Stardock announced that a playable demo for Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords will be released this Thursday, allowing you to try out their very popular sequel. Galactic Civilizations II takes place in the distant future, when mankind has become a space-faring civilization and must contend with other extraterrestrial powers for domination of the galaxy. The game offers a new map system, many distinct races, a non-linear campaign, enhanced AI and more.