

Some of its playable races are the usual elves and goblins, but most have a twist, like the cannibalistic dwarves, gold-obsessed necromancers, or the "cursed toadlings" I picked almost reflexively: a people transformed along with their warrior Queen Charming. As it stands though, its generally high quality and interesting systems just haven't captured my imagination. Played less intensely over a longer period, I imagine more of its intricacies becoming clear, and more custom playstyles emerging to encourage more replays and challenges. I've enjoyed most of my time with it, and the parts I didn't were probably down to caning it too hard in too short a time. I don't feel very strongly about Age Of Wonders 4. An accomplished fantasy 4X with RPG leanings and cleverly interlocking systems that plain hasn’t grabbed me personally, despite some colourful ideas.
