CLASSIC / TURN-BASED STRATEGY
Sid Meier’s Civilization
Build a capital, explore a hidden world, and guide your people from their first settlement toward a spacefaring empire. Play the 1991 Civilization rules in a modern browser.
Plays on civ.games
Opens the civ.games web port in a new tab. An account is optional for cloud saves.
- Original release
- 1991
- Civilizations
- 14
- Unit types
- 28
- Wonders
- 21
FROM SETTLERS TO THE STARS
The original Civilization, rebuilt for the web
Sid Meier’s Civilization is the turn-based strategy game designed by Sid Meier and Bruce Shelley and published by MicroProse in 1991. Found cities, develop technologies, negotiate with rival civilizations, and decide how much of your economy goes toward research, public happiness or the treasury.
This civ.games edition reimplements the DOS rules using CivOne and OpenCivOne as references. It runs as a native browser game while retaining the original pixel graphics and music. The fan project is unaffiliated with Firaxis, 2K or Take-Two.
YOUR FIRST EMPIRE
How to start Civilization online
- Choose a civilization and a new world. For your first game, pick an easier difficulty and take time to read the choices before advancing.
- Found your first city promptly with your Settlers. Nearby food supports population growth, while production helps the city finish units and improvements. A perfect distant site is less useful than a functioning capital.
- Open the city screen and check its production. Plan a defender, an explorer and further settlement without leaving the capital exposed. Each city builds one thing at a time, so choose a clear immediate goal.
- Review units before ending the turn. Explore the surrounding terrain, watch rival borders, and use the advisors to follow science and city conditions. Expand when you can support the next settlement.
First-game tip: keep a balance between expansion and city health. More territory is useful only if your cities can feed their people and keep working.
PICK UP WHERE YOU LEFT OFF
Save slots, cloud sync and DOS imports
The port provides ten named saves, an autosave and a quick save. Local progress remains in your browser. An optional civ.games account syncs saves across devices; saves made offline wait for a connection before uploading.
Export a .civ1web backup before clearing browser storage. To continue an original DOS game, import its matching CIVILx.SVE and .MAP files together. These optional save imports transfer an existing campaign; they are not required to start a new game.
Before you play
Is this the 1991 game or a newer Civilization?
It recreates the original Civilization rules, including fourteen civilizations, twenty-eight units and twenty-one wonders. This is a modern fan web implementation, with original graphics, rather than a newer numbered sequel.
Can I play on my phone?
Yes. The interface supports portrait and landscape layouts, touch gestures and an on-screen keyboard. Tap to select and move, drag the map to pan, and pinch to zoom.
Do I need an account or a DOS installation?
You can start on the linked host without registration or supplying installation files. Sign in only if you want the host’s cloud save sync. Original DOS save files are optional.