Someone who liked a game like Alpha Centauri back in the day will probably like Frostpunk, and I feel like the bugs have been fixed. It is still worth playing with Frostpunk 2 coming out, they aren't the same game.
HOI 1 could be fun for a few quick games, but you'd have to go through a steep learning curve. If you want to pick up an old HOI title, Darkhest Hour, for HOI 2, has some good mods; not sure about HOI 1. HOI 2 Kaisserreich isn't up to date with HOI4, but it's still a good earlier version of the nod.
The game is easy to get into and memorable enough. My only complaint is that I wouldn't really consider mage worth playing. You'll be doing a double swordsman. I only give it five stars rather than four to emphasize that it is still a game very much worth playing.
I'm not giving it 3 stars because I dislike it or the concept, but because the game itself is at a concept stage, and the concept doesn't quite match the idea. The game is more of a hint at would it could be. I didn't realize there was a sequel, I'd be willing to buy it if I can see it executes the concept better. The game has a light weight court system, whose meetings decrease in interval, and a light weight administrative/economic management. It would have made more sense to me to just focus on the former. Personally, if you're a star emperor... well how much does a Star Emperor fiddle with an galactic economy (using very broad brush strokes mind you) It would make more sense to me to set policy according to narrative system with sweeping changes being more expensive. You can fire, move or promote individual court members sure.... but the proposals presented by the court are limited and tend to have more to do with the court itself. it would have made more sense as a political game more broadly managing factional interests, receive more in the way of proposals for it's economic and administrative side rather than presenting it traditionally.
I'd rank it three stars but feel it's good enough for four. The game is enjoyable/fun and the story good enough, but I don't feel like there's... sufficient reason to switch between martial arts styles for instance. And the morality just feels like good and evil, even if some of the evil morality just has a libertarian bent, Evil is mostly just "philosophical" cruelty without much to gain from it. I never finished the game, partly because trying to engage in martial arts, if you want to do so with much perfection, requires a lot of attention.
