Unciv: A Free and Open-Source Remake of Civilization V
If you are a fan of turn-based strategy games, you have probably heard of Civilization V, one of the most popular and acclaimed titles in the genre. But did you know that there is a free and open-source remake of Civ V that you can play on your Android device or desktop? It's called Unciv, and it's a faithful reimplementation of the original game with some added features and improvements. In this article, I will tell you everything you need to know about Unciv, how to play it, some tips and tricks to master it, and what other people think about it.
What is Unciv?
Unciv is an open-source 2D recreation of Civilization V for the Android operating system and desktop. It was created by Yair Morgenstern, a software developer from Israel, who started the project in 2018 as a hobby. Since then, he has been joined by many volunteers who contribute to the development of the game on GitHub. The game is still in active development and can be completed; the science victory, cultural victory, domination victory, diplomatic victory, and time victory are all possible methods of victory.
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The history and development of Unciv
According to Morgenstern, he decided to create Unciv because he loved Civ V but he couldn't play it on his phone. He also wanted to make a game that was small, fast, moddable, and free forever. He chose LibGDX as the framework for developing the game because it was cross-platform and easy to use. He also used Kotlin as the programming language because it was concise and expressive.
Morgenstern started by creating a basic map generator and a simple UI. He then added more features such as units, buildings, technologies, policies, religions, wonders, etc. He also implemented most of the mechanics from the Gods & Kings expansion pack of Civ V, except for espionage. He plans to add more features from the Brave New World expansion pack in the future.
Morgenstern also added mod support for desktop and Android versions of the game. Users can create their own mods by adding or replacing images and definitions. There are many mods available on GitHub that add new civilizations, units, buildings, wonders, maps, etc.
Morgenstern released the first version of Unciv on Google Play Store in 2019. Since then, he has been updating the game regularly with bug fixes and new features. He also released the game on itch.io for desktop users. In 2020, he announced that he was working on bringing the game to Steam as well.
The main features and gameplay of Unciv
Unciv is a faithful reimplementation of Civ V with some added features and improvements. The game has the same core gameplay as Civ V: you start with a small settlement and a few units, and you have to explore the world, expand your territory, research new technologies, build new structures, adopt social policies, found or spread religions, construct wonders, interact with other civilizations, and ultimately achieve one of the five victory conditions. The game has four difficulty levels: Settler, Chieftain, King, and Emperor. The game also has a tutorial mode that explains the basics of the game.
Unciv has some features that are not present in Civ V or are different from it. For example, Unciv has a hexagonal grid instead of a square grid, which allows for more strategic movement and combat. Unciv also has a simplified UI that shows only the essential information and buttons. Unciv also has an option to enable or disable barbarians, ruins, city-states, natural wonders, and nuclear weapons. Unciv also has an option to play online multiplayer games with other players or AI opponents.
The advantages and disadvantages of Unciv
Unciv has many advantages over Civ V. First of all, it is free and open-source, which means that anyone can download, play, modify, and share it without any restrictions or costs. Second, it is small and fast, which means that it can run on any device with minimal requirements and loading time. Third, it is moddable and customizable, which means that users can create their own content and settings for the game. Fourth, it is cross-platform and multiplayer, which means that users can play it on any device and with anyone.
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However, Unciv also has some disadvantages compared to Civ V. First of all, it is not as polished and complete as Civ V, which means that it may have some bugs, glitches, or missing features. Second, it is not as detailed and immersive as Civ V, which means that it may lack some graphics, sounds, animations, or scenarios. Third, it is not as balanced and varied as Civ V, which means that it may have some issues with difficulty, AI behavior, or diversity of civilizations.
How to play Unciv?
If you are interested in playing Unciv, you will need to download and install it on your device. You can get the game from Google Play Store for Android devices or from itch.io for desktop devices. You can also get the game from GitHub if you want to access the latest version or the source code.
How to download and install Unciv
To download and install Unciv on your Android device, you will need to follow these steps:
Go to Google Play Store and search for Unciv.
Select the game from the list and tap on Install.
Wait for the game to download and install on your device.
Tap on Open to launch the game.
To download and install Unciv on your desktop device (Windows, Mac OS X, Linux), you will need to follow these steps:
Go to itch.io and search for Unciv.
Select the game from the list and click on Download.
Choose the version that matches your operating system (Windows 64-bit/32-bit/Universal, Mac OS X 64-bit/32-bit/Universal, Linux 64-bit/32-bit/Universal).
Wait for the game to download on your device.
Extract the zip file to a folder of your choice.
Double-click on the executable file (Unciv.exe for Windows, Unciv.app for Mac OS X, Unciv.sh for Linux) to launch the game.
How to start a new game and choose a civilization
To start a new game in Unciv, you will need to follow these steps:
From the main menu, select New Game.
Select the map type (Continents, Pangaea, Perlin, Archipelago, Islands, Mirror) and size (Tiny, Small, Medium, Large, Huge).
Select the number of players (2-12) and their civilizations (Random, America, Arabia, Assyria, Aztecs, Babylon, Brazil, Byzantium, Carthage, Celts, China, Denmark, Egypt, England, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Greece, Huns, Inca, India, Indonesia, Iroquois, Japan, Korea, Maya, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, Ottomans, Persia, Poland, Polynesia, Portugal, Rome, Russia, Shoshone, Siam, Songhai, Spain, Sweden, Venice, Zulu) and their difficulty level (Settler, Chieftain, King, Emperor).
Select the game speed (Quick, Standard, Epic, Marathon) and the game era (Ancient, Classical, Medieval, Renaissance, Industrial, Modern, Information).
Select the advanced options if you want to enable or disable barbarians, ruins, city-states, natural wonders, or nuclear weapons.
Click on Start Game to begin your adventure.
Each civilization in Unciv has its own unique ability, unit, and building that give it some advantages and disadvantages over other civilizations. For example, America has the Manifest Destiny ability, which gives +1 sight for all land units and +1 movement for all land units starting in friendly territory. It also has the Minuteman unit, which replaces the Musketman and can move through rough terrain without penalty. It also has the B-17 unit, which replaces the Bomber and has +2 range and +25% combat strength against cities. You can read more about each civilization's unique features in the Civilopedia section of the game.
How to build your civilization and win the game
Once you start a new game, you will see your first settler and warrior units on the map. You can use your settler to found your first city by moving it to a suitable location and clicking on Found City. You can use your warrior to explore the map and protect your city from barbarians or other enemies. You can also use your warrior to scout for ruins, which may give you some bonuses such as gold, culture, faith, technology, or a free unit.
As you build your city, you will need to manage its population, production, food, gold, science, culture, faith, and happiness. You can assign your citizens to work on different tiles around your city by clicking on Citizen Management. You can choose what to produce in your city by clicking on Choose Production. You can produce units, buildings, wonders, or projects that will help you grow your city and your civilization. You can also buy units or buildings with gold or faith if you have enough of them.
You will also need to research new technologies that will unlock new units, buildings, wonders, and abilities for your civilization. You can choose what to research by clicking on Choose Research. You can see the technology tree by clicking on Tech Tree. You can also get some technologies for free by meeting certain conditions such as building a wonder or finding a great scientist.
You will also need to adopt social policies that will give you some bonuses and perks for your civilization. You can choose what to adopt by clicking on Choose Policy. You can see the policy tree by clicking on Policy Tree. You can also get some policies for free by meeting certain conditions such as building a wonder or finding a great artist.
You will also need to found or spread a religion that will give you some benefits and beliefs for your civilization. You can choose what to found or spread by clicking on Choose Religion. You can see the religion overview by clicking on Religion Overview. You can also get some faith for free by meeting certain conditions such as building a wonder or finding a great prophet.
You will also need to construct wonders that will give you some unique effects and bonuses for your civilization. You can choose what to construct by clicking on Choose Production and selecting a wonder from the list. You can see the wonder list by clicking on Wonder List. You can also get some wonders for free by meeting certain conditions such as researching a technology or finding a great engineer.
You will also need to interact with other civilizations that you meet on the map. You can communicate with them by clicking on their leader portrait or their city name. You can trade with them, declare war on them, make peace with them, negotiate with them, spy on them, or influence them with your culture or religion. You can see the diplomacy overview by clicking on Diplomacy Overview.
To win the game, you will need to achieve one of the five victory conditions: science victory, cultural victory, domination victory, diplomatic victory, or time victory. Each victory condition has its own requirements and challenges that you will need to fulfill before other civilizations do.
To achieve a science victory, you will need to research all the technologies in the science branch of the technology tree and build a spaceship that will take you to Alpha Centauri.
To achieve a cultural victory, you will need to adopt all the social policies in one of the three branches of the policy tree (Tradition, Liberty, Honor) and build the Utopia Project wonder.
To achieve a domination victory, you will need to capture all the capital cities of other civilizations and hold them until the end of the game.
To achieve a diplomatic victory, you will need to win the votes of the majority of the city-states and other civilizations in the United Nations, which is formed after researching the Globalization technology.
To achieve a time victory, you will need to have the highest score among all civilizations at the end of the game, which is determined by various factors such as population, territory, culture, technology, etc.
Tips and tricks for playing Unciv
Unciv is a complex and challenging game that requires a lot of strategy and planning. Here are some tips and tricks that can help you improve your gameplay and increase your chances of winning:
How to optimize your trade and economy
Trade and economy are essential aspects of Unciv that can boost your growth and development. Here are some ways to optimize your trade and economy:
Build roads and harbors to connect your cities and increase your gold income.
Build markets, banks, stock exchanges, and other buildings that increase your gold output or reduce your gold maintenance.
Trade with other civilizations and city-states to get gold, resources, or other benefits.
Adopt social policies or religions that enhance your gold production or reduce your gold costs.
Research technologies that unlock new trade routes or improve your trade efficiency.
Avoid building too many units or buildings that have high gold maintenance.
How to deal with other civilizations and diplomacy
Other civilizations are your competitors and potential allies in Unciv. You will need to deal with them diplomatically or militarily depending on your situation and goals. Here are some ways to deal with other civilizations and diplomacy:
Be friendly and cooperative with civilizations that share your interests, ideologies, or religions. You can exchange embassies, make declarations of friendship, sign research agreements, form defensive pacts, or join forces against a common enemy.
Be wary and cautious of civilizations that have different interests, ideologies, or religions. You can denounce them, demand tribute from them, spy on them, or declare war on them if necessary.
Be respectful and courteous of civilizations that are more powerful or influential than you. You can pay tribute to them, accept their demands, or appease them with gifts or favors.
Be assertive and aggressive with civilizations that are weaker or less influential than you. You can bully them, conquer them, liberate them, or vassalize them if possible.
Be flexible and adaptable with civilizations that change their behavior or attitude over time. You can adjust your strategy accordingly or take advantage of their weaknesses or mistakes.
How to use mods and customize your game
Mods are user-created content that add new features or modify existing ones in Unciv. You can use mods to customize your game and enhance your experience. Here are some ways to use mods and customize your game:
Browse the available mods on GitHub or create your own mods by adding or replacing images and definitions.
Download the mods that you want to use and place them in the mods folder of your game directory.
Enable the mods that you want to use in the game settings before starting a new game.
Enjoy the new content or changes that the mods bring to your game.
Reviews and opinions on Unciv
Unciv is a popular and well-received game among fans of turn-based strategy games. It has received many positive reviews and opinions from critics and players alike. Here are some examples of reviews and opinions on Unciv:
What do the critics say about Unciv?
The critics praise Unciv for its faithful recreation of Civ V with some added features and improvements. They also commend its open-source nature, mod support, cross-platform compatibility, and multiplayer functionality. They also acknowledge its limitations and drawbacks compared to Civ V, such as its lack of polish, detail, balance, and variety. Here are some excerpts from critic reviews:
"Unciv is a remarkable achievement for a hobby project. It manages to recreate most of the features and mechanics of Civ V in a small, fast, moddable, and free package. It also adds some new options and improvements that make it more accessible and enjoyable for mobile and desktop users alike. It may not have the same level of depth, immersion, and diversity as Civ V, but it is still a very impressive and enjoyable game that deserves recognition and appreciation."
- Android Authority
"Unciv is a great example of how open-source software can create amazing things. It is a faithful remake of Civ V that runs smoothly and quickly on any device. It also has some nice features that Civ V does not have, such as hexagonal tiles, online multiplayer, and mod support. It may not look as good or sound as good as Civ V, but it plays just as well or even better."
- Softpedia
"Unciv is a fantastic tribute to Civ V that captures its essence and spirit. It is a fun and challenging game that offers hours of entertainment and replayability. It also has some unique features and improvements that make it more suitable and convenient for mobile and desktop users. It may not be as polished or complete as Civ V, but it is still a very worthy and admirable game that deserves respect and support."
- Pocket Gamer
What do the players say about Unciv?
The players love Unciv for its faithful recreation of Civ V with some added features and improvements. They also appreciate its open-source nature, mod support, cross-platform compatibility, and multiplayer functionality. They also recognize its limitations and drawbacks compared to Civ V, such as its lack of polish, detail, balance, and variety. Here are some excerpts from player reviews:
"Unciv is an amazing game that I play almost every day. It is very similar to Civ V but with some differences that make it more fun and interesting. I love the hexagonal grid, the online multiplayer, and the mod support. I also like the simple UI and the fast loading time. It may not have the best graphics or sounds, but it has the best gameplay."
- Google Play Store review
"Unciv is a wonderful game that I enjoy very much. It is very close to Civ V but with some changes that make it more accessible and enjoyable. I like the option to enable or disable certain features, the online multiplayer, and the mod support. I also like the small size and the fast speed of the game. It may not have the most detail or variety, but it has the most fun."
- itch.io review
"Unciv is a brilliant game that I recommend to everyone. It is very similar to Civ V but with some improvements that make it more suitable and convenient for mobile and desktop users. I like the hexagonal grid, the online multiplayer, and the mod support. I also like the open-source nature and the active development of the game. It may not have the most polish or balance, but it has the most potential."
- Steam review
What do I think about Unciv?
As a fan of turn-based strategy games, I think Unciv is a great game that deserves praise and recognition. It is a faithful remake of Civ V that runs smoothly and quickly on any device. It also has some nice features that Civ V does not have, such as hexagonal tiles, online multiplayer, and mod support. It may not look as good or sound as good as Civ V, but it plays just as well or even better.
I also appreciate the open-source nature and the active development of Unciv. I think it is amazing that a hobby project can create such a high-quality game that rivals a professional product. I also think it is awesome that anyone can contribute to the development of the game or create their own mods for it.
I also recognize the limitations and drawbacks of Unciv compared to Civ V. I think it could use some more polish, detail, balance, and variety to make it more immersive and diverse. I also think it could use some more features from the Brave New World expansion pack of Civ V, such as espionage, trade routes, ideologies, etc.
Overall, I think Unciv is a fantastic game that I enjoy playing very much. I think it is one of the best turn-based strategy games available for Android and desktop devices. I think it is a must-play for fans of Civ V or strategy games in general.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Unciv is a free and open-source remake of Civilization V for Android and desktop devices. It is a faithful reimplementation of the original game with some added features and improvements. It has the same core gameplay as Civ V: you start with a small settlement and a few units, and you have to explore the world, expand your territory, research new technologies, build new structures, adopt social policies, found or spread religions, construct wonders, interact with other civilizations, and ultimately achieve one of the five victory conditions. It has some features that are not present in Civ V or are different from it, such as a hexagonal grid, a simplified UI, an option to enable or disable certain features, and an online multiplayer mode. It also has some advantages and disadvantages compared to Civ V, such as being free and open-source, small and fast, moddable and customizable, but also lacking some polish, detail, balance, and variety. It has received many positive reviews and opinions from critics and players alike, who praise its faithful recreation of Civ V with some added features and improvements, but also acknowledge its limitations and drawbacks. It is a fun and challenging game that offers hours of entertainment and replayability for fans of turn-based strategy games. If you want to play Unciv, you can download and install it on your Android device from Google Play Store or on your desktop device from itch.io. You can also get the game from GitHub if you want to access the latest version or the source code. You can also use mods to customize your game and enhance your experience. You can browse the available mods on GitHub or create your own mods by adding or replacing images and definitions. You can also play online multiplayer games with other players or AI opponents. I hope this article has given you a good overview of Unciv and how to play it. I also hope you have enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it. If you have any questions or comments about Unciv or this article, feel free to leave them below. I would love to hear from you. Thank you for reading and happy gaming! ? FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about Unciv:
Q: Is Unciv a clone or a rip-off of Civ V?
A: No, Unciv is not a clone or a rip-off of Civ V. It is a remake or a reimplementation of Civ V that aims to recreate the original game as faithfully as possible with some added features and improvements. It is also free and open-source, which means that it does not infringe on any intellectual property rights of the original game.
Q: Is Unciv legal?
A: Yes, Unciv is legal. It is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0, which means that anyone can use, modify, and distribute it freely as long as they follow the terms and conditions of the license. It is also respectful of the original game and its creators, and does not claim any affiliation or endorsement from them.
Q: Is Unciv safe?
A: Yes, Unciv is safe. It does not contain any malware, spyware, viruses, or other harmful components that could harm your device or your data. It also does not require any permissions or access to your device's features or functions that are not necessary for the game.
Q: Is Unciv complete?
A: No, Unciv is not complete. It is still in active development and can be improved in many ways. It may have some bugs, glitches, or missing features that need to be fixed or added. It may also have some issues with difficulty, AI behavior, or diversity of civilizations that need to be balanced or varied.
Q: How can I support Unciv?
A: There are many ways to support Unciv. You can play the game and give feedback on its performance and quality. You can rate and review the game on Google Play Store or itch.io. You can share the game with your friends and family. You can contribute to the development of the game by reporting bugs, suggesting features, creating mods, or donating money. You can also join the community of Unciv on GitHub, Discord, Reddit, or other platforms. You can also thank the creator and the contributors of Unciv for their hard work and dedication.
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