Why this exists
The original Civilization, Civilization II and Colonization are foundational works — for strategy gaming, for simulation, and for a generation's sense of how history fits together. Almost everything built since borrows from them.
Games of that age are easy to admire and hard to reach. Operating systems moved on, the manuals that explained half the rules went into a box in an attic, and the knowledge scattered across dead forums and broken links. A thirty-year-old classic deserves better than a screenshot and a paragraph of nostalgia.
So civ.games does two things. The encyclopedia preserves the knowledge — every unit, terrain type, advance, wonder, improvement and Founding Father, with the numbers that actually govern them. The arcade preserves the experience: the games themselves, running at full speed in a browser tab, exactly as they played.
What you get
- The catalogue — a proper page for every game of the era: what it was, what it changed, what it plays like now, with box art, screenshots, ratings and reader reviews.
- The encyclopedia — several hundred cross-linked entries across Civilization, Civilization II and Colonization, including a browsable technology tree and the original in-game artwork.
- The arcade — the games in your browser, fullscreen if you want, with on-screen controls for touch devices and save states that follow you between machines.
- The history — a series timeline tracing the line from 1991 to the end of the classic engine, and the era's footnotes along the way.
How playing works
You do not install anything. Open a game and it loads into the page, keyboard and mouse wired straight through, sound and all. On a phone or a tablet the MS-DOS titles can be played with on-screen controls; the later Windows-era titles were built around a real keyboard and mouse and are happiest on a desktop.
Your progress is kept. Save inside the game as you always did and the save is written to your browser's own storage, so closing the tab costs you nothing. Sign in and every save is synced to your account as well — pick the game back up on another computer, or on your phone on the train, and continue the same turn. Nothing is lost when you clear your browser.
How it is made
civ.games is built and maintained by fans, in the open, at an unhurried pace. Wiki entries are checked against the original manuals and the games themselves rather than copied from whatever ranks first; where sources disagree, we go with what the game actually does. Corrections are welcome and they get made.
The project is free to use and free of paywalls. Modest advertising pays the hosting bill, and that is the whole business model. If you want to help, the most useful things you can do are to report a wiki error, write a review of a game you love, or tell someone about a thirty-year-old classic they can open in one click.
Frequently asked
Can I play Civilization online for free?
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Yes. Every title in the catalogue runs free in your browser — no download, no installer, no account required. Open the arcade, pick a game, and it starts in the tab you are already in.
Do I need to download or install anything?
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No. The games run inside the browser itself, on desktop, laptop and mobile alike. There is nothing to install and nothing left behind on your machine when you close the tab. You can also add civ.games to your home screen and it will open like an app.
Does it work on a phone or a tablet?
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The site, the catalogue and the wiki work everywhere. For playing it depends on the title: the MS-DOS games can be given on-screen virtual controls — a touch keypad and mouse mapping — so they are genuinely playable on a phone or a tablet. The Windows-era titles expect a real keyboard and mouse and are not mapped for touch, so those are best on a desktop, or a tablet with a keyboard attached.
Are my saved games kept?
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Yes. Saves are written to your browser's own storage as you play, so closing the tab does not lose your empire. Sign in and they are synced to your civ.games account as well — the same save then follows you to another browser, another computer or your phone, and it survives clearing your browser data.
Which Civilization games can I play here?
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The classic era: the original Sid Meier's Civilization, Civilization II with its Conflicts in Civilization and Fantastic Worlds scenario packs, the Multiplayer Gold Edition and Test of Time, plus Sid Meier's Colonization and CivNet. The full list, with a page for each, is in the catalogue.
Do I need an account?
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Not to play. An account exists for three things only: syncing your saves across devices, rating games, and writing reviews. Signing in is a single click with Google — there is no password to invent and no newsletter to escape.
Is civ.games an official Civilization site?
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No. It is an independent fan project with no affiliation to Firaxis Games, 2K, or the former MicroProse. Civilization, Colonization and related marks belong to their respective owners.
What is in the wiki?
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Every civilization, unit, terrain type, technology, wonder, government, city improvement, trade good and Founding Father from the classic games — several hundred entries, each with its real in-game statistics, the artwork it shipped with, and how it actually behaves in play. It is written to be read, not only looked up.
Does it cost anything, and how is it paid for?
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It is free and it stays free. Modest advertising covers the hosting; nothing is behind a paywall, nothing is sold to you, and nothing you do here is sold to anyone else.
Trademarks & rights
civ.games is an unofficial fan project. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Firaxis Games, 2K, or the former MicroProse, and no such association is claimed or implied. Civilization, Colonization and all related names, logos and artwork are trademarks of their respective owners and appear here for identification and commentary.
If you hold rights in any material on this site and would like it removed or credited differently, our copyright and DMCA page explains exactly how to reach us and what happens next. We answer quickly.