The Civilization franchise burst onto the scene in 1991, delivering an award-winning strategy formula off the bat. One of the first pioneers of the 4X strategy genre, Civilization saw players take control of a historical figure and lead their real-world nation to prosperity, achieving victory either by conquering all other nations or by winning the space race. That general Civilization formula has remained largely the same for over three decades, with each entry adding new mechanics like victory conditions, leader abilities, and units. But Civilization 7 is shaking things up a bit more than usual.