Stellaris expansions come out every few months, and they offer either more advanced mechanics & gameplay features, or aesthetic upgrades, making for a necessary addition to the game.
All of us “hate” Paradox Interactive’s DLC policy (releasing 50 DLCs per game, if you weren’t aware), but we (have to) buy most of them either way. This guide aims to clear out confusion from your buying choices, and help you concentrate on which expansions are the most important to your own gameplay style.
Stellaris Expansions in Numbers | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Total Cost | Total DLC | Expansions | Story Packs | Species Packs |
171.87$ 171.87€ 128.77£ |
13 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
Paradox Interactive is following a similar DLC strategy with all of their grand strategy titles, Stellaris being no exception.
With each main expansion, they are adding new features, mechanics & systems to Stellaris, offering more variation & depth to your campaign in meaningful ways.
Truth is, all Paradox games are too “niche”, therefore those who enjoy them the most will probably need to get hold of every single expansion in order to get the most complete experience the game can offer.
Let’s break down all Stellaris expansions from the newest one to the oldest one, and identify the core additions each one makes to the game.
Release Date: April 15, 2021
Buy from Paradox, Steam or HumbleBundle for 19.99$ / 19.99€ / 15.49£
Most 4X games introduce a Spying mechanic through one of their earliest DLCs, but Stellaris decided to come late to the party. I’ve never felt this type of mechanic made for an interesting expansion, but hopefully there are a few more things included in Nemesis, making it a worthwhile DLC all over.
More specifically, the endgame gets more attention, with new Crisis mechanics, that even put you under the driver’s seat! Stellaris already offers a strong endgame in a genre that’s desperate for it, and Nemesis will definitely make your experience better – if you do own most of the other expansions!
Nemesis Feature List:
Release Date: March 17, 2020
Buy from Paradox, Steam or HumbleBundle for 19.99$ / 19.99€ / 15.49£
The “diplomatic” expansion – Federations – aims to advance the diplomacy part of the game, and let you influence or manipulate the other empires without resorting to warfare.
It’s one of the most essential Stellaris expansions, since even though micro-management is at the core of the game, diplomacy always lacked major attention, and using warfare was pretty much necessary even for the most peaceful races.
A must-have for players that prefer alternatives to war, and a worthy continuation to the Stellaris franchise.
Federations Feature List:
Release Date: December 6, 2018
Buy from Paradox, Steam or HumbleBundle for 19.99$ / 19.99€ / 15.49£
MegaCorp, as is obvious, focuses on mega galactic corporations, and advancing the economical side of the game.
It introduces many missing features to the game’s trading mechanics & profitability, as well as population management and expanding.
MegaCorp Feature List:
Release Date: February 22, 2018
Buy from Paradox, Steam or HumbleBundle for 19.99$ / 19.99€ / 15.49£
Apocalypse features big things, but is probably one of the “smallest” Stellaris expansions to date. It adds several warfare-based mechanics, that really feel like a free update, instead of an expansion.
What’s more, its main features are mostly experienced quite late in the playthrough, or require you to be the “evil” guy. Definitely try to get Apocalypse on sale!
Apocalypse Feature List:
Release Date: April 6, 2017
Buy from Paradox, Steam or HumbleBundle for 19.99$ / 19.99€ / 14.99£
Utopia is a must-have Stellaris DLC, adding a lot of depth to many mechanics that will make ruling your empire that much more fun and efficient!
It’s the first step in the right direction, and an essential expansion in order to experience the later expansions’ features as well (due to Ascension Perks). It should be the first one you get!
Utopia Feature List:
One of the first things that made me fall in love with Stellaris, is how rich the lore is, and how alive and purposeful everything feels – from a small discovery to a planetary war!
I can’t blame Paradox for bringing more storytelling in the form of paid expansions, but these are definitely targeted only to the most loyal followers. Story packs also offer unique events and questlines, that make every playthrough more memorable!
Release Date: June 4, 2019
Buy from Paradox, Steam or HumbleBundle for 9.99$ / 9.99€ / 7.19£
If you enjoy discovering the unknown in Stellaris, then Ancient Relics is a great addition to your collection!
There are many nice micro-mechanics added, and they definitely make for a more thorough experience in your campaigns.
Ancient Relics Feature List:
Release Date: May 22, 2018
Buy from Paradox, Steam or HumbleBundle for 9.99$ / 9.99€ / 7.19£
A story pack that focuses on.. story, Distant Stars is a great expansion for Stellaris – if story & lore is your main thing!
Space becomes more alive, with more occult creatures, and a ton of new events and anomalies, so it’s a worthy addition to your Stellaris expansions gallery.
Distant Stars Feature List:
Release Date: September 21, 2017
Buy from Paradox, Steam or HumbleBundle for 9.99$ / 9.99€ / 6.99£
Synthetic Dawn doesn’t bring much to the table, apart from a new Robot race that is quite customized, with unique gameplay features and events, for the “machines taking over” enthusiasts.
So unless you are looking to create the ultimate AI empire, there’s not much for you here sadly.
Synthetic Dawn Feature List:
Release Date: October 20, 2016
Buy from Paradox, Steam or HumbleBundle for 9.99$ / 9.99€ / 7.49£
The first story pack for Stellaris – Leviathans – doesn’t offer too much, or too little. It will definitely enrich your gameplay, and unlock some quite useful features like the Enclaves.
You can live without it, but it’s a nice addition, especially on sale!
Leviathans Feature List:
Paradox are well known for their DLC-galore, and inventing new types of DLCs.
“Portrait Packs” are one of these types, and they exist in Stellaris too. Hopefully they are not just portraits, but provide new Species to play as too. If you’re not a hardcore Stellaris fan, you can simply ignore them.
Release Date: October 29, 2020
Buy from Paradox, Steam or HumbleBundle for 7.99$ / 7.99€ / 5.79£
Aside from a lot of extra cosmetic flavor, the Necroids Species Pack brings us the Necrophage Origin, that offer 3 civics that are quite appropriate to their nature.
If sacrificing populations, raising undead armies or taking advantage of tomb worlds sounds like you, then you won’t be disappointed with this DLC!
Release Date: October 24, 2019
Buy from Paradox, Steam or HumbleBundle for 7.99$ / 7.99€ / 5.79£
Another underwhelming species pack, which however offers a very interesting species – Lithoids.
They offer a mineral-based / “relentless” colonization gameplay, which will appeal to most 4X fans, and provides a nice gameplay variety to Stellaris.
Release Date: December 7, 2017
Buy from Paradox, Steam or HumbleBundle for 7.99$ / 7.99€ / 5.79£
The Humanoids Species Pack is a bit more packed than its predecessor, and definitely appeals to a larger audience, since more people like.. people, than plants!
All in all it’s a nice aesthetic pack if you’re a fan of playing with Humans / Humanoids, so you be the judge of your wallet here!
Release Date: August 4, 2016
Buy from Paradox, Steam or HumbleBundle for 7.99$ / 7.99€ / 5.59£
The Plantoid Species archetype gets introduced, and will probably appeal to old-school horror fans – or those seeking a more “earthy” feel on their space domination.
Nothing much to add here, you know better if it’s right for you, or you just want to grab it on a sale and complete your Stellaris expansions collection!
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Babalon, Mother of Abominations
16-hours / day in front of the screen entrepreneur, of which 6+ are spent on gaming. MMOs, CCGs, RPGs and many more, Steam-addict & achievement-w***e. Currently wasting life on BDO & Gacha Games.
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