Civilization
Officially Sid Meier's Civilization (franchise)
TURN-BASED strategy 4X game franchise — Sid Meier + MicroProse/Firaxis + published by 2K Games, launched SEPTEMBER 1991. Guide civilization from 4000 BC through modern era + into space age, competing with rival empires via WAR, DIPLOMACY, TRADE, CULTURE, RELIGION, or SCIENCE. Iconic 'ONE MORE TURN' addiction — sessions routinely last 6-12 hours. CIVILIZATION VI (2016) sold 11M+ copies. CIVILIZATION VII released FEBRUARY 11, 2025 — polarizing new age system reception.
What is Civilization?
Sid Meier's Civilization is the DEFINING TURN-BASED STRATEGY 4X (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate) game franchise. Designed by SID MEIER (also X-COM, RailRoad Tycoon, Colonization, Pirates!). ORIGIN: CIVILIZATION released SEPTEMBER 1991 by MICROPROSE for DOS + Amiga. Inspired by BOARD GAME 'Civilization' (Francis Tresham, 1980); Meier heavily modified for computer. GOAL: guide civilization from 4000 BC HUT-DWELLERS through discovery of AGRICULTURE, WHEEL, WRITING, then AGES (Ancient → Classical → Medieval → Renaissance → Industrial → Modern → Atomic → Information/Future) up to SPACE COLONIZATION of ALPHA CENTAURI (space race victory) — OR — dominate world by military conquest / cultural dominance / diplomatic victory / religious conversion. GAMEPLAY: hexagonal tile map (Civ 5+); each turn: MOVE units, BUILD cities/wonders/units, RESEARCH tech in science tree, ENACT policies/religion/culture, DIPLOMATIC actions (declare war, propose alliance, trade routes). CITIES grow by producing FOOD, PRODUCTION, GOLD, SCIENCE, CULTURE, FAITH; workers/builders improve tiles (farms, mines, trading posts). WONDERS: 30-40 iconic buildings (Pyramids, Great Library, Notre Dame, Sistine Chapel, Colossus, Eiffel Tower, Great Wall) provide massive unique bonuses. HISTORICAL LEADERS: each civilization led by real leader with unique ability + unit + building — Rome (Julius Caesar/Trajan, Legion + Bath), Egypt (Cleopatra/Ramses, War Chariot + Pyramid, Sphinx), China (Wu Zetian/Kublai/Qin, Crouching Tiger + Great Wall), England (Elizabeth/Victoria, Ship of the Line + Redcoat), USA (Washington/Roosevelt/Lincoln, P-51 + Rough Rider), etc. VICTORY CONDITIONS: DOMINATION (conquer all civs), SCIENCE (launch spaceship to Alpha Centauri), CULTURE (attract tourists / dominate other civs' culture), DIPLOMATIC (win World Congress vote), RELIGIOUS (Civ 6, convert majority of world), TIME (highest score at turn 500). CIVILIZATION II (1996), III (2001), IV (2005), V (2010, hexagonal map + 1 unit per tile), VI (2016, districts + civic tree + Rise & Fall + Gathering Storm expansions), VII (Feb 11, 2025 — POLARIZING NEW AGE SYSTEM changing civ mid-game, mixed reception). SPINOFFS: CIVILIZATION: BEYOND EARTH (2014), CIV REVOLUTION (2008 console), FREECIV (open-source clone), OLD WORLD (2021 by Soren Johnson, Civ IV lead designer), HUMANKIND (Amplitude Studios 2021 competitor). LEGENDARY 'ONE MORE TURN' ADDICTION — players routinely lose 10+ hours in single session ('Just one more turn... okay one more...'). MASSIVE MODDING SCENE: Vox Populi (Civ 5 overhaul), Real Strategy (Civ 6 AI improvements), custom civilizations. FIRAXIS GAMES (Meier's company) has developed Civ IV onwards; 2K GAMES publishes. Franchise sold 60M+ COPIES lifetime across all titles.
Quick facts
Category
Video Games
Type
Individual
Players
1–12
Duration
~480 min
Where played
indoor
Field / court
PC/Mac/Linux (Steam, Epic Games Store) + PS4/PS5/Xbox One/Series/Switch (Civ 6 + 7)
Country of origin
🇺🇸 United States
Estimated origin
September 1991 (Civilization I); October 2016 (Civilization VI); February 11, 2025 (Civilization VII)
Olympic
No
Popularity
global
How it works
Objective
Guide civilization from prehistoric era to modern age; win via one of 5-6 victory conditions (domination, science, culture, diplomatic, religious, time/score).
Rules
Basic rules
Turn 1: FOUND FIRST CITY with Settler unit
City tile placement critical for long-term production.
EXPLORE map with Scout / Warrior units to reveal terrain + rival civs + tribal villages
Fog of war conceals unexplored areas.
RESEARCH tech in Science tree (25-90 techs across ages)
Each tech unlocks units, buildings, wonders, workers actions.
BUILD workers/builders to improve tiles (Farm, Mine, Trading Post, Fishing Boat, Camp, Pasture)
Tile yields = Food + Production + Gold + Science + Culture.
MANAGE cities: populations grow by food; production = building units/buildings/wonders
Balance food (growth) + production (military/wonders) + gold (economy).
DIPLOMACY: meet other civs → open borders → alliances → trade routes → war declarations
Diplomatic modifiers persist for centuries; grudges vs. friends compound over game.
WIN via Domination (last civ standing), Science (Alpha Centauri spaceship), Culture (tourism dominance), Diplomatic (World Congress), Religious (spread religion to majority), or Time (highest score turn 500)
Each victory condition = different strategic focus + tech priorities.
Scoring
Victory achieved via one of 5-6 conditions; scored games track civilization Metrics: Score = sum of Population + Tech + Wonders + Cities + Territory + happiness bonuses.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Domination Victory (conquer all civs' capitals) | Military-focused win |
| Science Victory (launch spaceship to Alpha Centauri) | Tech-focused win |
| Culture Victory (Civ 6: tourism > all other civs' culture) | Wonder + Great Person focused |
| Diplomatic Victory (Civ 6: win World Congress votes) | Late-game diplomatic focus |
| Religious Victory (Civ 6: spread religion to majority of civs) | Faith + Apostle focus |
| Score Victory (highest score at turn 500 / 2050 AD) | Balanced play, no victory achieved |
| Difficulty levels: Settler → Chieftain → Warlord → Prince → King → Emperor → Immortal → Deity | Higher = larger AI bonuses (production + starting units) |
Win condition · Reach victory condition first before other civs (or turn limit); Deity difficulty = elite challenge (AI cheats extensively).
Playing area
Called
PC/Mac/Linux (Steam, Epic Games Store) + PS4/PS5/Xbox One/Series/Switch (Civ 6 + 7)
Dimensions
2D top-down hexagonal grid (Civ 5+) or square grid (Civ 1-4)
Procedurally generated map (Pangea, Continents, Island Plates, Archipelago, Fractal, Highlands, Small Continents, Terra, etc.); 6 map sizes (Duel to Huge, 60x40 to 128x80 hexes).
Equipment
PC (Steam, Epic) — $60 base + $30-50 expansions
Civ 6 platinum edition often on sale $15-20 with all DLC.
Console (Switch, PS4/5, Xbox One/Series) for Civ 6 + Civ 7
Controller support; slightly worse UX than KB+M.
Civ VII base ($60) + Crossroads of the World DLC + Right to Rule DLC
Expansions add civs + Wonders + game systems typically $30 per major expansion.
Community mods via Steam Workshop (Civ 6 heavily modded)
Free — Vox Populi (Civ 5), custom civs, UI improvements, AI upgrades.
Strategies
SCOUT EARLY to identify map + rivals + tribal villages
Free tech/settler/gold from villages massive early boost.
SETTLE CITIES ON FRESH WATER + HILLS + GOOD RESOURCES
Rivers = free housing + gold; hills = 2 production start; luxuries = happiness.
TALL vs. WIDE strategy — 4-6 large cities (tall) vs. 10-20 small cities (wide)
Civ 5 favored tall; Civ 6 favors wide; Civ 7 hybrid.
WONDER RACES — build 4-5 wonders per era but don't hyperfocus (opportunity cost)
Pyramids (early growth), Great Library (free techs), Notre Dame (culture).
DIPLOMATIC PATIENCE — declare friends before wars; keep grudges tracked
AI civs have long memories; wars from turn 50 remembered turn 300.
SCIENCE PRIORITY: Pottery → Writing → Currency → Mathematics → Machinery → Civil Service → Industrialization
Standard 'beeline' path for science + economy victories.
COMPARE VICTORY paths by turn 100 → commit to strongest one
Trying all 5 victories = master of none; commit early = win.
Terminology
- 4X
- eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate — Civ's genre category.
- Settler
- Unit that founds new cities.
- Builder / Worker
- Unit that improves tiles (farms, mines, etc.).
- Wonder
- Iconic 1-per-game structure providing unique civilization bonus (Pyramids, Great Library, Notre Dame, Sydney Opera House, etc.).
- Great Person
- Named historical figure (Great Scientist, Merchant, Engineer, Artist, Prophet, General) providing one-time massive bonus.
- Barbarians
- Non-civ NPC enemies that raid unsettled areas — early-game threat.
- Deity
- Highest difficulty — AI gets massive production/science/happiness bonuses.
- One More Turn
- Franchise's addiction meme — 'I'll play one more turn' turns into 4 hours.
- Tall vs. Wide
- Play style choice — few big cities vs. many small cities.
- Beeline
- Rushing straight for specific tech (e.g., beeline Astronomy for early observatories).
- Ages (Civ 7)
- New system splitting game into Antiquity/Exploration/Modern ages; civilization changes at age transitions (controversial).
Major competitions
Play Your Damn Turn (PYDT) online multiplayer scene
ongoing (multi-day games) · worldwide · since 2014
Civ multiplayer tournaments (community organized)
irregular · worldwide (online) · since 2001
Civ speedrun leaderboards (fastest science victory, etc.)
ongoing · worldwide · since 2010
Where it is played
Governing bodies
Firaxis Games (developer since Civ IV)
Founded 1996 · Sparks, MD, USA
Official site ↗2K Games (publisher — franchise owner)
Founded 2005 · Novato, CA, USA
Official site ↗MicroProse (original developer, Civ I-III)
Founded 1982 · USA (defunct in original form)
CivFanatics (largest Civ community/forums)
Founded 1999 · worldwide
Official site ↗
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Sid Meier (creator) — Legendary game designer
- Soren Johnson (Civ IV lead designer, now Old World designer)
- Ed Beach (Civ VI + VII lead designer at Firaxis)
- PotatoMcWhiskey (streamer + Civ 6 tutorial YouTuber, 500K+ subs)
- Marbozir (streamer + Civ VI Deity-difficulty content)
- Ursa Ryan (Civ competitive multiplayer scene)
- TheClam57 (Civ 6 speedrunner + Deity content)
Learn this sport
beginner
- 1
Start Civ VI or VII on CHIEFTAIN difficulty vs. 4 AI opponents
Small map, standard speed — 4-6 hour game.
- 2
Follow YouTube tutorial: PotatoMcWhiskey or Marbozir 'Civ 6 for beginners' series
Community-standard learning resource.
- 3
Focus on SCIENCE VICTORY first — simplest to plan
Tech tree progression is straightforward path.
intermediate
- 1
Climb to KING or EMPEROR difficulty; try DIFFERENT CIVILIZATIONS each game
60+ civs across expansions with unique playstyles.
- 2
Try all 5 VICTORY CONDITIONS across different games
Cultural + Diplomatic + Religious require distinct strategies.
- 3
Explore expansions: Rise & Fall + Gathering Storm (Civ 6) transform late-game
Golden/Dark Ages + Climate change add strategic depth.
advanced
- 1
Attempt DEITY difficulty (elite — AI cheats extensively)
Requires optimal opening moves + build orders + diplomacy.
- 2
Play MULTIPLAYER via Play Your Damn Turn (PYDT) with dedicated group
Multi-day/week games with real strategic depth.
- 3
Try SPEEDRUN categories on Speedrun.com (any%, Science Victory Deity fastest turn)
Elite completions in 100-200 turns on Marathon.
Frequently asked
Which Civilization should I play first?+
CIVILIZATION VI (2016) — currently the sweet spot: modern UX, all expansions available cheap ($15-20 platinum edition on sale), massive mod library, active community. CIVILIZATION VII (Feb 2025) has POLARIZING NEW AGE SYSTEM changing civilization mid-game — many long-time fans dislike it, newcomers appreciate accessibility. CIVILIZATION V (2010) still has cult following — many argue best MP experience + Vox Populi mod overhauls it perfectly. CIVILIZATION IV (2005) considered peak by 'purist' fans — deeper simulation, less streamlined. AVOID: Beyond Earth (mediocre spinoff), Civ Revolution (console simplified).
How long does one Civ game take?+
STANDARD SPEED + MEDIUM MAP + STANDARD DIFFICULTY = 6-12 HOURS. Quick speed halves; Marathon triples. Multiplayer averages 4-6 hours (players play faster + fewer 'thinking turns'). SOME PLAYERS spend 20-40 hours per game exploring all mechanics — Civ's 'one more turn' addiction is legendary. Reddit + Civfanatics forums have countless 'lost my Saturday to Civ' stories. Save often — game supports save/reload during turns. Multiplayer + PYDT games span WEEKS/MONTHS with 1-2 turns per day between players.
What's the difference between Civ 6 and Civ 7?+
CIV 6 (2016): SINGLE CIVILIZATION played entire game (Rome stays Rome from 4000 BC → 2050 AD). Districts + workers + civic tree + Rise & Fall/Gathering Storm expansions polished over 6 years. Massive mod support. CIV 7 (Feb 2025): NEW AGE SYSTEM — game split into ANTIQUITY / EXPLORATION / MODERN ages; player's CIVILIZATION CHANGES at each age transition (e.g., Rome → Byzantium → America). Historical fluidity but MANY fans HATE losing continuity with 'their' civ. Fresh combat + wonder + technology systems. MIXED CRITICAL RECEPTION — 75-80 Metacritic vs. Civ 6's 88 Metacritic. Still Sid Meier design DNA + Firaxis polish. If new player: start CIV 6 (proven + cheaper); if wanting fresh: CIV 7.
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Civilization (series)— Wikipedia
- Firaxis Games official site— Firaxis
- CivFanatics forums (largest community)— CivFanatics