The Civilization franchise started all the way back in 1991 and has since released six mainline games, with Civilization 7 confirmed to be in development, as well as a variety of different spin-offs. The franchise is regarded as one of the best in the strategy genre and is said to be the first major franchise in the 4X genre.
Over the years, the Civilization franchise has garnered fans of all ages from all over the world and has expanded to almost every platform, from PC to PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo, as well as mobile devices. There are so many great games in the franchise, but there are few that fall short in some areas compared to their incredible counterparts.
S Tier
Civilization 4
Every long-running franchise has one game that breaks away from old traditions and adds new content and ways to play. For Civilization, that game would be Civilization 4, which added new ways to play, new ‘Great People’ (a feature added in Civilization 3) as well as many other features. It could be argued that Civilization 4 is the best Civilization game to date, and is held in high regard by critics and players. It boasts an impressive soundtrack that puts more emphasis on the era a civilization was in, unique leader themes, and an amazing main theme.
Civilization 5
While the previous games in the franchises were successful, Civilization 5 is regarded as the most popular and well-known Civilization game to date. Not much had changed from its predecessor, but it was the first Civilization game to feature realistic graphics for its time. Civilization 5 is certainly well worth playing, even 13 years after its release.
Civilization 6
Taking a step away from realistic graphics, Civilization 6 features slightly more animated graphics, and is a very vibrant-looking game, more so than its predecessors. Civilization 6 can be challenging regardless of the difficulty setting, but it can still keep players wanting "just one more turn". Out of all the Civilization games, Civilization 6 is available on pretty much every platform, allowing it to garner fans from all corners of the gaming world.
A Tier
Civilization 1
The game that started the franchise back in 1991 is still at the heart of the franchise's long-time fans. Without the success of Civilization 1, there would be no Civilization franchise today. However, it can be argued that with fewer features, limited graphics, and a top-down pixel-style map, Civilization 1 could find it harder to keep the current generation of players engaged compared to its successors.
Civilization 2
A well-regarded Civilization game, which was also the first Civilization game to be ported onto consoles, and received a release on the PlayStation 1, which was viewed as a welcome addition to the console. Civilization 2 is very much the same as its predecessor, but there are changes to various features, and the introduction of the diplomatic reputation system, as well as an isometric map instead of the top-down map that Civilization 1 had.
Civilization 3
Before the release of Civilization 5, Civilization 3 was regarded highly by many fans and critics, and it could be argued that it was the most well-known in the franchise until Civilization 5 came along. The game was much the same as its predecessor, but it did introduce features such as ‘Great People’, and the Culture system, as well as other features.
Civilization 4: Colonization
A spin-off originally known as Sid Meier’s Colonization until it was remade using the engine for Civilization 4, Civilization 4: Colonization is a standalone game where players control settlers from one of four European nations who are trying to conquer the New World. It features enhanced graphics compared to Civilization 4.
Civilization Revolution
A spin-off developed primarily for consoles, Civilization Revolution managed to capture the experience of the main series of Civilization games on PC and allows console players the enjoyment that the franchise holds. In later iterations, it was released on mobile and Nintendo DS to provide a portable experience and allow players to play Civilization wherever they are.
Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri
This spin-off is essentially Civilization in space. The narrative of Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri is pretty much a continuation of the ‘Space Victory’ in the main Civilization games, where a civilization goes on a journey to colonize Alpha Centauri. It takes elements featured in Civilization 2 and throws them into an alien world where players will race to win the game against other factions.
B Tier
Civilization: Beyond Earth
Another space spin-off that is the spiritual successor to Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri, Civilization: Beyond Earth uses the same engine as Civilization 5 and uses most of the same features. It was a breath of fresh air with its graphics, customization, and lush alien world. However, in some cases, it did prove to have its problems, with reports of crashes and a lack of long-term replayability.
CivCity: Rome
It could be argued that a strategy franchise wouldn’t be complete without at least one city-building game, and it seems the Civilization developers attempted to expand the franchise into the city-building genre with CivCity: Rome as a city-building spin-off set in the Roman Empire with features similar to the game Caesar. CivCity: Rome was an interesting and fun entry to the Civilization franchise; however, the gameplay could often feel monotonous compared to other city-building games.
C Tier
Sid Meier's Starships
A standalone spin-off that shares the same universe as Civilization: Beyond Earth. Sid Meier’s Starships puts players in charge of a fleet of starships and focuses on exploring the galaxy and encountering other human colonies and new alien life. Unfortunately, this game lacks the strategic depth that most Civilization games have. However, it is a great game for players looking for a small strategy game that is also an extension of Civilization: Beyond Earth.
Civilization: Eras & Allies
A new free-to-play mobile strategy game that is still in early access. This game has great promise and is certainly one to look out for but, unfortunately, at the time of this writing, the server sizes are very small and thus it is very hard to get into one to play the game. Civilization: Eras & Allies is a real-time, turn-based, multiplayer strategy game that uses a similar style to Civilization 6.
Civilization Revolution 2
A sequel to the console spin-off Civilization Revolution, Civilization Revolution 2 is a mobile and PS Vita-only game. This game is great for newcomers to the Civilization Revolution series, though it didn’t show much improvement over the original game. It does look great for a mobile game and is a promising prospect for Civilization games that are exclusive to mobile platforms, but with a lack of improvement over its predecessors it is one of the least enticing games in the Civilization franchise.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 89 /100 Critics Rec: 92%
- Released
- October 21, 2016
- ESRB
- E10+ for Everyone 10+: Drug Reference, Language, Mild Violence, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Firaxis Games
- Publisher(s)
- 2K Games
- Engine
- Unity
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
- Franchise
- Civilization
