The best was Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri (SMAC). That game shed the constraints of historical figures and created an incredible sandbox for exploring the many ph

The best was Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri (SMAC). That game shed the constraints of historical figures and created an incredible sandbox for exploring the many philosophies of government and society. It wrapped all of it in a rich and complex world with rival factions based on founder ideologies. It tied everything together with a wealth of quotes from real historical figures and fictitious quotes from the faction leaders serving as a commentary on historical thought. The last one is especially important. Philosophy isn’t just a bunch of stuff written by long dead thinkers, it’s an ongoing conversation. SMAC takes this conversation and continues it, extrapolating into the future with fictional technologies, and turns it into a cohesive narrative about the future of humanity and what a trans-human society might even look like. It’s such a fantastic game!