Sid Meier’s Civilization games: the oral history

This is a history of how Sid Meier’s Civilization became a lasting strategy franchise, built through the work of many designers and developers. Its central idea was to let players shape a society over time, drawing on the appeal of watching small decisions grow into something larger.

Meier and Bruce Shelley developed the concept after working on Railroad Tycoon, asking whether the whole of human history could be made fun. The series’ 35-year history involved changes in leadership and creative direction, as its makers balanced familiar ideas with innovation and faced doubts from backers and players. The article draws on interviews with people who created and stewarded the games.