We may earn a commission when you buy through links in our articles. Learn more.

Mom plays Civilization 3 longer than it took developer to make it

A mom has almost thrice as many hours in Sid Meier's Civilization 3, an all-time classic, than the designer himself spent making the game.

Civilization 3 isn’t the first strategy game from Sid Meier that comes to a lot of our minds as it first came out over a decade ago, but it’s certainly one of the series’ key entries. The classic turn-based sequel is still great fun to play regardless of its age, offering thousands of hours of content. A recently viral mom’s playtime proves as much, as the dedicated Civ stan has clocked over 16,000 hours in-game. That’s more hours than it took to create the third entry overall, according to the game designer.

The Civilization 3 mom is real, and I think I speak for all of us when I say we love her. In true Shirley Curry fashion, this woman has dedicated a whopping two years or so to playing the beloved strategy game. In a now iconic post, her daughter shares a screencap showing the total time spent in-game on Steam, which reads as 16,395.4 hours total. The pro gamer mom has racked up just over 30 of those in the last two weeks, a number that seems like small potatoes when compared to the overall time.

The original November 29 post on Twitter sees user Jenbo declare, “My mom has played 16,395.4 hours of Civ 3.” Most of the replies were made cheering the unknown woman on, with the official Civilization account commenting to thank Jenbo’s mom for her dedication. A particularly intriguing response came from the designer himself, Soren Johnson, as he referenced his own time spent developing the Civ game.

Civilization 3 developer's post on Twitter detailing how long it took him to create the game

“For reference, I spent 6.480 hours making Civ 3,” the developer writes. Yes, that means the now-famous mom actually has more hours in-game than the hours it took to actually craft it from the ground up. Nothing to scoff at, if you ask me. We now have the Civ 3 mom to look up to, as well as the rightfully revered Skyrim grandma. All we need now is a game dad or a grandpa.

He probably won’t come in the form of the Civ mother’s partner, though. One brave commenter jokingly asked, “Is she married?” Jenbo’s reply is in all-caps, reading, “I already have a dad.” The bachelor putting himself forward left a simple response in return, asking, “How many hours of Civ 3 has he played?” If it’s anything less than 16,000, we’re all ready to riot.

If you’re looking for another 16,000-hour-worthy experience to play through, you should browse through a few of the best PC games around right now. Alternatively, check out some of the most exciting upcoming PC games if you’re searching for something to anticipate while you rack in some more Civ 3 playtime.

Be sure to follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides, or grab our PCGN deals tracker to net yourself some great bargains.