Sprawling 4X-grand strategy mash-up Stellaris released yesterday and promptly broke every day-one record at Paradox. It smashed through the 200,000 sales barrier, not just shifting copies but getting people online and keeping them there: 68,000 players set out for galactic domination as one.

Once the domain of hardcore enthusiasts, Paradox games have escaped the niche thanks to unrivalled emergent storytelling and – for Stellaris in particular – spectacular UI design that compresses mind-bending stats and figures into something new players can understand.

Paradox has nailed the 4X with Stellaris, and though I share Phil's reservations about the mid- and late-game, the bigger Paradox's budgets get the better for us all.