Choose Sid Meier's Civilization® IV
Choose Sid Meier's Civilization® IV if it's currently about 33% cheaper on the Steam Store. 1,884 Steam reviews back the pick.
Sid Meier's Civilization® IV vs Sid Meier's Civilization® V
Sid Meier's Civilization® IV and Sid Meier's Civilization® V both land in Strategy on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are Strategy games on Steam. Sid Meier's Civilization® IV (2006) is 4 years older than Sid Meier's Civilization® V (2010). Sid Meier's Civilization® V scores higher on Steam reviews (95.5% positive) than Sid Meier's Civilization® IV (92.5% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Sid Meier's Civilization® V
Choose Sid Meier's Civilization® V if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 95.5% positive across 78,108 reviews.
Both Sid Meier's Civilization® IV and Sid Meier's Civilization® V sit in Strategy on Steam and both list Multi-player, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Sid Meier's Civilization® IV |  Sid Meier's Civilization® V | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2006 | 2010 |
| Genres | Strategy | Strategy |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 29.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 92.5% positive (1,884 reviews) | 95.5% positive (78,108 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player |
| Developers | Firaxis Games | Firaxis Games, Aspyr (Mac), Aspyr (Linux) |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- Sid Meier's Civilization® IV (2006) is 4 years older than Sid Meier's Civilization® V (2010).
- Sid Meier's Civilization® V scores higher on Steam reviews (95.5% positive) than Sid Meier's Civilization® IV (92.5% positive).
- Sid Meier's Civilization® IV is currently ~33% cheaper on Steam than Sid Meier's Civilization® V (19.99 USD vs. 29.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Playable.
Sid Meier's Civilization® IV vs Sid Meier's Civilization® V — FAQ
- Which is better, Sid Meier's Civilization® IV or Sid Meier's Civilization® V?
- On Steam reviews Sid Meier's Civilization® V scores higher (95.5% positive) than Sid Meier's Civilization® IV (92.5% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Sid Meier's Civilization® V is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Sid Meier's Civilization® IV or Sid Meier's Civilization® V first?
- If you want chronology, Sid Meier's Civilization® IV (2006) came out before Sid Meier's Civilization® V (2010). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Sid Meier's Civilization® IV and Sid Meier's Civilization® V similar?
- They overlap on Strategy on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.