Sid Meier

Seablip is a pixel art pirate 'em up, which promises an open world to sail around, islands to visit, crews to hire, bounties to hunt, and minigames through which to uncover treasure and fish. It looks adorable and it's out in Early Access now.

The hit strategy game can be somewhat overwhelming to new players, and not just because of its many-layered, interacting systems that players must become familiar with. New players may find themselves overwhelmed simply at the first couple of menu screens when asked to decide which among many they should choose as their first civilization. The new total number of Civilizations in Civilization VI is 50, including all the DLC and Season Pass content.

A team of veteran developers behind games such as Sid Meier’s Civilization, XCOM, and The Sims have announced the establishment of Midsummer Studios, as well as teased its in-development “next-generation entry” to the life simulation genre.

Game developer Jake Solomon first made a name for himself by helming Firaxis’ revival of XCOM and Marvel’s Midnight Suns. In an interview, Solomon told Digital Trends that he has no problem being known as “the XCOM guy,” and he joked that there is a world where he could see himself dying during a playtest of XCOM 17. But after Marvel’s Midnight Suns, Solomon wanted something different.

According to our schedule, my pick Deathbulge: Battle Of The Bands isn't supposed to be up in the RPS Game Club until June. So why am I here telling you about it? Ollie couldn't do Sid Meier's Pirates! last month 'cos he was sick, and this month he's moving house or some other ridiculous made up thing that grown adults can no longer afford to do, so Deathbulge is stepping up to the plate. And it is kicking that plate into the outer atmosphere and playing a sick guitar riff. If you want to join in you can find Deathbulge on Steam.

The latest update to the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription service lineup has added four games for players to check out, including three titles that were not previously announced. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is, as its name suggests, the ultimate version of Xbox Game Pass. It gives subscribers access to everything available in the other tiers, including PC Game Pass games, along with access to titles in the EA Play library.

The PC Gaming Show returns in two months to celebrate what's ahead for PC gaming enthusiasts in 2024 and beyond. 

The first human recipient of a Neuralink brain implant has put the futuristic tech to work, which, amongst some truly incredible other things, includes staying up all night playing Sid Meier's Civilization VI, which is something we can certainly get behind.

An underrated EA-published game from 2009, The Saboteur, is finally available on Steam, and at a massive 50% discount until March 21. The Saboteur was developed by the now-defunct Pandemic Studios and released in 2009 for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360. Even though The Saboteur was available on PC at the time of its initial launch, it's just now made its way to Steam a whopping 15 years later.

EA has released a number of its older games onto Steam for the first time, and at a discounted price.

A wave of EA Classics has joined the most popular PC digital store, Steam, for the first time ever.

If you wanted to buy any of the games in the Command & Conquer Ultimate Collection, Dungeon Keeper, or Sim City 3000 - but didn't want to do it on GOG where they were already on sale - then rejoice! EA has made these classics and more, and for some reason The Saboteur, available on Steam for the first time. You can see the full list of games here. I don't have anything specific against The Saboteur, but I do think it's very funny that the list goes, like, "beloved game from the 90s, beloved game from the 90s, 7/10 action game from 2009, beloved game from the 90s". Also, I can take the opportunity to make fun of Graham and James, the tallest wrongest boys at RPS, who apparently both liked it.

Retro gamers can rejoice as publisher EA has brought several of its most revered games to Steam, making them more accessible to players. Since EA launched its own platform in the form of Origin in 2011, many of the company's games have been missing from Steam, and while they were still available to users, having to split up one's library can become tedious. Fortunately, a handful of revered and influential titles have escaped the confines of Origin and they're going for some really good prices.

A ton of all-time classic EA games are now available for purchase on PC via Steam, after spending years off the online storefront. The EA games added include legendary strategy titles like Command and Conquer, city-builder games, and an open-world game that's absent from current-generation consoles.

EA hasn’t always made it easy for gamers who want to dip into its catalog of PC classics, but that’s changing. The company has quietly brought its most popular legacy titles to Steam, some of which were previously exclusive to the EA app, its EA Play subscription, or through GOG.com.

Dune: Part Two has taken theaters by storm after a relatively quiet start to the 2024 box office. It’s getting even more people into this franchise, which is the grandfather of a lot of modern sci-fi stories. Dune also has a more storied history with video games than you may think. If you’re in the mood to return to Arrakis and experience more entertainment set within the Dune universe, you don’t have to wait for Dune: Awakening.

The developers of EA’s upcoming Star Wars strategy game have confirmed the project survived last week’s mass layoffs at the publisher and the cancellation of a first-person Star Wars shooter from Apex Legends studio Respawn, who are collaborating on the upcoming title.

Valve's Steam digital platform continues to grow in popularity. Just a couple of months ago, we reported that the store had set a new record with 33.6 million concurrent users.

Intel's software team has delivered another performance-tuned driver update for the Intel Arc GPUs featured on Core Ultra chips, offering a massive boost in performance in several games.

I feel like it has been a while since we had an open-world pirate game, but we got one for 2024. Ubisoft and one of Ubisoft’s Original Games Skull and Bones which was first announced back in 2017 by Ubisoft Singapore at an E3 event. I remember because I was there when it first got announced and I was excited because I love video games that incorporate wooden ships and pirates. This game when I first heard about it, I remember when I was a kid I used to play a lot of Sid Meier’s Pirates which still to this day is one of my favorite pirate games ever. Even though Skull and Bones is nowhere on the same level as Sid Meier’s Pirates, it has some good elements, and that is something we will talk about right now.

It's appropriate that President’s Day comes right after Valentine’s Day because there’s nothing we love more than democracy. To celebrate this most sacred of holidays, we’ve collected some games and literature to deliver some of that piping hot liber-tea directly into your veins.

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So, there's pretty much a new Sea Dogs game, but first I have a lot of context to share. If you'd rather not indulge in the long and confusing history of a cult classic pirate series, just scroll down until just after the picture of some pirates in front of a ship and that'll take you straight to the point.

Veteran game designer Laralyn McWilliams has passed away aged 58.

After a successful first outing, RPS Game Club is returning for another year of gaming show-and-tells, and this time, we're publishing the schedule in advance so you know exactly what's coming up and when. Handy, say, if you want to keep an eye on certain sale prices for games you've got your eye on, or you want to clear your calendar so you can join us for our end-of-month liveblog session where we all get together book club-style to talk about the month's pick. Each member of the RPS Treehouse is getting involved this year as well, so read on below to find out what's on the Club docket.

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This article is written in partnership with MicroProse.

A full-length video game awards show from 1999 has been shared online for what is believed to be the first time.

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Establishing your own Tortuga for an army of pirates sounds like a recipe for a municipal planning nightmare, but Republic of Pirates makes the job look like a sea-breeze. Republic of Pirates was revealed during the PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted today with a trailer showcasing seafaring city-building, management, and ship combat. While there’s a long pedigree of pirates in the history of PC gaming, this reveal is more like Anno 1800 than contemporary swashbuckling like Sea of Thieves or classics like Sid Meier’s Pirates. 

Want to know how to watch the PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted Powered by Intel? Thankfully, you’ve come to the right place. 

The PC Gaming Show returns in a few weeks to reveal the 25 most exciting upcoming PC games, with some new trailers and studio visits thrown in for good measure. 

Whether you’re in need of accessories for your console, are feeling the itch to stock up on some graphic novels, or maybe you just want to indulge in Nintendo’s latest Mario platformer, we’ve rounded up some excellent deals for you to peruse this weekend. Some of our highlights include discounts on one of our favorite speedy, yet affordable power banks, a Humble Bundle celebrating Sid Meier’s many great games, and an unusual way to save on Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

Sid Meier is one of a few game developers with the honor of having their name affixed to pretty much every game he’s ever been involved with. But I suppose you get to do that when you’re responsible for essentially inventing the 4X genre and making games where the fictional Gandhi can be equally synonymous with both pacifism and mutually assured destruction. To celebrate the genre he helped create, Humble is currently offering a collection that bundles 11 of Sid’s most popular games along with their DLC for just $15 with its “One More Turn” bundle.

Tiles, they’re just pleasing. Plonk ‘em down, line ‘em up, watch pretty patterns emerge and your score multiply. Upcoming PC game Planetiles is about tiles - they’re right there in the name! - and looks to continue the immensely satisfying chill puzzling of Dorfromantik and its ilk.

This is a good time for the strategy genre. Cities Skylines 2. Crusader Kings. Total War Pharaoh. Ahead of Civilization 7 – and also newcomers like Ara History Untold and Millennia – one of PC gaming’s greatest genres seemingly keeps getting bigger and better. But we can’t forget the games that made all this possible in the first place, the pioneering, classic strategy sims that helped transform the act of pointing and clicking into some of the greatest experiences we’ve ever had on PC. If you want to celebrate the best the genre has to offer, or have a blast while waiting on the big hits of the near future, one of the best strategy games ever is now available for less than $1.

October’s PlayStation Plus Game Catalogue titles have been revealed, via a reliable leaker.

Global development company Virtuos has opened a new studio in Tokyo to strengthen its relationship with Japanese developers.

The PC Gaming Show officially returns on November 30 with a new twist: it'll focus on some of the "Most Wanted" games in development for the PC. That's in addition to the usual bevy of reveals and trailer.

The next PC Gaming Show will air on Thursday, November 30, with a new end-of-year format that we think you'll like.

A new month means a fresh selection of games joining the PlayStation Game Catalog. All the titles will be playable from Tuesday, September 19. Let’s dive in.

Some describe Volker Wertich as the German Sid Meier, or, if they’re feeling particularly bold, the German Hideo Kojima. He is the creator of The Settlers, a 30-year-old city builder video game many fondly remember playing on the Amiga back in 1993. And so when Ubisoft announced a reboot of The Settlers with Wertich signed on to lead development using the same graphics engine that powered the likes of The Division, fans could barely contain their excitement. Finally, The Settlers would return with a game worthy of its forebears.

Galactic Civilizations 4‘sSupernova Editionis almost here, and it’s one of the most exciting upcoming space game expansions. As the leader of a united world looking to expand your civilization to the stars, you’re tasked with overseeing foreign relations, policies, technology research, and more. If you’ve played any of Sid Meier’s Civilization games, Galactic Civilizations 4 is similar, in a sci-fi interstellar sort of way. Stardock is now finally releasing the game’s full Supernova expansion into the wild after an exciting early access period.

We all love a good historical game, don’t we? Games that are both educational and entertaining in equal measure. Of course, there’s a LOT of them out there and they can be incredibly difficult to sift through, so we’ve taken it upon ourselves to narrow them down to 30 games.

NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… leads the pack of new titles coming to the PlayStation Plus Extra and Deluxe/ Premium catalogue, this month. Starting September 19, all higher-tier PS Plus members can delve into a post-apocalyptic realm where machines and androids are stuck in a proxy war, and follow a brother's quest to cure his sister Yonah from a life-threatening disease. Fight back sickness-ridden monstrosities through a customisable blend of magic and swordplay, all the while accompanied by a talking book. NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… will be available on the PS4. Another standout this month is Unpacking, a calm puzzle game where you pull possessions out of cardboard boxes and decorate homes — jumping in time and across houses to slowly unspool an intimate story. It's out on PS4 and PS5.

A new month means a fresh selection of games joining the PlayStation Game Catalog. All the titles will be playable from Tuesday, September 19. Let’s dive in. 

PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium games for September will be NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139..., Star Ocean The Divine Force, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, Sid Meier's Civilization VI, Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 and Unpacking.

Some of the games set to be added to the PlayStation Plus Game Catalogue in September have been revealed via a reliable leaker.

We're thrilled to announce the return of GamesBeat Next, hosted in San Francisco this October, where we will explore the theme of «Playing the Edge.» Apply to speak here and learn more about sponsorship opportunities here. At the event, we will also announce 25 top game startups as the 2024 Game Changers. Apply or nominate today!

There has been some surprising news this week for fans of Sid Meier’s Civilization VI: the Leader Pass DLC has been released on all console platforms, including the PS4.

If a strategy game gets its hooks into you, it can easily consume hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of your life. That either makes Steam's latest sale of strategy games absurdly good value for money, or an assault upon productivity everywhere.

Maryland-based studio Exis has announced Dragonhold, a multiplayer open-world dragon and melee extraction game coming to PC via Steam. A release date was not announced.

We've just given Baldur's Gate 3 one of the highest review scores ever awarded in PC Gamer's 30 year history, putting it in the company of just a handful of other games, including Half-Life 2 and Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri. It's an extraordinary RPG and already an all-time favorite for many on the team (though I doubt any of us except Fraser, who wrote our Baldur's Gate 3 review, have finished it yet).

Microsoft seems to be gauging interest in a new kind of Age of Empires game.

Civilization 6 is one the biggest strategy games ever, featuring an extensive cast of global leaders to play as and countless hours of historical fun. If you have yet to experience the wonders of Sid Meier’s massive turn-based game, then this could be the perfect opportunity for you to find out why it has been deemed very positive by players on Steam. Civilization 6 is currently marked down during a massive Steam sale, along with a few of its various expansions and DLC.