Tiny Civilization

About

Tiny Civilization is a single player strategy game with a historical theme. It was developed by 喜人一个 and was released on December 31, 2022. It received very positive reviews from players.

Tiny Civilization is a turn-based 4X strategy game where players build and manage their ancient civilization. Manage resources, research technologies, and engage in diplomacy or warfare to expand your empire. With charming pixel art style and simple mechanics, it's a fun and accessible introduction to the 4X genre.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 356 reviews

gameplay22 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

Tiny Civilization is a fun and engaging match-3 game that combines resource management with a civilization-building theme, making it a unique experience.
The game offers great value for its low price, providing hours of entertainment with varying difficulty levels and replayability.
Players appreciate the cute art style and the simplicity of the gameplay, which allows for quick sessions that can fit into short breaks.

The game suffers from a lack of depth and complexity, leading to a repetitive experience after a few playthroughs.
Many players find the game to be heavily luck-based, with random tile spawns affecting the outcome, which can lead to frustration.
Some users have reported issues with balancing, particularly in normal mode, where food tiles are scarce, making it harder than intended.

gameplay
82 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
69%
4%
The gameplay is characterized by its simple yet engaging mechanics, effectively combining match-3 elements with civilization building, which offers a satisfying challenge, especially at higher difficulty levels. While the core mechanics are easy to grasp, some players noted that the tutorial could be improved for better clarity, and the game could benefit from more complexity and variety in its mechanics. Overall, it provides a fun and addictive experience, making it appealing for casual strategy enthusiasts.
- “I absolutely love this game, it has the perfect balance of complexity and fun gameplay.”
- “The gameplay mechanics are easy to pick up, and the game is challenging enough to make me want to come back.”
- “Fantastic simple, yet engaging and challenging to master gameplay.”
- “That combined with a lackluster tutorial leads to a flawed communication of mechanics.”
- “Ultimately, the idea is cool, and I like the style, but the poorly communicated, forced mechanics feel unfair, especially when combined with luck.”
- “More complex mechanics and more variety (e.g. random events, rival civilizations, or traits for your own civilization that can affect gameplay in different ways) could have been interesting, but are not present in this game.”
graphics
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
47%
8%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming and cute art style that enhances its overall appeal, with a consistent aesthetic that complements the gameplay. While some reviews note the graphics as simplistic or crude, they are clear and functional, contributing positively to playability. Overall, the artwork is praised for its attention to detail and polished presentation, making it visually engaging despite its simplicity.
- “The game offers some nice graphics and a beautiful aesthetic which is pleasant all the same and has some amazing attention to detail even though it is a little rough around the edges.”
- “The main strategy board art is cute, clear, and stylish, and the technology options and era introductions have graphics in a beautiful ligne claire style.”
- “Aesthetically it may look simple but its beauty lies in its simplicity and ease of card recognition.”
- “The graphics are charming and the controls are responsive and intuitive.”
- “The 'match 3' gameplay and strategy involved reminds me a bit of '2048,' and the cute, simplistic civ graphics remind me a little of 'The Battle of Polytopia,' but make no mistake, this game is doing things that are all its own.”
replayability
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
31%
14%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the different difficulty settings and modes that encourage multiple playthroughs, others feel that the limited progression and short playtime diminish its long-term appeal. Many agree that it offers good value for its price, but the lack of substantial content may leave some players wanting more after a few runs.
- “Worth the price, good replay value.”
- “Fun little game worth at least two playthroughs (one to unlock hero mode, and the other in hero mode), but interesting enough that there's still a certain replay value beyond that.”
- “Hats off to the devs, great little game, massive replayability & great price.”
- “These progressions remain the same in every game you play, so the game's replay value is limited.”
- “I enjoyed it for the 2 hours that I needed to achieve a victory, but I don't think it has enough replay value to keep my interest.”
- “That's a shame, considering the replay value that games like this are supposed to have, and the brief time you do spend with it will make you wish there was more.”
music
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
61%
17%
The music in the game is highly praised for enhancing the overall experience, with distinct tracks that evolve with each time period, creating a sense of progression and adventure. While some users noted a lack of background music and basic sound design, they felt that the music effectively complemented the gameplay and added depth to the narrative. Overall, the polished soundtrack significantly contributes to the game's immersive atmosphere.
- “The music really adds a lot to the overall feel of the game and that deserves to be mentioned.”
- “When I finally passed that darkest era and got the advanced technology, the music hit me so precisely that I felt I was really on a heroic journey to bring the human race to a bright future.”
- “The music changes with the time period and I thought that feature really stood out as well.”
- “No background music and the sound is quite basic but it fits the gameplay so well.”
- “The game does not offer any settings apart from a fullscreen toggle, a resolution selector, and two separate volume sliders for music and sound.”
- “The same goes for the music.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
70%
30%
The game's narrative centers on themes of unity and progression, emphasizing a journey from the stone age to the space age. However, many users note that the game does not rely heavily on a traditional story, suggesting that gameplay can be enjoyed independently of a narrative framework.
- “This is a game which does not require any story to play.”
- “There is no story other than progressing your civilization from the stone age to the space age.”
- “This is a story of coming together no matter what.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
The stability of the game is mixed; while some users report a smooth experience with no glitches, others highlight the presence of bugs that detract from gameplay. Additionally, there are criticisms regarding the game's lack of challenge and depth, which may affect overall enjoyment.
- “Everything worked as it should with no glitches.”
- “Is not challenging, lacks depth and complexity, and has glitches.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Reviewers criticize the monetization in match-3 games, highlighting a prevalence of aggressive microtransactions that exploit players, often leading to a frustrating experience where mergers complicate gameplay rather than enhance it. This approach contributes to a perception of the genre as dull and overly reliant on monetization strategies.
- “Match 3 games are usually dull and dumb (and full of whale-milking microtransactions), and the type where every merger is never a boon but only increases difficulty is the worst type of match 3.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in this indie game is characterized by its lighthearted and whimsical tone, providing players with a quick, entertaining experience that can lead to immediate failure and restart. The game is designed for short play sessions, typically lasting between 30 minutes to an hour, making it a fun option for casual gamers.
- “A funny short indie game that lasts between 30 minutes to 1 hour; you can play one game or lose immediately and start over.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Players express enthusiasm for the game's potential for optimization, indicating that it encourages experimentation with various strategies. However, some users note challenges in completing saves, suggesting that while the optimization aspect is engaging, it may also present hurdles.
- “I haven't managed to complete a save yet, but this is the kind of game that makes me excited to keep diving back in again with different strategies and optimizations.”