1. There is still some time before Endless Space 2 comes out and Endless Space tends to get on sale often. So if your friends are Sci-Fi 4x fans, they should at least get it on a sale. It is, after all, a fun game as you've noted.

2. Dungeon of the Endless is quite different but it is a very charming game and I liked it a lot. Check out gameplay videos and see if it would be up your alley. If you're interested in the Endless setting, you might want to play it as it adds to the mythos a little (in its own quirky way).

As for Endless Legend, it is my favorite Amplitude title and my favorite 4x. It is quite different to Endless Space, although they share some elements which facilitates access for someone such as yourself. EL appears to be a fantasy setting, but upon deeper inspection, it is actually more Sci-Fi in fantasy garments, which is an excellent combination.

EL has very unique factions that play a lot more differently from each other than ES factions do. Playing each faction is almost a different game experience. You have a faction that doesn't rely on food for growth but Dust, to a faction that can't research technology but only steals and buys it, to a faction that only has one city and expands by converting villages, to a faction that relies a lot more on strategic reach rather than expansion....etc. Each faction operates its economy differently, as well as its military (each faction has 3 unique units, which can be bolstered by assimilating minor faction villages to fill gaps in your army).

To add to those differences, each faction has a quest line that you can choose to follow, discovering their story and unlocking new technologies or goodies.  They are well written and add to the ambience of the game and the personality of each faction. And the game has a lot of ambience. The combination of writing, art style, music, and gameplay consolidates this feeling of exploration and growth that culminates into a feeling of fatalistic futility as each faction realises that their planet is dying as the winter mechanic in the game becomes more frequent and erratic. If you are familiar with Alpha Centauri, then I personally see Endless Legend, not Beyond Earth or Pandora, as its true spiritual successor that captured what made Alpha Centauri truly great - ambience. 

Endless Legend, especially with expansions (adding espionage, pillaging, pearl collection, winter manipulation), is a more complex and multi-faceted game than Endless Space. And apparently, more is on the way. It might appear a bit overwhelming to learn at first, but it is accessible thanks to its intuitive UI. There are also a number of guides and videos that would help you out.

So all in all, I strongly recommend Endless Legend. 

1. Definitely suggest ES1 to your friend - especially if they like the 4X genre in a space setting. If you guys both like it, then ES2 should be a no-brainer. If you can, have them watch you/try playing the game first. If you're not too familiar with the genre, it definitely can seem a bit intimidating (but it's really not!) - ES1 is a pretty great, easy to pick up and learn 4X.

2. The other Amplitude games are just as good, and have the same well polished high end feel to them. Endless Legend is a fantastic fantasy 4X game with some unique factions and gameplay - I personally love it. I find the most similar games to it are Fallen Enchantress and Age of Wonders, if you've ever played them. I agree with knightofphoenix - its a really well made complex game that is easy to learn, but has enough options and uniqueness in the gameplay to keep you coming back.

Dungeons of the Endless is also a crazy neat little game. It's basically a mashup of tower defense, roguelikes, and exploration rpgs... kinda. It's really it's own game wrapped up in a nice pixelated bow. I was initially unsure if I would like it, but I wanted to support Amplitude so I picked it up on Steam. It sat forgotten in my library for a while until I happened on it by accident and decided to give it a shot. Many many many hours later I could officially say I was hooked on it - it's actually one of my favorite "low rez" games ever. It's so simple, yet so fun, and has a ton of replayability.

AHappySithLord wrote:

Hi there,

1. Should I recommend Endless Space to a friend or have him wait for Endless Space 2?

2. Should I purchase the other Endless games (Endless Legend and Dungeon of the Endless)?

3. I have nothing else to say but think that the list should look longer so I look like I know what I'm doing...

Hello there ^^

1. I'd say that it's worth every penny on a Steam Sale.

2. Endless Legend is a MUST BUY ! I can't say that about DotE though, but that has to do with my personal preference, not with the game's quality. Check it out on Youtube, maybe you'll like it :)

3. Amplitude is a really good game developer. The fact that they're committed to their games' universe is easy to notice and appreciate.

Just dropping by to let you know that high praise like this makes our eyes all wet and our tiny hearts swell with pride. :')

Wait, what? I registered two days ago so I have no idea what most of this stuff means or does. XD I already decided based on the replies so is there a way of closing this or...? 

Just one point, to make my self very clear :

I didn't say that he 'has' to pick them on a Sale; I agree that ES is also worth the full price (I bought both the base game and the Disharmony expansion separately, on DVDs, at full retail price).

But a Steam Sale can 'sweeten' the deal before ES2 comes out.