I can't understate what a brilliant game this is. Even in 2026, given what gaming has become, Civ III shines for its complexity of game mechanics.

It starts easy: you explore some land, build and connect a few cities. Soon, you'll be playing a chess of a thousand factors -- as you risk a deficit economy to be the first at some tech tree milestone, or pull five adversaries into a complex web of well-timed alliances, allowing you to successfully invade neighbouring territory with your reputation intact.

Behind the flat (almost board game) interface, it's a masterpiece mostly for all the cleverly balanced factors you can control, the large variety of angles you'll want to learn to manage, and the way those seamlessly escalate through several ages that reveal shifting priorities. War, diplomacy, trade, economics, domestic policy, culture and technology -- they're simplified to make it fun to play, but they're woven together so each affects the other. I promise you'll be on the edge of your seat watching your careful plans come to fruition. Or, have to regroup because you misjudged. That risk is what makes the reward.

And btw you'll probably learn something. Genuine effort was put into giving the user insight into the history and context of government types, military units, etc, via a "Civilopedia" that you'll want to refer to often to succeed. (An artifact, probably, of the "educational game" era that gave rise to the Sid Meier's Civilization series.) This is an old game, so expect some archaic UI choices, but it's a timeless classic and worth thousands of hours of your enjoyment. I can see why so many are still playing it today.

Speaking of hours: my one caveat is how long it can take to play, especially if you decide to play carefully. It's likely you'll have many unfinished saves, but you can always just start fresh.

very good game

very "a positive"

great game