Choose Sid Meier's Civilization® III Complete
Choose Sid Meier's Civilization® III Complete if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 91.7% positive across 3,999 reviews.
Sid Meier's Civilization® III Complete vs Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization
Sid Meier's Civilization® III Complete and Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization 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® III Complete (2006) is 2 years older than Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization (2008). Sid Meier's Civilization® III Complete scores higher on Steam reviews (91.7% positive) than Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization (87.2% 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 IV: Colonization
Choose Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization if it matches what drew you to this matchup. Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization launched in 2008.
Both Sid Meier's Civilization® III Complete and Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization 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® III Complete |  Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2006 | 2008 |
| Genres | Strategy | Strategy |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Playable |
| Price | 0.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 91.7% positive (3,999 reviews) | 87.2% positive (847 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player |
| Developers | Firaxis Games | Firaxis Games |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- Sid Meier's Civilization® III Complete (2006) is 2 years older than Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization (2008).
- Sid Meier's Civilization® III Complete scores higher on Steam reviews (91.7% positive) than Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization (87.2% positive).
- Sid Meier's Civilization® III Complete is currently ~80% cheaper on Steam than Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization (0.99 USD vs. 4.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Sid Meier's Civilization® III Complete is Deck Unsupported, Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization is Deck Playable.
Sid Meier's Civilization® III Complete vs Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization — FAQ
- Which is better, Sid Meier's Civilization® III Complete or Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization?
- On Steam reviews Sid Meier's Civilization® III Complete scores higher (91.7% positive) than Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization (87.2% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Sid Meier's Civilization® III Complete 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® III Complete or Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization first?
- If you want chronology, Sid Meier's Civilization® III Complete (2006) came out before Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization (2008). 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® III Complete and Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization 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.