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Caesar IV

Caesar IV Game Cover
74%Game Brain Score
graphics, gameplay
story, stability
76% User Score Based on 444 reviews
Critic Score 69%Based on 3 reviews

Platforms

PCWindows
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Caesar IV Game Cover

About

Caesar IV is a single player strategy game. It was developed by Tilted Mill Entertainment, Inc. and was released on August 29, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

"Caesar IV" is a city-building game set in the Roman Empire, where you start as a governor of a province and work your way up to becoming Caesar. You have control over city planning, finances, and defenses, with over 100 unique structures and expanded economic control with tradeable goods and markets. The game boasts leading-edge graphics with high dynamic range lighting and realistic weather effects.

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Caesar IV screenshot
Caesar IV screenshot
Caesar IV screenshot
Caesar IV screenshot
Caesar IV screenshot
Caesar IV screenshot
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76%
Audience ScoreBased on 444 reviews
graphics16 positive mentions
stability7 negative mentions
  • Caesar IV is a classic city-building game that offers intricate economic management and a nostalgic experience for fans of the series.
  • The game features improved graphics and a more engaging simulation of city life, making it enjoyable to build and manage your Roman city.
  • Despite some technical issues, many players find the game rewarding and challenging, with a good balance of strategy and resource management.
  • The game often fails to launch, with many players experiencing runtime errors that prevent them from playing.
  • Technical issues, such as the need for workarounds to get the game running on modern systems, can be frustrating and detract from the overall experience.
  • Combat mechanics are considered clunky and less engaging compared to previous titles, leading to a less satisfying gameplay experience.
  • graphics
    46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics in the game have received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the improvements over previous titles, noting them as beautiful and timeless despite their age. While some find the visuals enjoyable and well-optimized for a game from 2006, others feel that the graphics do not compensate for gameplay shortcomings and express nostalgia for older titles like Caesar 3. Overall, the graphics are generally considered good for their time, enhancing the city-building experience, though some technical issues have been reported.

    • “Beautiful graphics for its age, and a relatively stressless gameplay.”
    • “The graphics are beautiful even by today's standards... I discovered Caesar IV years ago and always return back to it every once in a while.”
    • “The graphics hold up very well and the scenarios are fun and challenging.”
    • “The graphics are old, but sometimes hilarious and never too bad in a way that makes the game unplayable.”
    • “The game lost its essence on this one; they tried to focus on the graphics and forgot that the simplicity made Caesar 3 so fun.”
    • “The game crashes the moment it loads the maps, or the moment I try to change graphic settings.”
  • gameplay
    34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of the game is generally praised for its engaging mechanics and nostalgic feel, allowing players to discover hidden elements while managing a Roman city. However, some users noted issues with bugs and design decisions that can detract from the experience, and while the game offers a solid foundation, it may feel dated compared to more recent city builders. Overall, it combines strategic planning with puzzle-like elements, making it enjoyable for those who invest time in understanding its mechanics.

    • “Gameplay-wise, the game does teach you everything you need to know to get started, but I love how it lets you discover all the hidden mechanics that come into play while managing your own Roman city.”
    • “Gameplay is unaffected – place buildings, open trade routes, deal or fight raiders, and keep the people and the boss happy.”
    • “Great city building game - brings back good memories, but there is solid gameplay also.”
    • “As I said, the game could have been fun, but these bugs and bad design decisions really ruin the gameplay.”
    • “Attempts to make this 3D have resulted in horrible gameplay and numerous glitches.”
    • “The gameplay has taken a big step backwards too.”
  • story
    25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is mission-based, focusing on building and maintaining favor with Rome, with players navigating various scenarios that offer both military and economic challenges. While the missions can feel repetitive and the maps are often small, the engaging city dwellers and their narratives add a charming layer to the gameplay, keeping players invested throughout the campaign. Overall, the nostalgic feel and the choice between different mission types contribute positively to the experience, despite some frustrations with mission design and AI.

    • “The city dwellers and their small story bubbles are endearing and egg you to keep playing.”
    • “So Caesar 4, with its missions to build a city to fulfill a specific goal in the empire followed by moving on to a new province with new challenges and new goals to start again, keeps me interested over the long campaign.”
    • “Definitely worth playing - I finished the campaign (both the peaceful and military missions) on hard in 50 hours total game time - much longer than I was anticipating.”
    • “The game maintains its linear Caesar 3 style campaign, where you pick between one peaceful or warlike mission, and never return to any of your cities once you're done with them.”
    • “I'm only about 5 missions in, but every single map has been painfully tiny, with each succeeding one seeming to be just a pinch tinier than the last.”
    • “Looking at some random scenario maps shows maps that are much, much bigger, but the fact that pretty much every map from the missions has been needlessly tiny is ridiculous.”
  • stability
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of the game is highly variable, with some users experiencing significant bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay, such as freezing and crashes. While a few players managed to get the game running smoothly after troubleshooting, many reported a frustrating experience filled with issues. Overall, the game is enjoyable despite its instability, but the frequent technical problems detract from the overall experience.

    • “No troubleshooting was necessary.”
    • “It improves on everything, runs great, is sufficiently difficult and dynamic enough to allow replayability, and comes with scenario editors (though I haven't used it yet, I'm still having fun with the base game).”
    • “Had to manually register the DLLs using the batch file in the install directory before it would work, but it runs great and is quite fun.”
    • “Caesar 4 is too buggy and not a smooth experience.”
    • “Attempts to make this 3D have resulted in horrible gameplay and numerous glitches.”
    • “This is not a bad game after all, but it has so many glitches and bugs that it's making me crazy.”
  • music
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is consistently praised for its quality, with players highlighting its ability to enhance the overall experience. Described as mellow and enjoyable, the soundtrack complements the game's graphics and animations, contributing to a rewarding and immersive atmosphere as players build and manage their cities.

    • “Man... the music, the sounds, the fantastic animations for all the buildings with idle, active, desolate and destroyed statuses, the cute one-liners the civilians speak when you click them, the lovely snowglobe effect in the winter, the rewarding feeling of seeing a bustling city emerging from your frantic attempts to keep everything together, the victorious emotion you get when you finally reach that 'I have more trade and patrician revenue than I know what to do with' stage...”
    • “It challenged me just as much as it always has, and I still can't get over the music.”
    • “The mellow music is a treat as well.”
  • humor
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's humor is well-received, featuring amusing graphics and clever voice acting that enhance the experience. Players appreciate the developers' sense of humor, highlighted by funny quotes and various easter eggs throughout the game. Overall, the humor adds a delightful layer to the gameplay without detracting from its quality.

    • “The developers also had an appropriate sense of humor making this as well.”
    • “There are several little easter eggs of humor mixed in... like if you zoom in.”
    • “+ funny quotes with good voice acting when you click on people.”
  • optimization
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization is lacking, particularly for modern machines, as it struggles with performance in larger cities and requires players to adjust graphic settings to achieve acceptable frame rates. Users also noted that the limited zoom in the 3D view hinders the ability to fully appreciate the city, reflecting the game's age and its inadequate optimization for contemporary hardware.

    • “You need to dive into menus, visit advisors, and micromanage everything if you want your city to run smoothly and complete the requests.”
    • “The only problem I encountered was performance issues in larger cities; this is an old game and surely doesn't have optimization for modern machines.”
    • “The one caveat being that it is not optimized for computers better than what was available at the time - so even with it being 15 years old, expect to put the graphic settings on one from the highest to get your full frame rate.”
    • “The only problem that I encountered was performance issues in larger cities; this is an old game and surely doesn't have optimization for modern machines.”
    • “I didn't like this, especially the 3D view: it zooms out so little (probably due to performance limits of the engine) that you feel like you are seeing nothing of what is really going on in the city.”
  • replayability
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is praised for its high replayability, with users noting its dynamic gameplay, sufficient difficulty, and impressive campaign length. Additionally, the inclusion of scenario editors enhances the potential for varied experiences, contributing to its overall replay value.

    • “Great oldie with lots of replay value.”
    • “The length of the campaign and the replayability are really impressive.”
    • “It improves on everything, runs great, is sufficiently difficult and dynamic enough to allow replayability, and comes with scenario editors (though I haven't used it yet, I'm still having fun with the base game).”
    • “Once you finish the main story, there's little incentive to replay the game. The side quests feel repetitive and don't add much to the overall experience.”
    • “While the game has a lot of content, the lack of meaningful choices means that replaying it feels more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”
  • grinding
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players note that grinding in the game can be extensive, requiring significant time investment to manage resources, farming, and military operations. However, the expansive maps provide ample opportunities for development, making the grind feel more manageable despite its demands. Overall, while the grinding aspect is substantial, it is often balanced by the game's strategic depth and resource management elements.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Who needs HD graphics when you can run your plebs into the ground farming for you, only to take those resources to trade for silk to send to the Roman Empire?”
    • “On top of managing an army and all the farming, you have to constantly try to appease Rome.”
  • emotional
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players express a strong sense of nostalgia when revisiting Caesar 3, highlighting the emotional connection to their past experiences with the game over 25 years ago. This familiarity evokes feelings of warmth and fond memories, enhancing the overall enjoyment of the current version.

  • atmosphere
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere effectively captures the essence of the Roman Empire era, immersing players in its historical setting and ambiance.

    • “The game captures a captivating atmosphere reminiscent of the Roman Empire era.”
    • “The ambiance is rich and immersive, transporting players back to the time of the Roman Empire.”
    • “I was truly impressed by the authentic atmosphere that reflects the grandeur of the Roman Empire.”
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69%Critics’ scoreBased on 3 critic reviews
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63h Median play time
74h Average play time
36-125h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs
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Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Caesar IV is a strategy game.

Caesar IV is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 74 hours playing Caesar IV.

Caesar IV was released on August 29, 2016.

Caesar IV was developed by Tilted Mill Entertainment, Inc..

Caesar IV has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its graphics but disliked it for its story.

Caesar IV is a single player game.

Similar games include Caesar™ 3, Pharaoh + Cleopatra, CivCity: Rome, SimCity 4: Deluxe Edition, Tropico Reloaded and others.