# Stellaris *Game* · `stellaris` · status: **sourced** A real-time-with-pause space 4X and grand strategy game in which the player designs a species and empire, expands across a procedurally generated hyperlane galaxy from 2200, manages pops, jobs, ethics-based factions, and research card draws, and faces late-game crises. | field | value | |---|---| | year | 2016 | | developer | Paradox Development Studio | | platforms | PC, Console | | subgenre | 4X strategy | | subgenre secondary | Grand strategy | | sim domain | Cosmic / space, Political / governance, Military / conflict | | player role | Ruler / statesman | | agency model | Direct unit control, Policy / parameter, Zoning / placement | | time model | Real-time with pause | | sim scale | Interplanetary+ | | fidelity | Stylized | | perspective | Free 3D camera | | win structure | Competitive victory | | failure model | Soft / recoverable | | narrative mode | Hybrid | | multiplayer | Single-player, Competitive | | modding | Total conversion | | production tier | AA | | agent count order | ~100 | | emergence | 3 | | influence | 2 | | influenced by | [Europa Universalis IV](../game/europa-universalis-4.md) | | cluster *(computed)* | C05 | | core count *(computed)* | 3 | | mechanic count *(computed)* | 21 | ## Summary A real-time-with-pause space 4X and grand strategy game in which the player designs a species and empire, expands across a procedurally generated hyperlane galaxy from 2200, manages pops, jobs, ethics-based factions, and research card draws, and faces late-game crises. ## Core Loop survey systems with science ships -> claim systems and colonize planets -> build districts that create jobs for pops -> draw research cards and build fleets -> negotiate or fight neighboring empires -> survive the late-game crisis ## Design Notes Stellaris combines a space 4X opening (survey, claim, colonize) with Paradox grand strategy systems: real time with pause, internal factions, and event chains. Its research model replaces a visible tree with weighted random card draws, so two runs of the same empire research in different orders. Hyperlane-only travel turns the galaxy into a graph with chokepoints. Henrik Fahraeus named Star Control II, Master of Orion II, and Europa Universalis IV as roughly equal influences. ## Relations **influenced by** - [Europa Universalis IV](../game/europa-universalis-4.md) **uses** - [Tech tree](../mechanic/tech-tree.md) (core): Physics, society, and engineering research each offer three semi-random project cards weighted by ethics, the scientist's traits, and known technologies; rare technologies and anomaly-granted cards vary each run, and costs rise as the game goes on. - [Population strata](../mechanic/population-strata.md) (core): Pops fill jobs created by planetary districts and buildings in worker, specialist, and ruler strata; each job consumes and produces resources such as energy, minerals, food, consumer goods, and alloys. - [Triggered event chains](../mechanic/triggered-event-chains.md) (core): Anomalies found by science ships open authored event chains, and galactic crises such as marauder invasions, awakened machine empires, and extradimensional invaders begin after set periods. - [Faction diplomacy](../mechanic/faction-diplomacy.md) (supporting): Empires negotiate, form federations, and go to war; ethics such as xenophobe or xenophile shape AI attitudes. - [Interest groups](../mechanic/interest-groups.md) (supporting): Pops join political factions according to ethics, and faction support produces unity. - [Stability and unrest](../mechanic/stability-unrest.md) (supporting) - [Delegation to AI managers](../mechanic/delegation-to-ai.md) (supporting): Planets beyond the core limit can be grouped into sectors run by AI governors with a player-set focus. - [Modular assembly](../mechanic/modular-assembly.md) (supporting): Ships are designed from hull sections and components. - [Procedural terrain](../mechanic/procedural-terrain.md) (supporting): Each galaxy is generated with star systems linked only by hyperlanes. - [Personality traits](../mechanic/personality-traits.md) (supporting): Species traits and leader traits modify output and behavior. - [Policy toggles](../mechanic/policy-toggles.md) (supporting): Ethics, civics, policies, and edicts change empire rules. - [Goods consumption](../mechanic/goods-consumption.md) (supporting) - [Fog of war](../mechanic/fog-of-war.md) (supporting) - [Pause and speed control](../mechanic/variable-speed.md) (supporting) - [Political capital](../mechanic/political-capital.md) (supporting): Unity, produced partly by faction support, buys traditions, and influence pays for new outposts and territorial claims. - [Corruption leakage](../mechanic/corruption-leakage.md) (supporting): Empire size grows with systems, colonies, and pops, and size beyond administrative capacity raises technology and tradition costs; bureaucrat jobs add capacity to offset it. - [Culture and religion conversion](../mechanic/culture-religion-conversion.md) (supporting): Each pop holds an ethic that drifts toward ethics with higher attraction, modified by government ethics, policies, and living conditions, and pop ethics decide faction membership. - [Territorial control](../mechanic/territorial-control.md) (supporting): Empires take systems by building outposts, borders follow owned systems, and claims bought with influence set what wars can take. - [War score and peace terms](../mechanic/war-score-peace.md) (supporting): War exhaustion rises from losses and occupation, and a side at maximum exhaustion can be forced into a status quo peace. - [Statistical combat resolution](../mechanic/stat-combat-resolution.md) (supporting): Fleet battles resolve from ship weapons, shields, armor, and hull values against each other, and ground combat compares army attack and health. - [Modding API](../mechanic/modding-api.md) (supporting): Script and data files define species, events, and technologies; total conversions replace the setting. ## Backlinks (computed) **influenced:** [Dyson Sphere Program](../game/dyson-sphere-program.md) **precedent for:** [Explained delegation to AI managers](../opportunity/explained-delegation.md), [Negotiating faction AI](../opportunity/negotiating-faction-ai.md), [Research by named scientists](../opportunity/scientists-not-tech-trees.md) ## Sources - [Stellaris (video game)](../source/src-wikipedia-stellaris.md) - [Stellaris Dev Diary #11: Research & Technology](../source/src-paradox-2015-stellaris-dev-diary-11.md) - [Stellaris Dev Diary #21: Administrative Sectors](../source/src-paradox-2016-stellaris-dev-diary-21-sectors.md) --- Provenance: created in run `2026-10-24-catalog-gi`; reviewed in `2026-10-25-contributor-readiness`.