Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Rise and Fall

I enjoy military campaigns in Civ games, but I’m convinced that developer Firaxis has made a good choice in Rise and Fall. This expansion is a recognition that the magic of this series is in giving players lots of choices — sometimes difficult choices — as we all strive to stamp our own personalities on what is, effectively, a simulation of personal political leadership.

As Civ VI's first expansion, though, Rise and Fall works so well with the base game that lingering issues are minor. It enhances, rather than overcomplicates, systems that were already deep and layered to begin with, while introducing features that keep each game engaging from start to finish. Ages in particular provide room for struggling civs to climb the ranks in the late game and keep leading civs on their toes, and the Governor and Loyalty systems add to the city-specific strategies that helped make the base game great.

Overall, Civilization VI was already a game I’ve put hundreds of hours into, and Rise and Fall has definitely reawakened my excitement. I remember I was underwhelmed by Civilization V at first, but after the two expansions I was fully invested. I was already wowed by Civilization VI, and Rise and Fall only serves to cement my love for this amazing strategy game.