The story of Sid Meier's Civilization is one of evolution, adaptation, and enduring appeal. Over 35 years, the turn-based strategy series has navigated shifting industry landscapes, creative challenges, and evolving player expectations, all while cementing its place as a cornerstone of PC gaming. From its origins as a bold experiment in simulating human history to its current iteration poised to explore outer space, the creators behind Civilization have consistently strived to balance tradition with innovation.
The genesis of Civilization can be traced back to a meeting between Sid Meier and Bruce Shelley in Las Vegas. After testing their strategic mettle in a game of Red Baron, the two recognized a shared passion for games that allowed players to build and shape worlds. This encounter laid the groundwork for what would become a genre-defining franchise.
The Cradle of Civilization
"I was always playing with toys as a child," Sid Meier recalls. "I had an interest in history; I read about airplanes and ships, pirates, for example. As I got older, I got into board games and strategy games. This was all before computers appeared. When computers appeared, my first computer was the Atari 800. 'Whoa, I can make my own games.' That was super cool."
Following the success of 1990's Railroad Tycoon, which Meier described as their first "God game" where players start small and build an empire, the idea for Civilization emerged. "We looked at each other and said, 'How about the entire history of civilization?'" Meier explained. "It has that quality of starting small and growing, and having all these different aspects: economics, military, diplomacy. Could we do it? Probably not."
Despite initial doubts, the concept took hold. Ed Beach, creative director for Civilization at Firaxis, noted, "That’s why the computer game was so mind-blowing. Sid’s original premise was: Let’s put all of human history in a box and make it fun. They achieved that."
Meier emphasized the creative empowerment inherent in game design: "It’s magical." He also highlighted the crucial role of collaboration, particularly with Bruce Shelley. "Bruce and I created Civilization, and he was really my perfect alter ego. Every night when I left, I would drop a floppy disk on his desk. When he came in in the morning he would load it up and start playing, give me all sorts of really interesting feedback about what was working and what was not working." This iterative process, grounded in playtesting and feedback, became a foundational element of Civilization's development.
Brian Reynolds, lead designer on Civilization 2, recalled his early days at MicroProse: "Sid’s main advice was actually, ‘Have fun!’" Meier himself noted that the original iteration of the game was more akin to SimCity, focusing on zoning and growth, but it lacked the captivating element of "fun." The introduction of the turn-based system proved revolutionary, engaging players by offering a constant stream of decisions and future possibilities.
"The fun was the ownership that the player felt because every game was different," Meier said. "The story of your game is different from everybody else’s, and you would realize that because of all the critical decisions that you made along the way. One of the things that we talk about is that people enjoy learning, and you really feel at the end of a Civ game you’re a little tiny bit smarter than you were when you started."
Despite its eventual success, the original Civilization launched with uncertainty. "When Civilization initially shipped, it was a gigantic question mark," Meier recalled. "It was different from any other game out there... it kind of went out very quietly." Yet, word of mouth and player discovery propelled it to sell nearly 1.5 million copies, praised for its breadth of choice and consequential gameplay.
Dawn of a New Era
Following Civilization's success, MicroProse greenlit spin-offs like Colonization. However, internal restructuring at MicroProse led Sid Meier, Brian Reynolds, and Jeff Briggs to leave in 1996 and found Firaxis Games, with the intention of continuing the Civilization legacy. "It was an opportunity for us to revisit Civ after we had kind of given up on it," Meier explained regarding the eventual development of Civilization 3. "It was an opportunity to go back to the roots of Civ, make a real Civ game with all the elements that we knew were fundamental to Civ."
Brian Reynolds described Civilization 2 as an "incremental approach," aiming to improve upon the masterpiece that was the original. A significant technical leap was the move from DOS to Windows, which broadened the game's accessibility. Reynolds also focused on UI improvements, aiming for a more native Windows experience. "We specced the game so that any system that would run Windows could run Civ 2," he stated, noting its introduction to a wider audience, including laptop users.
During this period, Meier also pursued other projects like Gettysburg and Pirates!, content in working on different games while others continued the Civilization lineage. "It’s fun to break new ground for me, but I was happy and really thrilled with the work that other designers had done with the Civilization fundamentals," he said.
Rebuilding an Empire from Scratch
When Sid Meier and his colleagues left MicroProse, the future of the Civilization franchise was uncertain. "When Sid and Jeff and Brian left MicroProse after Civ 2, it was assumed that they were leaving Civilization behind," said Soren Johnson, who would later become lead designer on Civilization 4. Through negotiations, Firaxis secured the rights to develop Civilization 3, aiming to re-establish the series' core identity.
Johnson, initially hired as an AI programmer for Civ 3, expressed his desire to move into design. He recalled the challenge of rebuilding the game's codebase after the original team's departure. "Jeff would say, 'How should resources work?' So I came up with the system we have in Civ 3 where you can’t build swordsmen without iron." This focus on resource interdependence and the introduction of Culture as a mechanic to expand territory were key innovations.
"My education designer really began with the patching process for Civ 3," Johnson commented, highlighting his deep engagement with player feedback on forums. "We got to do four official patches for Civ 3 and that was like doing four different game releases."
The Age of Expansion
Civilization 4 marked a significant step, with Soren Johnson leading the design. "Civ 4 was kind of the moment where we had put all of our business problems behind us," Meier noted. "And Soren did a really great job of designing that game, a lot of focus on multiplayer."
Johnson prioritized multiplayer from the outset. "I wanted to build it as a multiplayer game from the beginning. That was a first for the series." He also implemented a groundbreaking community feedback program, inviting top players to test the game extensively before its release. "I really believe that’s the number one thing that made Civilization 4 a great game: we got genuine community feedback early enough that we could still do something about it."
Sid Meier's "one-third rule" for sequels—one-third proven elements, one-third improved, and one-third new ideas—guided development. However, with Civilization 5, lead designer Jon Shafer felt the challenge was finding new avenues after so many ideas had been implemented. "I really didn’t know what to do with Civ 5. That’s the reason why I couldn’t work on it," he stated, emphasizing the need to step aside for fresh perspectives.
Shafer's vision for Civilization 5 centered on a one-unit-per-tile combat system, inspired by games like Panzer General. The transition to a hex-based grid was a significant departure, intended to enhance tactical depth and visual appeal. "Hexes made sense to me because the game which inspired a lot of the combat changes, Panzer General, was already using hexes," Shafer explained. "By the time we were working on Civ 5, myself and our art director Dorian Newcomb could make the case that switching to hexes would actually allow us to make the game more beautiful, and thus approachable."
While some players initially resisted the changes, the subsequent expansions under Ed Beach, such as Gods & Kings and Brave New World, added depth and refinement, eventually leading to Civilization 5's strong reputation. "For a lot of people, Civ is the history game," said Brian Reynolds, reflecting on the series' impact.
The Modern Age
Civilization 6 saw Ed Beach take on the creative director role, focusing on making the map itself a more integral part of gameplay. "One of the new innovations was to really make the map more of a very important part of the gameplay, and spreading cities out into different districts and having the terrain be important," Meier explained. The concept of placing districts on separate tiles, rather than cities being confined to a single hex, was a major shift.
"Just like Jon Shafer went in to unstack the units, Ed Beach went in to unstack the cities," noted Dennis Shirk, executive producer. "Before, in Civ 5, you just had these single-hex monsters of cities. Everything was built in there. This was the first game where you actually got to choose your tiles."
The inclusion of climate change in the Gathering Storm expansion, driven by Beach's background in the space industry and his fascination with climate models, was a notable innovation. "When we come to Gathering Storm, the second expansion for Civ 6, Ed put in climate change," Shirk said. "That was my favorite thing that we ever created for that game."
As Civilization 6 approached its later stages, Firaxis began preparing for Civilization 7, conducting extensive post-mortems to identify what worked and what could be improved. "We spent a lot time at the end of Civ 6 getting ready for Civ 7," Beach stated. "The design team had the most thorough design postmortem process I’ve ever been involved in."
The Past is Prologue
Matt Schembari, creative director for Civilization, highlighted how the franchise evolved alongside the internet. "One of the really interesting things about Civ in particular is that the franchise essentially grew up with the internet." He noted the current dynamic where content creators and the community actively participate in shaping the game's direction, citing the example of players identifying overpowered strategies that inform balance adjustments.
The upcoming Civilization 7 expansion, Earthrise, will take players into space for the first time, blending space exploration with environmental themes. Beach, with his background in aerospace, expressed excitement about this new frontier. "We have 35 years — actually it’s like 50 years — of space exploration content that we’ve never covered in the Civ series before."
"My philosophy is there’s gotta be one mind that really makes all the decisions," Meier reflected on leadership. "We can say, ‘That sounds cool,’ or, ‘You’re sure about that?’ but you’ve gotta give somebody the freedom to exercise their creativity."
Ultimately, the enduring success of Civilization lies in its core fantasy: "If I were king..." Meier believes the fundamental elements of the series are strong enough to accommodate new ideas. "It’s hard to not love Civilization. If my tombstone says, 'Sid Meier designed Civilization,' I’d probably be OK with that."