Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword

Best Civilization game with great mods & replayability.

Great game, still holds up in 2025. I play unmodded and it's fine, if you really are pressed about old ui, there are mods available.

Civ IV is one of the if not the best civ game there is. Its has a very complex and deep game loop that can keep you hooked for hours on end. It is definitely the best 'old school' civ game (as v+ have deviated from their roots).

It's the most complete version of the best Civ game. Civ IV is more polished and complete than the ones that came before it. Deeper and far more interesting than the ones that came after it. This is the pinnacle of the series and possibly the genre.

I enjoy Civilization IV because it is a combination of enough complexity, the enjoyment of playing from 4000 BC until the modern era (keep in mind this is 2000's modern), and through mods, unit art and distinctiveness. I have yet to find another game that exceeds it in all these areas. Civilization IV is the game I learned how to mod on and the number of mods for this game is staggering (look into the Civfanatics website). If you want to play the best iteration of the base game, look into the BUG Mod. If you're ready for the AI to be MUCH more capable without cheating, you can get Better BUG AI, which combines the two. Want the units to look more distinct based on each civilization, then BAT Mod adds that. Many of these mods can be combined, and how my circle plays is with my own derivative of Better BUG AI, with custom civilisations added for us, and many tweaks to gameplay. There is really a lot you can do just through simple XML editing to refine the game to your tastes. Truly, I am not recommending just the game, but the modding community. It was a very welcoming, helpful and PROLIFIC community that has produced a true bounty of custom art, models, game mechanic tweaks, all free. Many of the modders have 'retired' from the community, as it is an old game, but the archive of discussions, step by step guides, and directly answered question threads can teach you how to do anything you want. So if this sounds like a game you might enjoy, check it out, then if you'd like to really make it shine, check out the civfanatics website. I hope you find this helpful.

arguably the most customizable gameplay in any civ game. lots of attention to detail too, sometimes with stuff not even civ vi paid attention to.

I finally understand why this is so critically acclaimed. Started playing this when Civ 7 dropped, have played Civ Rev (Console), 5 and 6 previously (and Test of Time as a kid). There’s so much detail and charm in this game that the other Civ games just don’t have. There’s levels of detail and mechanics that I wish were in more modern Civ games - there’s really too many to list. I loved Civ 5 and 6 but I always felt like it was still lacking a few key parts that I assumed would come out in future DLCs/Editions. If you love Civ or 4x games, you need to try this! Don’t let the old date fool you, this game still has so much to offer. I haven’t even gotten to the C2C mod yet which I also hear is a banger. I wish I had more than two thumbs to put up

No one knows how to make Civ games anymore. This twenty year old game is THE REAL DEAL. And there are TREMENDOUS mods (like Realism Invictus).

I hope Sid Meier won't do away with playing single civs like in Civ 7. Too similar to Human Kind. I would prefer Civ 8 to be more like Civ 4.

As younger generations would say, this version of civ is goated af.

As of 2025 it is still the only Civilization that matters, if you don't count Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri.

For me, Civilization IV is the pinnacle of the Civ series. The extensive yet accessible game mechanics make it a fantastic sandbox for building an empire to stand the test of time. It comes with amazing music and doomstacks.

Infinite replay value

fun, educational and engaging

No I will not accept open borders.

great game!

good game!

Peak of of the genre.

Best Civ version out of all

masterpiece