Sid Meier’s Civilization is a popular and highly regarded turn-based strategy game series created by game designer Sid Meier and developed by Firaxis Games. The franchise focuses on building and managing civilizations from ancient times to the modern era and beyond.
In Civilization, players take on the role of a historical leader and guide their civilization through various stages of development, including exploration, technological advancement, diplomacy, warfare, and cultural achievements. The ultimate goal is to achieve victory conditions such as military conquest, scientific dominance, cultural influence, or diplomatic prowess.
Sid Meier’s Civilization Facts
- Sid Meier’s Civilization is a turn-based strategy game series developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K Games.
- The first Civilization game, simply titled “Civilization,” was released in 1991. Sid Meier served as the designer and creator of the game.
- The goal of the Civilization games is to build and develop a civilization from its humble beginnings to a world power through various means such as exploration, diplomacy, research, and warfare.
- Civilization II, released in 1996, introduced multiplayer functionality, allowing players to compete or cooperate with friends in building their civilizations.
- Sid Meier’s Civilization III, released in 2001, introduced a new 3D game engine and revamped gameplay mechanics, including the concept of culture and cultural borders.
- Sid Meier’s Civilization IV, released in 2005, expanded on the cultural aspects and introduced religion as a gameplay mechanic, along with improved graphics and AI.
- Civilization V, released in 2010, introduced hexagonal tiles, a one-unit-per-tile system, and a major overhaul of the combat mechanics.
- Sid Meier’s Civilization VI, released in 2016, introduced districts, an enhanced city-building mechanic that allows players to specialize cities and add more depth to gameplay.
- The Civilization series has been highly successful and has sold millions of copies worldwide, making it one of the most popular and influential strategy game franchises of all time.
- Each Civilization game features a variety of playable civilizations, each with unique abilities, units, and historical leaders. These leaders range from famous figures like Napoleon Bonaparte to lesser-known historical figures.
- The technology tree in Civilization represents the advancement of knowledge throughout history. Players research technologies to unlock new units, buildings, and improvements.
- Civilization games often include various victory conditions, such as military domination, cultural influence, technological superiority, or diplomatic achievements. Players can pursue different paths to achieve victory.
- The “One More Turn” syndrome is a term often associated with the Civilization series. It refers to the addictive nature of the games, where players frequently find themselves playing for hours, saying “just one more turn” before stopping.
- Civilization games include an extensive diplomacy system, allowing players to interact with other civilizations, negotiate treaties, form alliances, and engage in diplomatic victories.
- Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution, released in 2008, was a console and handheld version of Civilization aimed at a broader audience, featuring streamlined gameplay and simplified mechanics.
- Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth, released in 2014, took the Civilization concept to outer space, allowing players to build colonies on alien planets and make decisions that shape the future of humanity.
- Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth received an expansion pack called “Rising Tide” in 2015, which introduced features like dynamic aquatic gameplay, expanded diplomacy, and new factions.
- Civilization games have a strong modding community, with players creating and sharing mods that add new civilizations, scenarios, game mechanics, and graphical enhancements.
- Sid Meier’s Civilization has inspired several spin-offs and related games, including Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri, a spiritual successor to Civilization set in the future, and Civilization Revolution 2 for mobile platforms.
- Sid Meier’s Civilization VI continues to receive new content and expansions, with additional civilizations, leaders, and gameplay features being added through downloadable content (DLC), keeping the game fresh and expanding its replay value.
Gameplay Tips
- Plan Ahead: Develop a long-term strategy for your civilization. Set goals, such as which victory condition you want to pursue, and plan your research, city development, and diplomatic relations accordingly.
- Focus on Expansion: Found new cities to expand your civilization’s territory and access valuable resources. Be mindful of city placement to maximize productivity and consider the benefits of settling near rivers or coastlines.
- Balance Growth and Infrastructure: Prioritize city improvements that boost productivity, such as granaries, libraries, and markets. However, be careful not to neglect population growth, as larger cities generate more resources and can support more specialists.
- Invest in Technology: Research technologies strategically to unlock new units, buildings, and advancements. Prioritize technologies that align with your chosen victory condition or fill gaps in your civilization’s capabilities.
- Diplomatic Relations: Build relationships with other civilizations through diplomacy. Establish trade routes, form alliances, and negotiate treaties to secure resources, gain technologies, and avoid unnecessary conflicts.
- Military Strength: Maintain a capable military to defend your civilization and deter potential aggressors. Balance your military forces based on the threats you face and be prepared to respond to surprise attacks.
- Cultural Influence: If pursuing a cultural victory, focus on generating culture through wonders, great artists, and cultural buildings. Spread your civilization’s culture to other civilizations and aim to become the dominant cultural force.
- Efficient Resource Management: Manage your resources wisely, ensuring a steady income of gold, production, and food. Trade surplus resources with other civilizations to generate additional income or acquire resources you lack.
- City Specialization: Consider specializing cities based on their available resources and terrain. Designate cities as production centers, research hubs, cultural hubs, or military strongholds to maximize their effectiveness in specific areas.
- Adapt to Terrain: Take advantage of terrain features such as hills, rivers, and forests. Position your units strategically to gain defensive bonuses or to launch tactical offensives.
- Espionage and Spies: Utilize spies to gather information about other civilizations, sabotage their efforts, and steal technologies. Deploy spies strategically to gather valuable intelligence and gain an advantage.
- Use Great People Wisely: Great People, such as Great Engineers, Scientists, and Artists, offer unique abilities. Use them strategically to trigger golden ages, construct wonders, or speed up technological advancements.
- City Improvements: Customize your cities by building improvements that align with your civilization’s goals. Construct specialized buildings, such as libraries, universities, or colosseums, to enhance specific aspects of your civilization.
- Plan Your Military Campaigns: If engaging in warfare, plan your military campaigns carefully. Consider unit strengths and weaknesses, use appropriate tactics, and aim for strategic objectives rather than engaging in prolonged wars.
- Maintain a Balanced Economy: Balance your civilization’s income and expenses to avoid economic collapse. Avoid excessive military spending or uncontrolled expansion that can strain your resources.
Sid Meier’s Civilization game controls
- Mouse: The primary input device for controlling the game. You can use the mouse to navigate menus, select units, move the camera, and interact with various game elements.
- Arrow Keys/WASD: These keys are often used to scroll the map or move the camera around.
- Left-click: Used for selecting units, cities, tiles, and interacting with various game elements, such as buttons, menus, and icons.
- Right-click: Usually used for giving orders to units, such as moving them to a specific location or attacking an enemy.
- Escape (Esc) key: Opens the in-game menu or cancels the current action.
- Enter key: Confirms selections or actions in menus.
- Spacebar: Often used to end a turn or cycle through units and cities.
- Number keys (1-9): Used to quickly select units or cities that are assigned to specific hotkeys.
- Tab key: Cycles through available units or cities.
- “B” key: Opens the Build menu, allowing you to construct buildings or improvements in a city.
- “R” key: Opens the Research menu, where you can choose which technology to research next.
- “D” key: Opens the Diplomacy menu, allowing you to interact with other civilizations.
- “M” key: Opens the Military Overview, providing information about your military units and allowing you to manage them.
- “G” key: Toggles the Grid view, showing a grid overlay on the map for better visual reference.
- “I” key: Opens the Civilization Information screen, providing details about your civilization, such as demographics and achievements.
- “F” key: Toggles the Full-screen mode, expanding the game window to fill the entire screen.
Sid Meier’s Civilization game characters, objects, places, weapons, buildings
Characters:
- Historical Leaders: Each civilization in the game is led by a historical figure, such as Cleopatra of Egypt, Gandhi of India, or Napoleon of France. These leaders have unique abilities and traits.
- Great People: Throughout the game, you can acquire Great People from different fields like Great Scientists, Great Artists, Great Engineers, and Great Generals. They provide various bonuses and can be used strategically.
Objects:
- Resources: In Civilization games, you can find and harvest various resources like iron, horses, coal, oil, and uranium. These resources are used for constructing units, buildings, and improving your civilization’s infrastructure.
- Artifacts: As you explore the world, you may discover ancient artifacts like ruins, artifacts, and relics. These can provide cultural or scientific benefits.
Places:
- Natural Wonders: There are numerous natural wonders in Civilization games, such as the Grand Canyon, Mount Everest, and the Great Barrier Reef. These wonders provide unique bonuses to the civilizations that control them.
- City-States: Alongside major civilizations, there are often independent city-states that players can interact with diplomatically or conquer. City-states offer various benefits and quests to complete.
Weapons:
- Units: Civilization games feature a wide array of military units, including ancient warriors, modern tanks, aircraft carriers, and nuclear submarines. These units engage in combat and can be upgraded over time.
- Nuclear Weapons: In the later stages of the game, players can research and build nuclear weapons, which have a significant impact on warfare and diplomacy.
Buildings:
- Wonders: Civilization games have a vast selection of world wonders, such as the Great Library, the Pyramids, and the Statue of Liberty. Constructing these wonders provides significant bonuses to the civilization that builds them.
- Districts: Introduced in Civilization VI, districts are specialized areas within cities that allow for the construction of unique buildings related to specific aspects like science, culture, or military production.
- Improvements: Players can construct improvements on tiles, such as farms, mines, trading posts, and research labs, to enhance their city’s productivity and resource output.
Sid Meier’s Civilization versions
- Civilization (1991): The original game, often referred to as Civilization I, introduced players to the concept of building and developing a civilization from scratch.
- Civilization II (1996): The sequel expanded on the original game with improved graphics, more civilizations, and additional gameplay mechanics. It also introduced the concept of multiplayer.
- Civilization III (2001): This version introduced a new 3D game engine, enhanced diplomacy options, and the concept of culture and cultural borders.
- Civilization IV (2005): It featured improved graphics, a more detailed and immersive world, and introduced religion and espionage as gameplay mechanics.
- Civilization V (2010): This installment brought significant changes to the series, including hexagonal tiles, a one-unit-per-tile system, and a reimagined combat system.
- Civilization VI (2016): The latest main installment in the series, Civilization VI introduced districts, an enhanced city-building mechanic that added more depth and strategy to urban planning.
Where to Play
- Civilization (also known as Civilization I)
- There isn’t a direct Steam link for this version, as it was released in 1991, predating the existence of the Steam platform.
- Civilization II
- Civilization II: Multiplayer Gold Edition: Steam Link
- Civilization III
- Civilization III: Complete Edition: Steam Link
- Civilization IV
- Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: The Complete Edition: Steam Link
- Civilization V
- Sid Meier’s Civilization V: Steam Link
- Civilization VI
- Sid Meier’s Civilization VI: Steam Link