Though it came out back in 2016, Civilization 6 has recently taken over my life. It started off as just curiosity about the game, and next thing I knew, hours had flown by and my snooze alarm was pissed at me. How can a game so simple be so engaging?
Civilization first launched in 1991 and is a turn based strategy game in which the goal is to develop a civilization from the ground up. You play as a figurehead from history, which gives you some special units and abilities, while trying to become a world power and win one of the victory conditions: military domination, technological superiority, or cultural influence. You play against other human or computer controlled opponents.
You spend turns exploring the world, creating new cities, and building up your military in case of haters trying to block your shine. While doing that, you have to make sure you are keeping your citizens happy and thriving. The game will warn you if there are issues with food, housing, or amenities that could cause your people to revolt.
So much of the game is figuring out how to maximize every turn and unit. Every choice plays a role in how you win the game. At first, it can seem slow, but as you meet other players, it becomes clear that however good you think you’re doing, you can be beat.
The most frustrating moment for me was when I was playing as Queen Seondeok, thriving, but then out of nowhere, that asshole Simón Bolívar decided to declare war on me! He refused to make peace, so I spent several turns just killing his forces instead of building my culture’s victory plan! So many turns wasted.
(Ahem). One of the most interesting, but difficult modes is the “Zombie Defense” mode. It creates zombies that spawn on the map, attack you, and then turn your fallen units into zombies, as well. It ramps up the tension. Now you get to try to build a civilization while living your own personal round of World War Z (the book, not the movie). It is especially fun when you are able to complete the city projects that allow you to control the undead within their city limits and redirect them—either out of your city or towards enemy units. You can also make a Zombie Defense spy operation, which lets you try to spawn undead on enemy tiles.
I have yet to win in the game, but whenever I lose, I almost immediately want to start playing again. As someone who actually enjoys the grind, there is something almost comforting about knowing just enough of how to do well in the game, but adding more chaotic elements to keep things interesting. I know that even when I do win, the fun will be seeing how I can do things differently next time. It is almost impossible to get the same experience twice, and that makes it impossible to put down.
For those who have played Civ 6, what are some of your favorite leaders to play as? What figures would you want to see added to the game in the future.
(featured image: 2K Games, Firaxis Games)
