Civilization VI is the successor to the incredible turn-based strategy game Civilization 5. Developed by Firaxis and published by 2K games to be the sixth installment in the series, it was released on Oct. 6.

The game, like its predecessor, is a turn-based 4x strategy game. The game won the Game Critics Award for best PC game, as well as the best strategy game. The reception was the best among the civilization franchise selling more than 1 million within the first two weeks of release.

Your goal, as the player, is to select a nation and take it from a little settlement to a grand and luxurious empire. Every civilization is led by a different leader whose personality and interests might differ from yours, so always be on alert. This happens through the 4Xs which means eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate which is the keys to your victory or if you fail, then your defeat. You can win through multiple tactics ranging from the complete and utter annihilation of your opposition to peacefully seeking a way to a diplomatic victory.

This is all possible by exploring the world, founding new cities, building city improvements, deploying military troops to attack others as wells as defend yourself, researching new technologies and cultural civics, and engage in trade and negotiations with other world leaders. The game applies a research system that takes time for  technology to be fully studied so that you can use it. However, be careful on what you pick because certain technologies are more beneficial to study depending on how you plan on winning.

The game requires that you plan out your ideas in advance so that you know what to do and when to do it as well as if it something you can postpone. You can also face other people or face the game’s AI which range in their difficulty.

Another thing to keep in mind is to figure out how you want to play before you pick which civilization you are going to be. Every civilization has a different ability, unit(s), or building(s) that make them different from another civilization.

It could be increasing combat effectiveness to getting more production from a unit. The game has no single method that everyone must follow. It is not a single path to follow the entire time, so if you want to go left you may, or if you want to go right, you may do that as well.

The game will become more difficult as your opponent’s advance at pretty much the same rate you do and barbarians will limit you quickly with their razing. The game will require you to balance how you play and strategically outsmart your opponents.

The game has implemented a “city unstacking” idea so that your city doesn’t seem to contain everything. It also allows certain units to stack for less congestion which will prove to be immensely useful. In addition, they have made cultural victories more accomplishable. The new barbarian feature is nice and will make the game a bit easier early on.