Civilization (series)

You can build a whole world.

In this game, you lead a people. You start a long time ago. You grow big cities. You find new things to help you grow.

You can win in many ways. You might win with a strong army. You could even build a ship to go to space.

Sid Meier made the first game. He helped make many more. Many people think these are great games.

It is fun to see your world change. You can play for a long time.

You can build a whole world in a video game.

Civilization is a famous series of strategy games. Sid Meier made the first one in 1991. He helped make many more games later. Players lead a group of people through history. You start in prehistory. Then you grow into the near future.

In these games, you take turns. Each turn lets you move units on a map. You can build new cities. You can also research new technology. This helps your people learn new skills. It lets you build better things for your cities.

There are many ways to win. You might win by using a strong army. You could win through culture or trade. Some players even build a ship to reach space.

This series is part of the 4X genre. This means players explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate. Many people think these are some of the best games ever. Over 70 million copies have been sold.

Civilization is a famous series of strategy video games.

Players act as leaders for a group of people. You guide your people from prehistory into the near future. The games focus on a very large scale of history. This series is a key part of the 4X genre. This means players must explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate to succeed. Many people call these some of the greatest games ever made.

Playing the game works through a system of turns. Each turn allows you to move units on a map. You can build new cities or improve the ones you have. You can also start talks with other players. Players choose new technologies to research during their turns. These technologies show how smart or skilled your people are. Researching helps you build better units and new city structures.

Sid Meier created the first game in 1991. He worked at a studio called MicroProse at that time. He wanted to make games that were not just about fighting. He was inspired by other games like SimCity and Populous. He worked with a designer named Bruce Shelley to build the idea. They even made a game called Railroad Tycoon before Civilization. Sid Meier often puts his name in the title of the games.

There is a long history of different companies making these games. After MicroProse changed, Sid Meier and others formed Firaxis Games in 1996. Firaxis has been the main developer for the series since then. There was even a legal disagreement over the name in the late 1990s. This involved companies like Avalon Hill and Activision. Eventually, the rights were settled and moved to Take-Two. Now, a group called 2K Games helps manage the series.

Winning a game can happen in many different ways. You might win through military conquest with a strong army. You can also win by reaching a high level of culture. Some players win by building a ship to travel to space. Later games added ways to win using religion or diplomacy. Each new game follows a special rule for Sid Meier. He makes sure each title has one-third old features. He also adds one-third improvements and one-third brand new features. As of June 2024, over 70 million games have been sold.

Civilization is a renowned series of turn-based strategy video games.

The series is a formative example of the 4X genre. This term describes games where players must eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate to succeed. Players act as leaders of a society on a macro-scale. They guide their people from prehistory through the near future. Many installments are cited as some of the greatest video games of all time.

The gameplay mechanism relies on a system of individual turns. During each turn, a player moves units across a map. They can build new cities or improve existing ones. Players also initiate negotiations with human or computer-controlled opponents. A central part of the process is researching new technologies. These technologies represent the intellectual and technical sophistication of the civilization. Researching allows players to build advanced units or new city structures.

Victory can be achieved through several distinct routes. Military conquest is a common method involving strong armies. Players can also win by reaching a specific level of culture. Another path involves building an interstellar spaceship to travel through space. Later games introduced new victory types based on religion, economics, and diplomacy. Some players aim to win simply by achieving the highest total score. These various paths allow for very different styles of play.

The series began in 1991 with the first game developed by Sid Meier. Meier worked at MicroProse, a studio he co-founded with Bill Stealey. He was inspired by "god games" like SimCity and Populous. He wanted to create games that were not always about destruction. Meier worked with designer Bruce Shelley to refine the game's prototype. They combined elements of global conquest, city management, and technology trees. This collaboration led to the successful release of the first title in September 1991.

The history of the series involves many changes in ownership. In 1996, Meier and others left MicroProse to found Firaxis Games. Firaxis has been the principal developer of the series since then. The series faced legal challenges regarding its name in the late 1990s. This dispute involved Avalon Hill and Activision over trademark rights. Eventually, a settlement allowed MicroProse to keep the brand rights. Later, the rights moved through companies like Hasbro Interactive and Infogrames. Today, the parent company Take-Two owns the full intellectual property.

Sid Meier uses a specific design philosophy for new installments. He ensures each title contains one-third existing features. Another third consists of improvements from the previous game. The final third introduces entirely new features. This balance helps satisfy longtime fans while attracting new players. The series has seen massive commercial success over the decades. According to 2K Games, the series had shipped more than 70 million copies by June 2024. This high number reflects the lasting popularity of the franchise.

The Civilization series has influenced many people in the gaming industry. Several crew members went on to create their own famous strategy games. Bruce Shelley helped create the Age of Empires series. Brian Reynolds, a lead designer for Civilization II, created Rise of Nations. Soren Johnson, who worked on Civilization III and IV, worked on Spore. These developers helped spread the complex mechanics found in the 4X genre. The series remains a cornerstone of the strategy gaming field.