Unciv: A Free, Open-Source Remake of Civilization V
If you are a fan of turn-based strategy games, you might have heard of Civilization V, one of the most popular and acclaimed titles in the genre. But did you know that there is a free, open-source remake of Civ V that you can play on your Android or desktop device? It's called Unciv, and it's a faithful recreation of the original game with some unique features and improvements. In this article, we will tell you everything you need to know about Unciv, including what it is, how to download and install it, and how to play it.
What is Unciv?
Unciv is an open-source 2D remake of Civilization V, developed and maintained by volunteers on GitHub. It was first released in 2019 and has been updated regularly ever since. As of October 2022, version 4.2.13, the game is in active development and can be completed; the science victory, cultural victory, domination victory, diplomatic victory, and time victory are all the current possible methods of victory.
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Unciv aims to replicate the core gameplay and mechanics of Civ V, but also adds some new features and options that make it more accessible and customizable. For example, Unciv has a simpler and faster user interface, a smaller file size, mod support, map editor, multiplayer mode, and different tilesets and graphics. It also supports multiple languages and platforms, including Android, Linux, Windows, Mac OS, and iOS.
Unciv is not a clone or a copy of Civ V; it is a tribute and a homage to the original game. The developers respect the intellectual property rights of Firaxis Games and 2K Games, the creators and publishers of Civ V. They do not use the Civilization name, impersonate the game, or take assets from the original Civ V. They also acknowledge that Civ V is a superior game in terms of graphics, soundtracks, animations, etc., and recommend it to anyone who is looking for a high-quality strategy game.
Features of Unciv
Unciv has most of the features present in the Gods & Kings expansion of Civ V, except for espionage. As a result, the game is still missing some civilizations, units, and buildings which are unique to the Brave New World expansion. However, the developers are working hard to implement them in the future updates. Here are some of the main features of Unciv:
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Game modes
Unciv offers three game modes: single player, multiplayer, and hotseat. In single player mode, you can play against up to 12 AI opponents with different difficulty levels and personalities. You can also customize various game settings such as map type, size, shape, resources, barbarians, city-states, etc.
In multiplayer mode, you can play online with other human players using Dropbox for syncing. You can either join an existing game or create your own one with your preferred settings. You can also chat with other players using Discord.
In hotseat mode, you can play locally with your friends on the same device. You can take turns controlling different civilizations on the same map. This mode is ideal for casual and fun games with your buddies.
Civilizations
Unciv features 43 playable civilizations from different regions and eras of history. Each civilization has its own unique ability, unit, building or improvement that gives it an edge over others. For example, America has the Manifest Destiny ability that gives +1 sight for land units and +50% discount when purchasing tiles; China has the Art of War ability that grants a free Great General and +50% combat bonus for units within 2 tiles of a Great General; Egypt has the Monument Builders ability that gives +20% production speed for wonders; and so on.
Technologies
Unciv has a technology tree that spans from the ancient era to the information era. There are 81 technologies to research, each unlocking new units, buildings, wonders, improvements, or abilities. For example, researching Pottery allows you to build Granaries and Shrines; researching Iron Working reveals iron on the map and lets you build Swordsmen and Colosseums; researching Electricity enables you to build Hydro Plants and Broadcast Towers; and so on.
Researching technologies also grants you science points, which are used to measure your progress towards the science victory. The science victory is achieved by completing the Apollo Program project, launching a spaceship, and reaching Alpha Centauri before any other civilization.
Buildings
Buildings are structures that you can construct in your cities to provide various benefits such as food, production, gold, culture, science, happiness, faith, etc. There are 75 buildings in Unciv, some of which are unique to certain civilizations. For example, the Pyramid is a unique building for Egypt that gives +2 faith and +2 culture; the Longhouse is a unique building for the Iroquois that gives +1 production for each forest tile worked by the city; the Wat is a unique building for Siam that gives +3 science and +3 culture; and so on.
Some buildings also have special effects or requirements. For example, the Library requires at least one population in the city and gives +1 science for every two citizens; the Aqueduct requires Mathematics and increases the growth rate of the city by 40%; the National College requires a Library in every city and gives +50% science in the city where it is built; and so on.
Wonders
Wonders are unique and powerful buildings that can only be built by one civilization in the world. They provide significant bonuses or abilities that can give you an edge over your rivals. There are 28 wonders in Unciv, some of which are based on real-world landmarks and some of which are fictional or mythical. For example, the Great Library is a wonder that gives +3 science, +1 culture, a free Library in the city where it is built, and a free technology; the Hanging Gardens is a wonder that gives +6 food and +10% growth in all cities; the Statue of Zeus is a wonder that gives +15% combat strength when attacking cities; and so on.
Some wonders also have special effects or requirements. For example, the Great Wall makes all land tiles within your territory cost 2 extra movement points for enemy units; the Petra makes all desert tiles (except flood plains) produce +1 food, +1 production, and +1 gold; the Eiffel Tower requires Radio and gives +5 happiness; and so on.
Units
Units are movable entities that you can use to explore, fight, or perform various actions on the map. There are 59 units in Unciv, divided into four categories: military, civilian, religious, and great person. Military units are used for combat and can be melee, ranged, mounted, armored, naval, or air units. Civilian units are used for non-combat purposes such as settlers, workers, caravans, archaeologists, etc. Religious units are used to spread or enhance your religion such as missionaries or prophets. Great person units are unique and powerful units that can be earned through various means such as policies or wonders such as great generals, great scientists, great artists, etc.
Each unit has its own attributes such as movement points, combat strength, range, special abilities, etc. For example, the Warrior is a melee unit with 2 movement points and 8 combat strength; the Archer is a ranged unit with 2 movement points, 7 combat strength, and 2 range; the Horseman is a mounted unit with 4 movement points and 12 combat strength; the Battleship is a naval unit with 5 movement points, 65 combat strength, and 3 range; the Bomber is an air unit with 10 movement points, 65 combat strength, and 8 range; and so on.
Units can also gain experience and promotions by fighting or performing certain actions. Promotions can improve the unit's attributes or grant them new abilities. For example, the Drill promotion gives +15% combat strength when fighting in rough terrain; the Medic promotion allows the unit to heal adjacent friendly units; the Blitz promotion allows the unit to attack twice per turn; and so on.
Policies
Policies are sets of ideas that represent the social and political choices of your civilization. They can provide various benefits such as culture, happiness, gold, production, science, etc. There are 10 policy branches in Unciv, each with 5 policies and a finisher bonus. For example, the Tradition branch focuses on growth and defense of small empires; the Liberty branch focuses on expansion and production of large empires; the Honor branch focuses on military strength and domination; and so on.
You can adopt policies by spending culture points, which are generated by your cities, buildings, wonders, etc. You can also unlock new policy branches by advancing through the eras. You can adopt one policy branch as your opener, and then choose any other branch as your second or third choice. You can also adopt an ideology in the modern era, which is a special policy branch that has three tiers of tenets. There are three ideologies to choose from: Freedom, Order, and Autocracy. Each ideology has its own advantages and disadvantages, as well as influencing your relations with other civilizations.
Adopting policies also grants you culture points, which are used to measure your progress towards the cultural victory. The cultural victory is achieved by completing five policy branches, building the Utopia Project wonder, and having more influence over other civilizations than they have over you.
Religions
Religions are systems of beliefs that can spread across the world and provide various benefits such as faith, culture, happiness, gold, etc. There are 12 religions in Unciv, each with a symbol and a name based on real-world religions. For example, Christianity has a cross symbol and Buddhism has a wheel symbol. However, the names and symbols of religions do not affect their gameplay; they are only cosmetic choices.
You can found a religion by generating enough faith points, which are produced by your cities, buildings, wonders, etc. You can also enhance your religion by generating more faith points. When you found or enhance your religion, you can choose from various beliefs that give your religion unique effects. There are four types of beliefs: founder beliefs, follower beliefs, enhancer beliefs, and reformation beliefs. For example, the Tithe founder belief gives you +1 gold for every four followers of your religion; the Pagodas follower belief allows you to purchase Pagodas with faith; the Religious Texts enhancer belief increases the spread rate of your religion; and the Jesuit Education reformation belief allows you to purchase science buildings with faith.
You can spread your religion to other cities by using religious units such as missionaries or prophets. You can also use inquisitors to remove other religions from your cities. Spreading your religion can have various effects such as increasing your influence over other civilizations, triggering religious events or quests, or unlocking new beliefs or wonders.
Victory conditions
Unciv has five victory conditions that you can pursue to win the game: science, culture, domination, diplomacy, and time. Each victory condition has its own requirements and challenges. For example, the science victory requires you to research all the technologies in the tech tree, build the Apollo Program project, launch a spaceship, and reach Alpha Centauri; the culture victory requires you to complete five policy branches, build the Utopia Project wonder, and have more influence over other civilizations than they have over you; the domination victory requires you to capture all the original capitals of other civilizations; the diplomacy victory requires you to win a vote in the United Nations; and the time victory requires you to have the highest score by the year 2050.
You can choose which victory condition to pursue based on your preferences, strategy, and situation. You can also disable or enable certain victory conditions in the game settings. However, you should always be aware of what your rivals are doing and try to prevent them from achieving their goals.
How to download and install Unciv
Unciv is a free and open-source game that you can download and install on your Android or desktop device. Here are the steps to do so:
Android devices
If you have an Android device, you can download Unciv from the Google Play Store. Just search for "Unciv" in the store and tap on the "Install" button. The game will be downloaded and installed on your device automatically. You can also update the game from the store whenever a new version is available.
If you prefer to download Unciv from other sources, you can also get it from F-Droid, GitHub, or itch.io. However, these sources may not have the latest version of the game or may require manual installation. To install Unciv from these sources, you need to enable "Unknown sources" in your device settings and then open the APK file that you downloaded. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation.
Desktop devices
If you have a desktop device, you can download Unciv from GitHub or itch.io. Just choose the version that matches your operating system (Windows, Linux, or Mac OS) and download the ZIP file. Then, extract the ZIP file to a folder of your choice and run the executable file inside. You can also update the game by downloading and extracting the latest version from these sources.
How to play Unciv
Unciv is a turn-based strategy game that requires you to manage your civilization and compete with other civilizations for various goals. The game is divided into turns, each representing a certain amount of time in history. During each turn, you can perform various actions such as moving your units, building your cities, researching technologies, adopting policies, spreading your religion, etc. You can also interact with other civilizations through diplomacy, trade, war, etc. The game ends when one civilization achieves one of the victory conditions or when the time limit is reached.
Tips and tricks for beginners
If you are new to Unciv or Civilization V, here are some tips and tricks that can help you get started:
Choose a civilization that suits your playstyle and strategy. Each civilization has its own strengths and weaknesses, so pick one that matches your preferences and goals.
Explore the map as much as possible. Use your scouts or other units to reveal more tiles and discover new resources, wonders, city-states, barbarians, etc. This will help you plan your expansion and development better.
Expand your empire wisely. Don't settle too many cities too fast or too close to each other or to other civilizations. This will increase your maintenance costs, lower your happiness, and anger your neighbors. Instead, settle in locations that have good resources, terrain, and strategic value.
Balanc e your resources and priorities. Don't focus too much on one aspect of your civilization, such as military, culture, science, etc. Try to have a balanced and diversified approach that can adapt to different situations and challenges.
Keep an eye on your happiness and gold. Happiness is a measure of your people's satisfaction and affects your growth and stability. Gold is a measure of your economy and affects your purchasing power and maintenance costs. Try to keep both of these resources positive and high by building happiness and gold-generating buildings, wonders, improvements, etc.
Be diplomatic and flexible. Don't ignore or antagonize other civilizations, unless you have a good reason to do so. Try to establish friendly and mutually beneficial relations with them through trade, agreements, alliances, etc. However, don't trust them blindly or let them take advantage of you. Be prepared to defend yourself or change your strategy if they betray you or threaten you.
How to use mods and maps
One of the best features of Unciv is its mod and map support. Mods are modifications that add new content or change existing content in the game, such as new civilizations, units, buildings, wonders, technologies, policies, religions, etc. Maps are custom-made scenarios that have different settings and objectives than the default game, such as historical events, fictional worlds, etc.
You can download and install mods and maps from various sources, such as the Unciv subreddit, the Unciv Discord server, or the Unciv GitHub page. You can also create your own mods and maps using the in-game editor or external tools. To use mods and maps in Unciv, you need to follow these steps:
Download the mod or map file from the source. The file should have a .json extension.
Copy the file to the appropriate folder on your device. For Android devices, the folder is /Android/data/com.unciv.app/files/Mods or /Android/data/com.unciv.app/files/Maps. For desktop devices, the folder is /Unciv/Mods or /Unciv/Maps.
Launch Unciv and go to the main menu. Tap on the "Mods" or "Maps" button at the bottom of the screen.
Select the mod or map that you want to use from the list. You can also enable or disable multiple mods at once.
Start a new game with the mod or map enabled. You can also load an existing game with the mod or map enabled, but this may cause some compatibility issues.
Note that some mods and maps may not work properly or may conflict with each other or with the base game. If you encounter any problems or bugs while using mods or maps, you can report them to the developers or the modders on GitHub or Discord.
Conclusion
Unciv is a free, open-source remake of Civilization V that offers a similar but simpler and faster gameplay experience. It has most of the features of Civ V, but also adds some new ones that make it more accessible and customizable. It also supports multiple languages and platforms, including Android and desktop devices. You can download and install Unciv from various sources, such as Google Play Store, F-Droid, GitHub, or itch.io. You can also use mods and maps to enhance your game with new content or scenarios.
If you are looking for a fun and challenging turn-based strategy game that you can play on your device for free, you should definitely give Unciv a try. It is a great tribute to Civ V and a great game in its own right. Whether you are a veteran or a beginner of the genre, you will find something to enjoy in Unciv.
FAQs
Q: How do I save my game?
A: You can save your game by tapping on the menu button at the top right corner of the screen and then tapping on "Save game". You can also enable autosave in the game settings.
Q: How do I load my game?
A: You can load your game by tapping on the "Load game" button at the main menu. You can also load your game from Dropbox if you have synced it online.
Q: How do I change the language of the game?
A: You can change the language of the game by tapping on the "Language" button at the main menu. You can choose from 28 languages that are available in Unciv.
Q: How do I join or create a multiplayer game?
A: You can join or create a multiplayer game by tapping on the "Multiplayer" button at the main menu. You will need a Dropbox account to sync your game online. You can either join an existing game by entering the game ID or create your own game by choosing your settings and sharing the game ID with other players.
Q: How do I report a bug or a suggestion?
A: You can report a bug or a suggestion by tapping on the "Report a bug" button at the main menu. You will be redirected to the GitHub page of Unciv, where you can create an issue or comment on an existing one. You can also join the Discord server of Unciv, where you can chat with the developers and other players.
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