Sins of a Solar Empire is a 2008 science fiction real-time strategy computer game developed by Ironclad Games and published by Stardock Entertainment for Microsoft Windows operating systems. It is a real-time strategy (RTS) game that incorporates some elements from 4X strategy games; its makers describe it as "RT4X."[2][3] In the game players are given control of a spacefaring empire in the distant future and are tasked with conquering star systems using military economic and diplomatic means.The game was released on February 4 2008 receiving positive reviews and multiple awards from the gaming press.[4][5][6][7] Its first content expansion titled Entrenchment was released as a download on February 25 2009 and its second content expansion titled Diplomacy was released as a download on February 9 2010. A package combining the original game with the first two expansions was released at that time with the title Sins of a Solar Empire: Trinity.[8] A third expansion the stand-alone Rebellion was released in June 2012.[9]