to lead a discussion on innovation in strategy games, the topic he chose when we interviewed him on his work for the Age of Empires 2 Chronicles DLC. Jack and Tim join him in examining why so many RTS releases are clones of four foundational titles, whether Paradox is genuinely pushing its games forward or just layering complexity, and what cross-genre pollination has produced in recent years. The conversation covers turn-based design, tutorialization, RPG elements in strategy, the challenge of designing a third faction for Beyond All Reason, and the first major post-launch changes arriving in Civ 7's Test of Time update. Ben draws on his development experience at Ensemble Studios, Ubisoft Düsseldorf, and Capture Age to give a behind-the-scenes perspective on why innovation is harder than it looks and where the genre might actually find room to move. https://criticalmovespodcast.com

3 of 11