Today we're looking at interface design in games, more specifically for the 4X game genre. I have to confess I'm not much of a 4X gamer but as a designer of UI, I can certainly appreciate the effort involved in designing an interface for such a complex game.

4X is a strategy based genre in both video games and board games whereby players control an empire and 'eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate'. Sid Meier's Civilization is an example of a 4X game.

Here we take a look into the design of Endless Space 2. The video above is a review by IGN, which gives a nice summary of the game and quickly introduces some of the different interfaces within Endless Space 2. Below are some more in-depth videos from the game's developer if you prefer to look at each interface more closely.

There are many different tasks to complete in this game, from battling, exploring, upgrading to negotiating politics. To facilitate this, the game is made up of a variety of fascinating screen layouts, and interesting widgets.