Summary
It would be difficult to find another gaming franchise that has been as impactful on the strategy game genre in the last 30 years asSid Meier’s Civilizationseries. While the franchise has had its ups and downs in terms of structural issues, every singleCivilizationgame has been a trailblazer in the genre.
Theseturn-based strategy gamesare all about exploring the world, building up a strong economic foundation, making holistic alliances with rivals, and advancing through the decades to experience different ages. Be it the Renaissance era, the Stone Age, or the nuclear-powered modern era, there’s so much depth and tactical nuance in these games that players can easily sink hundreds of hours into them. The entire series is known for its fun combat systems and world-building, and while every game is spectacular in its own right, they all have their own strengths and weaknesses and this ranking explores that.
Updated on May 14, 2025 by Musaab Ahmed:Sid Meier’s prestigious Civilization series has been at the forefront of turn-based strategy games for decades. Civilization VII is set to release in February 2025 and recent reveals have led to tons of anticipation and hype among fans. Meanwhile, the success of the strategy genre in recent times can be seen by the incredible reception of Unicorn Overlord and upcoming releases such as Ara: History Untold and Songs of Silence. Similar to the Civilization series, the recent release of Age of Mythology Retold means that fans of strategy games are due a one-two punch of the two most iconic franchises in the genre. In light of this recent boom in the genre and the much anticipated release of Civilization VII, this is the best time for an in-depth revisiting of the Civilization series, focusing on what makes each game special.
Beyond Earthwas Sid Meier’s second foray into a more Sci-fi and futuristic world. Similar to theAlpha Centaurigame, it presented a leap from the series' status quo. While the base game was similar,Beyond Earthlets players travel through space and conquer different planets.
Beyond Earthhad its own quest system and focused more on developing technology. Moreover, this game’s version of barbarians (the aliens) were much stronger and couldn’t just be ignored. The addition of affinities and the renewed focus on conquering other opponents as well as the new space-focused features all worked out well and made this a well-rounded and exciting game.
Civilization Revolutionwas the franchise’s first foray into non-PC gaming platforms. It featured on the PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo DS, and even the IOS store. These games were obviously not as complex or feature-heavy as the others in the franchise, but they were solid additions regardless. The first game’s graphical weaknesses and lack of proper multiplayer systems did hold it back, unfortunately.
Civilization Revolution 2,while decent and with incredible graphics, was overall pretty lackluster. These two games were solid additions and useful to gauge the series' popularity on other platforms.
The game that started it all cannot be ignored.Civilizationwas the first game in the series, and it stands out as one of the most iconic and influential games in the entire franchise, if not of all time. The original game features most of the classic features players are accustomed to, be it using settlers at the start of the game, starting the game well in the past, or slowly developing technology.
At the time, this game was a revelation, and it inspired an entire franchise and countless other games in the genre. The turn-based warfare on a large scale, based on historical empires, was a breath of fresh air. The added focus on development and diplomacy, as opposed to just fighting, was the perfect combination for success. However, considering some of the amazing games in the series today, it falls short of the top rankings.
Civilization 2was the much-anticipated sequel to the franchise’s modest beginnings. It didn’t change much from the original game, focusing more on balance, and improving enemy AI, and polishing the mechanics.Civilization 2did, however, make some important additions. It added world wonders and a focus on diplomatic relations. These features are still relevant to the series today.
Civilization 2was an incredible game in its own right. It was critically praised and sold well and allowed the developers to focus more on the franchise as a whole. However, when placed in the context of the entire series, it didn’t do enough to be considered ground-breaking or different, so it falls just shy of the top spots.
The currentCivilizationgame has been out for the better part of a decade now, and it is one of the best in the series. It’s one of the most acclaimed and popular games in the genre, winning multiple awards and still relentlessly played to this date. The new hex grid, coupled with the new manner of city development which allows players to expand their cities into districts, is both rewarding, and a great visual cue. This has also led to different strategies when it comes to laying siege to a rival, a matter made even better with the new unit stacking changes.
The game has taken solid features from most previous iterations, polished and solidified them whilst also featuringsome of the coolest unitsin the series. The game has solid graphics, amazing narration by Sean Bean, and some interestingnew civilizations and leadersfor players to sink their teeth into.
Civilization 3followed up from the previous games with the simple philosophy of more is better. This game added tons of new iconic civilizations and added more features, making strategy, planning, and micromanaging even more important. Players had to manage their citizen’s contentment. In addition, there was a new focus on cultural victories, and the diplomatic systems were refined further as well.
This was a very complete game with little left to be desired. It is still considered one of the highest-rated games in the genre and set new standards for the series. It was further bolstered by solid expansion packs, and updates for bug fixes and glitches. Overall,Civilization III,at the time of its release, may have been the best strategy game out there. It rightfully won a multitude of awards and is still the subject of fanfare today.
While this game doesn’t have theCivilizationmoniker, it qualifies as aCivilizationgame in every aspect, and is actually one of the best strategy and 4x games to come out in the 21st Century. Players are sent outer-space to establish their colony bases whilst fighting off aliens and expanding their colony. The gameplay loop is nearly identical to most games in the franchise, just with a few outer space quirks.
Released at the turn of the millenium, this game holds up quite well to this date, featuring intuitive controls and solid mechanics that feature in more recent titles as well. The game is also a bit darker than most entries in the franchise, with features such as nerve stapling standing out. The story is quite solid with some interesting underlying themes and has a satisfying conclusion. While the graphics aren’t the best, this is still an exceptional game, the only caveat being it may feel very similar toCivilization 2in some ways.
Civilization 5introduced the new hexagonal grids that are present in its successor as well. These grids make the overall layout of the game feel better. They are also easier on the eyes, making the presentation of the game much better. The game also introduced the new city-state feature. This makes the game much more nuanced and complex, as the player needs to manage their diplomatic relations with these states as well. Players can eventually pivot this into allowing the state to become a part of their civilization as well.
In conclusion, this game made greatstrides to modernize the seriesand bolstered the content available in the game. Especially with all the new civilizations, players have tons of content to play through. Many hardcore fans of the series still laudCivilization 5as being unmatched in the genre.
The fourth mainline game in the Sid Meier series is still held in high regard as the best in the series by most.Civilization 4has some fantastic music accompanying its solid visuals and unit designs. The game bounces from the standards set up byCivilization 3and finds the perfect balance between gameplay, balance, and enemy A.I. The A.I., especially, radically improved, leading to more complex difficulty and making CPU opponents an actual challenge.
Civilization IVmade leaps in modernizing the series. Beyond just A.I. improvements, the new interface is arguably the best in the franchise. Moreover, the introduction of Barbarian Cities, the variety of victory options available to players, and the changes towards happiness and corruption all led to an incredible experience. The vassal state andfocus on espionageshines here as well. The game seems to find the perfect balance and can be classified as the quintessential game in the series.
