When it comes to 4X strategy games, Civilization 6 is the undisputed king of the castle. While there’s a lot of fantastic options out there, such as Age of Wonders 4, Endless Legend, and the newly released Solium Infernum, Civ 6 remains a must-play for pretty much any strategy fan with a PC to hand. The good news is that the all-conquering Firaxis game is currently available to play as a free Steam game for the weekend, including both of its expansions, and it’s yours at a massive discount in a Steam sale if you enjoy yourself.
Sid Meier’s Civilization 6 lets you take charge of a vast selection of nations, empires, or societies spanning the whole of human history, and lead them on a quest through the ages, developing your technology, moving from stone to bronze to iron and all the way through to the might of industry, nuclear power and, ultimately, the space age. It’s not only one of the best 4X games around, it’s also one of the most approachable, giving you control over how much micromanagement you want to do – handle every decision down to the smallest detail, or let your advisors lead the way and guide your hand.
Will you be a conquering force that rules with an iron fist? A magnanimous friend to the numerous city-states of the world, offering them protection and assistance if they supply you rare resources, or help spread your religion across the planet? A scientific powerhouse researching new technology far beyond your rivals’ wildest dreams? Or a cultural phenomenon so irresistible that other nations can’t help but follow your lead? The choice is yours.
If you’ve yet to give Civ 6 a try, or haven’t sampled its expansions before, there’s never been a better time. Not only is it a free Steam game for the weekend, you’ll also get access to both of its expansion packs, along with six additional bundles of civilization and scenario pack DLC. The Rise and Fall expansion introduces Golden and Dark Ages that you’ll have to navigate as your society ebbs and flows – handle the dark times well, and you’ll come out stronger than ever before. It also adds a city loyalty system, and the ability to appoint governors to take charge of your most important settlements.
Gathering Storm introduces a huge number of new systems, chief among which are the titular environmental hazards and a climate change system that can lead to altering environments and even serious flooding if you don’t consider your nation’s impact on the world around it, especially when it comes to burning fossil fuels to meet your energy needs. It also adds a new 21st Century era to the endgame, a World Congress that can lead to a new diplomatic victory, and engineering projects that allow you to shape the very world around you and hopefully mitigate and protect against the aforementioned climate change.
The Civilization 6 Platinum Edition is free to play on Steam until Monday February 26. Even better, if you enjoy it, there’s a Steam sale running until Thursday March 7 that gives you a deep 91% discount on the full package – expect to pay just $15.09/£13.56 down from the $167.91/£144.91 that you’d normally spend to get everything in there.
Wondering who the best Civ 6 civs to try are when you’re starting out? We’ve got you covered. And if you like what you see and plan to carry on, be sure to browse the best Civ 6 mods for plenty more ways to upgrade one of the PC’s best strategy games even further.
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