“Civilization” is approaching its 35th anniversary, while its developer Firaxis has marked 30 years in business, underlining the unusual longevity of a midsized studio focused on turn-based strategy games. Creator Sid Meier and Firaxis president Heather Hazen say the series’ enduring appeal lies partly in its intergenerational community, with parents introducing the games to their children and the studio using player feedback to expand them over time.

Meier says Firaxis benefits from players’ long-standing trust in its franchises, including “Civilization” and “XCOM”, but sees that as a responsibility as well as an advantage. Hazen says “Civilization VI” is effectively the biggest rival to “Civilization VII”, though the studio considers both part of one ecosystem and wants fans to play whichever version suits the time they have, from 30 minutes to 30 hours.