Stars!

Stars! is a multiplayer, strategic romp through the universe. Your goal? To take over said universe (or any of several other victory goals. Universal domination is just the most fun.).

This game has a lot of complexity, but a simple interface. It runs in a window, and everything you need to know about your budding empire (or thriving war machine!) can be accessed by menu or shortcut keys.

Universes are randomly created in one of four sizes. You can add up to 15 (!) other players, both AI or human. Then you can set this up as play-by -email.