Bump.

Couldn't have said it better.

4X games don't usually have campaigns at all.

I'm not sure what I would be getting here...

Is this just about optimizing edges between nodes? If that's the case, I already have Mini Metro.

Has anyone tried the game yet? Is it just connecting gateways or are there bases to build?

Game-breaking technologies? Nominated for the 2021 Honesty in Advertising Award.

You can play the original Pico-8 version of Slipways on Itch: https://krajzeg.itch.io/slipways You connect things to other things, build things, and research things. It's pretty neat, kind of a puzzle game rather than strategy per se, not really 4X because the last X does not exist (3X perhaps). The full game does seem to have a campaign, but yes, typically with 4X games you do in fact constantly replay the same game, with new procedurally-generated maps every time. Because they are, you know, fun.

According to the trailer it's a 4X game.
The last X stands for: Exhale :-)

Heh, nice. Or should I say, eXcellent.

I'd just like to echo this sentiment. Calling this game 4X is a bit too much, since 4X, at least IMHO, can't be separated from micromanagement. This is more like an evolved version of The Settlers of Catan.

Not that it can't be a good speedrunner's micro-4X, it's just a matter of setting the right expectations. Well said.

As someone who played Ticket to Ride often I can see potential in making it space themed with some spaceship related stuff to replace the train cars.

I tried it and it's actually pretty fun! It's simple enough to learn but I can't stop playing even when I need to restart several times.

Disclaimer: I spend hundreds of hours playing this on Itch.

Calling this game 4X strategy is IMHO very, very sketchy (even borderline fishy) method of advertising. It's not 4X and frankly, even calling it "strategy" is kind of long shot, 'cause - as few people already mentioned - this is around 75% puzzle game with SOME strategy elements included.

If I could compare this to something, this will be "Reus": the game that on surface looks like God-game type of strategy, but in the end of the day is a puzzle.

All of the above by no means suggests that "Slipways" is a bad game. It's a excelent way to pleasantly waste some time (and what else you can expected from a game, huh?) and replayability factor is quite high, too.
I'm just kind of disappointed that GOG decided to take that 'EA-esque' approach in advertising it...