Gameplay

Interstellar Space: Genesis is a turn-based space strategy game in the 4x genre (explore, expand, exploit and exterminate). Gameplay proceeds from selecting or creating a starting race; exploring and colonizing the galaxy; engaging in diplomacy or turn-based combat with other empires; researching new technologies and acquiring new space culture perks; exploiting strategic resources and asteroid belts; and winning the game by eliminating all rival empires or winning two thirds of the vote at a Galactic Council.

On the starting screen you will select one of the 6 predefined races, or customize or create your own. There are many bonuses and maluses availed to choose in customization, including your empire's government which cannot be changed latter and race's preferred  and . Notably the AI can use any of these customized races, so you may face them in game. Additionally you select the difficulty level, which primarily determines the hospitality of your and the AI's starting locations and initial stage of development.

Play begins on the Galactic Map with a single colony on a medium, ideal planet along with two starting  and a . As you send these ships out to explore nearby , you will quickly find they can move only so far from your home world--this radius is determined by your  from the nearest colony or outpost, and can be expanded by establishing new colonies or  or researching higher levels logistics. At higher difficult levels, you may find no good  within your range, and may have to occupy a less then optimal world simply to increase your area of exploration. Be wary of sending  out without a military escort, as some systems will be guarded by space monsters you will be no match for initially--you can retreat from these battles as long as a military ship is present, whereas lone civilian ships will simply be automatically destroyed.

The Main Screen contains general information about your empire and a handy Overview Panel containing information you've gathered on various systems and planets, as well as basic information on all your colonies.

Exploration is supplemented by , using the telescopes of your colonies to reveal information about surrounding sectors and possibly revealing  which are the primary source of .

Colony management is fairly stream-lined, with a construction queue for new , galactic wonders, and ships; a  for allocating production to construction;  which determines your maximum  and provides additional ship support points, and  which can be used for  to improve the  of your planet;  to alter the ; and most importantly  to provide a boost to .

While colonies are the main source of your  providing advancement through one of the 6 technology trees;  providing powerful perks to select from; and , these can be supplemented through empire management, particularly through taxes and income allocation.

Ship classes can by customized on the Ship Design screen, with a number of different weapons and  available depending on the current state of your research. They can engage in turn-based tactical combat only in systems against space monsters and enemy fleets. Accompanied by  they can raid or invade hostile colonies through planetary combat. The maximum number of ships you can field is limited by the total  of your empire.

A number of  can be hired throughout the game to provide important boosts to both your fleets and colonies, as well as providing empire-wide bonuses through their secondary skills.

Victory is achieved by eliminating all rival empires, or by winning the vote at a Galactic Council. These will meet from time to time with each empire getting a number of votes proportional to their total population.