A full 4X campaign that fits on a normal table and wraps up in under 90 minutes already sounds like a tall order, and doing it with ants only makes it stranger. March of the Ants pulled it off back in 2015, built a devoted following, then quietly became hard to find. Now Weird City Games has brought it back as March of the Ants: Evolved Edition, a rebuilt version aimed at a new generation of players.
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Start organising for freeYou command a colony scrapping for control of the meadow. You explore the unknown, evolve your ants into new species and fight for the Great Tunnel, hitting all the explore, expand, exploit and exterminate beats of a big 4X but squeezed into a tight evening game. The Evolved Edition is designed by Tim Eisner and Ryan Swisher, and it keeps that quick footprint while giving the game a full makeover, with new artwork and graphic design, revised mechanics and a swarm of wooden ant meeples in place of the old bits.
If you want a second opinion, Cole Wehrle, the designer of Root, is a declared fan, calling it "one of the most underrated 4x designs out there" and praising how it "distills the best parts of the genre without any of the baggage". That is high praise from someone who knows his way around asymmetric conflict.
Got a regular group? Create a private community, poll for the best date, vote on games, and let your friends RSVP in one place.
Set up your group for freeThe Evolved Edition is available directly from Weird City Games in standard and deluxe versions, and it has landed on Meeple Mountain's list of the most anticipated games of Gen Con 2026, so expect plenty of tables buzzing with it this summer. If your group loves the idea of a 4X but keeps bouncing off four-hour epics, this compact colony war deserves a look.
Sources: Weird City Games | Meeple Mountain | Meeple Mountain: Gen Con 2026
