The Democratisation of Strategy Game Development (Ep.103)

Anyone can now build and release a strategy game, but is that good for the genre? Al is joined by Jack, Adam and Drexy to debate whether free engines, asset packs and crowdfunding are producing the next Manor Lords or just a flood of forgettable releases. Along the way they ask what “indie” actually means, why Civ clones keep flopping while a ten person studio can thrive on a million sales, how publishers and fandoms shape what gets seen, and whether discovery is down to developers, press or streamers. Join the discussion on our Discord at the link in the description.

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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.