When fans hear of the grand strategy genre, they may immediately think of games requiring them to conquer vast swaths of land with sheer force. However, the main appeal of grand strategy titles isn’t always in seeing hundreds of soldiers tear through an enemy’s mediocre army. Instead, certain 4X (explore, expand, exploit, exterminate) titles establish an inherent appeal in the many features they offer aspiring rulers—with trade and commerce being one of them.