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Surprise! ‘Civilization VI’ is available on iPhone, and it’s on sale now

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Sid Meier’s Civilization VI is now available on iPhone, Aspyr Media announced in a press release. The renowned turned-based strategy game becomes one of the most high-profile AAA games to land on smartphones.

iOS users have been able to play a stellar version of Civilization VI on iPad since December, but iPhone compatibility greatly expands the potential player base. In order to run Civ VI on iPhone, you need an iPhone 7/7 Plus, 8/8 Plus, or X. Curiously, the press release does not note the new iPhone XS but we imagine Civ VI will soon be able to run on the XS, if it doesn’t already.

Like with the iPad launch, Civ VI is heavily discounted for a limited time. From now until October 16, you can nab Civ VI on iOS for 60 percent off at $24. Yes, even the discount price is steep for a mobile game, but Civ VI is one of the best PC games in recent memory and doesn’t sacrifice anything in its move to iOS. Keep in mind that while Civ VI for iOS has been on sale a couple times since launch, it has never gone below $24 and it could be months before it wiggles away from its $60 tag once again. The price only covers the base game, though multiple DLC packs are available to purchase (but not the Rise & Fall expansion).

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If you already own the iPad version, you don’t have to worry about re-purchasing for iPhone. As a universal app, you should be able to go into your purchases in the App Store and download Civ VI on your iPhone.

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If you want to see how it plays on iPhone before you buy, you can download the game for free and play the first 60 turns. We’re excited to check it out ourselves on iPhone. Aspyr Media did a stellar job porting Firaxis’ brilliant sim. The sacrifice in screen size may take some getting used to, but it’s nice to have Civ VI playable on a decidedly more mobile device.

This isn’t the first time iPhone users have had the opportunity to play a Civilization game. Civilization Revolution, a spinoff, came to iOS in 2009. A sequel, Civilization Revolution 2, launched in 2014 and still regularly appears on the bestseller chart for simulation games. However, this is the first time smartphone users have received the full, unabridged Civilization experience.

Before long, Civilization VI will be playable on another portable platform. A Nintendo Switch version arrives November 16.

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Steven Petite
Steven Petite
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Steven is a writer from Northeast Ohio currently based in Louisiana. He writes about video games and books, and consumes…
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