The Civilization series contains several games with many features in common. This is a brief comparison.
This table includes MicroProse/Firaxis games in the Civilization timescale, excluding games of other timescales (Colonization, Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri) and games from other publishers (Call to Power, C-Evo), among others.
" in a column for an expansion pack, means that it adds nothing to the category.
| Game | Civ I | Civ II | Civ III | Civ III: PTW | Civ III: Conquests | Civ IV | Civ IV: Warlords | Civ IV: BTS | CivRev | Civ V | Civ V: G&K | Civ V: BNW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Release year | 1991 | 1996 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2010 | 2012 | 2013 |
| # difficulty levels | 5 | 6 (introducing Deity) | 6 | 6 | 8 (introducing Demigod and Sid) | 9 (introducing Settler, Noble and Immortal) | 9 | " | 5 | 8 | " | " |
| # civs | 14 | 21 | 18 | 26 | 34 | 18 | 24 | 34 | 16 | 18 (+7 with DLC) | 34 | 43 |
| # Wonders of the World | 21 | 28 | 24 | ? | ? | 30 | 33 | 41 | 21 | 28 (+3 with DLC) | 37 | 47 |
| # Small/ National Wonders | None | None | 10 | ? | ? | 13 | 13 | 14 | 0 | 8 | 10 | 11 |
| Government types | 5 | 6 (introducing Fundamentalism) | 5 | " | 7 (introducing Feudalism and Fascism) | 5*5 Civics | " | " | 6 | 10*6 Social policies | " | 9*6 Social policies, 3*16 Ideology tenets |
| # techs | 67 | 89 | 82 | ? | ? | ? | ? | 92 | 47 | 74 | 80 | 81 |
| Religion | Generic religious buildings | Generic religious buildings | Generic religious buildings | " | " | Multiple identical | " | " | Generic religious buildings | Generic religious buildings | and Pantheons and Beliefs | and Reformation Beliefs |
| Espionage | Diplomats | Diplomats and Spies | Moles | " | " | Spies | " | Espionage points, Spy specialist | Spies | No | Espionage | Espionage, including Diplomats |
| Map grid | Square | Isometric square | Isometric square | " | " | Square (3D) | " | " | Square (3D) | Hexagonal (3D) | " | " |
| Resources | Bonus only | Bonus only | Bonus, 8 Strategic & 8 Luxury | " | " | 11 Food, 9 Strategic & 15 Luxury | " | " | Bonus only | Bonus, 6 Strategic & 15 Luxury | and 7 new Luxury resources | and 3 new Luxury resources from Indonesia |
| Unique civilization features | None | City graphics only | Unique units, civilization qualities | " | " | Unique units, Leader traits | and Unique buildings | " | Era-specific abilities | Unique units, Unique buildings & Unique abilities (and Unique improvements with DLC) | and Unique improvements | " |
| Great People | None | None | Great leader | " | " | Artist, Engineer, Merchant, Prophet & Scientist | and Great General | and Great Spy | Artist, Builder, Explorer/Industrialist, Humanitarian, Leader & Scientist | Artist, Engineer, General, Merchant & Scientist (and the unique Khan for Mongolia) | and Great Prophet and Admiral | and Great Musician, Great Writer and the unique Merchant of Venice for Venice |
| Hit points | None | By unit statistics | By unit experience | " | " | By unit strength | " | " | " | By unit strength | " | " |
| Included scenarios | None | Rome & World War II | None | None | 9 | 3 | 8 (11 in total) | 12 (23 in total) | None | None (+6 with DLC) | 3 (9 in total) | 2 (11 in total) |
| Other new features | Reputation | Culture, Borders, War weariness, Air missions, Forced labor | Multiplayer, New game modes | " | Health, Cottages | Vassals | " | Relics | City-States, Happiness, Embarking, Puppets | Mercantile and Religious City-States | International trade routes, Tourism |
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