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

A Pile of Shame: Critical Moves Hosts Force Each Other's Backlog Games (Ep.88)

Drexy hosts this week, joined by Adam and an early-rising Joe (5am and counting). The trio raid each other's Steam libraries for a "Pile of Shame" challenge, picking games none of them have played and forcing each other to give them a proper go (2-5 hours minimum) before reporting back. Adam gets handed Warhammer 40K: Gladius – Relics of War by Drexy and Terra Invicta by Joe, complete with a rundown of Gladius's brutal AI (built by a modder-turned-freelancer) and a full strategy briefing on playing Terra Invicta as the Initiative. Drexy is gifted Nova Lands by Adam and the original Mount & Blade (with the Prophecy of Pendor mod) by Joe. Joe gets Prison Architect and Warsim: The Realm of Aslona from Adam, plus a Shadow Run: Dragonfall pick from Drexy — with a shared, unplayed copy of Warsim becoming a running joke and unofficial group homework. Expect tangents on Zephon's end-game crisis problem, Terra Invicta's mid-patch Ukraine war update, and a Rock Paper Shotgun story about a Solium Infernum player who won a match he almost missed entirely.

Steam Summer Sale Must Buys (Ep.87)

It's Steam Summer Sale time, and the Critical Moves crew has recommendations. Al, Jack, and Drexy each bring one game they'd recommend to listeners and one they're taking the plunge on themselves this sale. From alien plant invasions to pirate city building, classic RTS nostalgia to gridless town builders, there's something here for every corner of the strategy gaming world. Also: a quick word on the Sanctuary: Shattered Sun Kickstarter launching 14th July. Links below. Synergy: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1989070 [https://store.steampowered.com/app/1989070] Age of Empires II: https://store.steampowered.com/app/813780 [https://store.steampowered.com/app/813780] Republic of Pirates: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2103470 [https://store.steampowered.com/app/2103470] Halo Wars: https://store.steampowered.com/app/459220 [https://store.steampowered.com/app/459220] SpellForce: Conquest of Eo: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1581770 [https://store.steampowered.com/app/1581770] Calyx: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3211850 [https://store.steampowered.com/app/3211850] Town to City: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3115220 [https://store.steampowered.com/app/3115220] X4: Foundations: https://store.steampowered.com/app/392160 [https://store.steampowered.com/app/392160] Sanctuary: Shattered Sun Kickstarter: https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/37b88887-7add-479a-a91f-47ecebdf9e5e/landing [https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/37b88887-7add-479a-a91f-47ecebdf9e5e/landing] More from Critical Moves Podcast: Web: https://criticalmovespodcast.com [https://criticalmovespodcast.com] Forum: https://criticalmovesforum.com [https://criticalmovesforum.com] Newsletter: https://criticalmoves.beehiiv.com [https://criticalmoves.beehiiv.com] Spotify: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/spotify [https://criticalmovespodcast.com/spotify] Apple: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/apple [https://criticalmovespodcast.com/apple] Amazon: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/amazon [https://criticalmovespodcast.com/amazon] Discord: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/discord [https://criticalmovespodcast.com/discord] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/criticalmovespodcast [https://www.facebook.com/criticalmovespodcast] Twitter: https://twitter.com/CriticalMoves_ [https://twitter.com/CriticalMoves_] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/criticalmovespodcast [https://www.instagram.com/criticalmovespodcast] Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/CriticalMoves [https://www.reddit.com/r/CriticalMoves]

Upcoming Strategy Games We're Watching in 2026 (Ep.86)

Adam, Jack, and Drexy run through the strategy and tactics releases worth watching in 2026 — from Star Wars Zero Company to Stronghold 4, a pirate city builder from the Tropico team, two suspiciously similar space 4X games, and a medieval combat game that might finally give Mount & Blade some competition. Games covered: Stronghold 4, Star Wars Zero Company, Corsair Cove, Company of Heroes Anniversary Edition, Fragile Existence, Beyond Astra, Chronicles Medieval, Carthage Bellum Punicum, Grand Tactician Napoleonic Wars, Total Victory World in Conflict.

Total War: Warhammer 40,000 — New Engine, New Galaxy, New Concerns (Ep.85)

This week on the Critical Moves Podcast, Al, Joe, Nuno, and Drexy dig into everything revealed so far about Total War: Warhammer 40,000. Fresh from the PC Gaming Show 2026 gameplay reveal, the team covers the new Warcore engine, the solar system campaign map, faction design, the glaring absence of ship combat, and whether Creative Assembly can pull off something truly worthy of the 40k universe. Cautiously optimistic. Mostly. More from Critical Moves Podcast: Web: https://criticalmovespodcast.com [https://criticalmovespodcast.com] Forum: https://criticalmovesforum.com [https://criticalmovesforum.com] Newsletter: https://criticalmoves.beehiiv.com [https://criticalmoves.beehiiv.com] Spotify: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/spotify [https://criticalmovespodcast.com/spotify] Apple: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/apple [https://criticalmovespodcast.com/apple] Amazon: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/amazon [https://criticalmovespodcast.com/amazon] Discord: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/discord [https://criticalmovespodcast.com/discord] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/criticalmovespodcast [https://www.facebook.com/criticalmovespodcast] Twitter: https://twitter.com/CriticalMoves_ [https://twitter.com/CriticalMoves_] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/criticalmovespodcast [https://www.instagram.com/criticalmovespodcast] Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/CriticalMoves [https://www.reddit.com/r/CriticalMoves]

Firaxis in Crisis: Is Civ 7 a Disaster, a Success, or Both? (Ep.84)

This week on Critical Moves, we welcome back co-founder Nuno — and introduce brand new host Drexy — for a deep dive into one of strategy gaming's biggest stories: Civilization 7 and the state of Firaxis. Jack defends the game he genuinely loves, the rest of us are less convinced, and we dig into what the numbers actually say about Civ 7's launch, the Test of Time update, Take-Two's financial crisis, and whether the studio that gave us Civ and XCOM still has a future. Also: someone was coughing in the menu music at launch. We are not making that up. More from Critical Moves Podcast: Web: https://criticalmovespodcast.com [https://criticalmovespodcast.com] Forum: https://criticalmovesforum.com [https://criticalmovesforum.com] Newsletter: https://criticalmoves.beehiiv.com [https://criticalmoves.beehiiv.com] Spotify: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/spotify [https://criticalmovespodcast.com/spotify] Apple: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/apple [https://criticalmovespodcast.com/apple] Amazon: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/amazon [https://criticalmovespodcast.com/amazon] Discord: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/discord [https://criticalmovespodcast.com/discord] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/criticalmovespodcast [https://www.facebook.com/criticalmovespodcast] Twitter: https://twitter.com/CriticalMoves_ [https://twitter.com/CriticalMoves_] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/criticalmovespodcast [https://www.instagram.com/criticalmovespodcast] Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/CriticalMoves [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.