Galactic Civilizations III Early Access beta now available, see it in action here

Building, controlling and wreaking havoc on civilizations is an enduring video game occupation, especially on PC. According to Galactic Civilizations studio Stardock Games, the third installment will offer more nuanced ways to do this than we've ever experienced before. That much is evident if you watch the beta gameplay trailer below, or else you could give the beta a spin yourself. It launched today on Steam Early Access.

You may have partaken in the rather expensive alpha earlier this year, but the beta is a more reasonably priced $49.99. That means the barrier of entry to decolonizing and recolonizing distant alien races is now significantly lower. Go forth and conquer.

Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.