Civilization V

Lore & Background

Civilization V leads a civilization from prehistoric times into the future on a procedurally generated map, aiming for victory through research, exploration, diplomacy, expansion, economic development, government, or military conquest. The game is built on a new engine with hexagonal tiles, and many elements from Civilization IV and its expansions were removed or changed, such as religion and espionage (later reintroduced in expansions). The combat system was overhauled: military units cannot stack on a single tile, cities can fire on nearby enemies, and roads have a maintenance cost, making them less common. Borders expand one tile at a time, favoring productive tiles, and the map includes computer-controlled city-states and non-player characters for trade, diplomacy, and conquest.

The first expansion, Gods & Kings, added religion, espionage, enhanced naval combat, combat AI, and nine new civilizations. The second expansion, Brave New World, introduced international trade routes, a world congress, tourism, great works, nine new civilizations, eight additional wonders, and three ideologies. The game was succeeded by Civilization VI in 2016.

Reader's Guide

Civilization V is significant for its shift to a hexagonal grid, inspired by the 1994 game Panzer General, which fundamentally changed tactical movement and positioning. The removal of unit stacking forced armies to spread out, making battles more realistic and strategic. Cities gained the ability to defend themselves with ranged attacks, altering siege warfare. The game also introduced a four-level AI system (tactical, operational, strategic, grand strategic) to create complex and fluid behaviors. Great Person units, named after historical figures like Albert Einstein or Leonardo da Vinci, provide special bonuses. The game supports community, modding, and multiplayer elements, and is available on Steam. Its two expansions restored religion and espionage while adding new systems like tourism and a world congress, extending the game's depth and replayability.

Did You Know?

• The hexagonal tile grid was inspired by the 1994 game Panzer General.
• Cities can defend themselves with a ranged attack expanding two tiles outward.
• Great People are named after historic figures such as Albert Einstein or Leonardo da Vinci.
• The game features a four-level AI system: tactical, operational, strategic, and grand strategic.

The Birth of a Label

The term "4X" traces back to a 1993 preview of Master of Orion in Computer Gaming World, penned by game writer Alan Emrich. Rather than using a conventional star rating, Emrich gave the game an "XXXX" score—a deliberate pun on the adult-content rating familiar from media. He explained that the four Xs stood for EXplore, EXpand, EXploit, and EXterminate, which he called the essential pillars of any solid strategic conquest game. His review painted a vivid picture: players start from humble origins, chart unknown territory, build sprawling empires, and inevitably clash with rivals doing the same. He even joked that additional X-words like EXcite, EXperiment, and EXcuses (to one's significant others) should join a gamer's "X-Rating list." By February 1994, fellow writers at the same magazine were already applying the "four Xs" shorthand to other titles, and the label stuck across the industry as a convenient umbrella for this particular breed of empire-building strategy game.

The Four Pillars in Practice

Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate—these four verbs form the mechanical backbone of the genre. Explore means dispatching scouts across an uncharted map to reveal hidden terrain. Expand calls for claiming new land through fresh settlements or stretching the reach of existing ones. Exploit covers gathering resources within controlled territory and refining how efficiently those resources are put to work. Exterminate is the blunt instrument of attacking and eliminating rival players, sometimes the only path forward once every tile has been claimed. In practice, these phases don't always run in neat sequence. Titles like the Space Empires series or Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar feature a prolonged expansion window, because players must pour massive research investments into unlocking the ability to chart and colonize distant regions. Depending on a game's design, the four Xs may unfold in distinct stages or blend together across the full span of a match. Emrich himself later suggested a fifth X—eXperience—tied to the thematic subject matter of Master of Orion 3.

Research as the Engine of Conquest

A defining structural feature of 4X games is the technology tree: a sprawling web of advancements that unlock new units, buildings, and capabilities. These trees are typically far larger and more branching than those found in other strategy genres, offering players a wide menu of choices. The critical prerequisite for unlocking an advanced technology is mastery of earlier ones, creating a long chain of dependency. Empires must generate research resources and deliberately invest them, making knowledge accumulation a central strategic concern. This stands in sharp contrast to non-4X real-time strategy titles, where technological progress is gated by constructing specific buildings that grant access to more advanced structures. In 4X design, battles are frequently decided by superior military technology or overwhelming numbers rather than tactical finesse. Because technological progress functions as the primary engine of conquest, the research phase shapes the entire trajectory of a campaign far more than it does in combat-focused strategy games, where even basic units can remain relevant from start to finish.

What Sets 4X Apart

In modern usage, 4X games occupy a distinct niche within the broader strategy category. Reviewers and commentators consistently point to their greater complexity and scale, their intricate diplomatic systems, and their detailed economic management as key differentiators. Where a title like Command & Conquer streamlines the experience around combat-focused gameplay, a 4X game demands that players micromanage an empire's economy, technology, and foreign policy simultaneously. Each faction typically carries unique economic and military bonuses, and the setting—whether Earth, a fantasy realm, or deep space—shapes the flavor of those choices. The genre also spans both turn-based and real-time formats. Interestingly, the 4X label is less cleanly defined in the board and card game world, partly due to practical constraints of components and play time. The original Civilization board game, for instance, includes neither exploration nor extermination, and player elimination is generally considered undesirable in tabletop design, making that fourth X nearly impossible to achieve.

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