With news that Civilization 7 is in development and more additional content on the way to Civ 6 in the coming months, there’s never been a better time to get into one of the best 4X games on PC as it hits its lowest price ever on Steam. Sid Meier’s Civilization 6 is the most popular game of its ilk and also happens to be one of the best entry points if you’re new to the genre, and its Anthology bundle lets you get access to all 18 DLC packs for a great price.
First released in 2016, Civilization 6 lets you take on the mantle of over 60 historical leaders across 50 different civilizations and lead them throughout the whole of human history from the ancient times of 4000 BC through to the modern day and beyond as you explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate (in case you were wondering what the 4X stood for) in a race to become the most successful, thriving civilization of them all.
Civilization 6 is currently 90% off on Steam until March 2. That means you can jump in for just $5.99 USD / £4.99 GBP. But wait, as they say, there’s more. Civ 6 Anthology is 86% off until March 2. This complete bundle includes every piece of DLC released to date. That means, for $29.62 / £25.52, you also get the ‘Rise and Fall’ and ‘Gathering Storm’ expansions, along with all the civs and leaders in the Frontier Pass and ongoing Civ 6 Leader Pass.
That’s a lot to choose from. Perhaps you fancy helping Abraham Lincoln lead America to success? Maybe the last Viking King of Norway, Harald Hardrada, appeals to your seafaring instincts? Some of you might rather build wonders as Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses the Great, or prefer to broker a more peaceful approach and grow out vast, sprawling cities for India as Mahatma Gandhi.
Whatever you fancy, there’s a leader for you. Personally, I’ve taken to just whacking the ‘random’ button and seeing what I get, because there’s so much potential choice and finding my way around each new civ I try is an exciting proposition. Add in that inherent intrigue of exploring a new map and wondering what lies just beyond that next mountain, and you’ve got a game that feels fresh every time, even after potentially hundreds of hours.
Despite that rich depth and vastness of content, however, Civilization 6 is actually an incredibly approachable game for newcomers. Often considered a ‘gateway game’ by 4X fans due to its wider appeal, Civ 6 is full of fantastic tutorials and is careful to guide your hand where needed, pointing you gently to units that need direction and offering tools to automate more complex systems such as population distribution until you’re ready to tackle them.
Eight different difficulty settings let you further hone the level of challenge you want to face, and you can fully customise your map size and game length to determine whether you want a short campaign on a giant Pangaea, a slightly longer test of endurance across an island archipelago, or a weekend-long multiplayer match with your mates taking place on a realistic representation of our own Planet Earth.
If any of that sounds enticing, you can head over to Steam to pick up Civ 6 for yourself while the discount lasts. You’ll also find plenty more deals in the ongoing 2K sale, with cheap prices on the XCOM series and Borderlands, and Marvel’s Midnight Suns free to play in its entirety through this current weekend.
Take a look at the best Civ 6 mods for even more ways to enhance and spice up what’s already one of the best strategy games on PC. We’ve also got a guide to the best Civ 6 civs and leaders, if you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by all the options.
