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Civilization VI Launches for Free on iPad, But Costs $60 to Unlock

The game is free to play for 60 turns, after that it's $60 to unlock the full game.

December 22, 2017
Civilization VI

Civilization VI originally saw a release on PC and Mac back in October 2016 and was followed up with a Linux port in February 2017. This week, Aspyr Media launched the game on iOS as an iPad exclusive. It's free to download and play, but it's not a free game. In fact, it's very expensive.

Civ VI is the latest in developer Firaxis Games' Civilization series, all of which got a full price release on PC. The same is true for the iPad version, but Aspyr decided to use a Shareware model for selling it. The turn-based strategy game is free to download and play on Apple's tablet for the first 60 turns. After that, a payment of $60 will be required to unlock the full game and continue playing. Also keep in mind this is just the base game and there is no additional downloadable content or expansion content packs.

$60 is the price of a brand new PC game, not one that's nearly two years old and ported to a touchscreen device. Tablet owners aren't used to paying such a high price for their games, but Aspyr must be very confident Civilization is popular enough to convince people to spend that much. However, you won't need to if you are quick.

As TouchArcade reports, buying Civ VI on iPad before Jan. 4 means you'll qualify for a 50 percent discount and only pay $30. Even so, $30 is still considered a lot for an iOS game. It's also important to be aware that Civ VI will only run on more recent iPads, with the list restricted to the iPad Air 2, iPad 2017, and any iPad Pro ( at Amazon) . Any other iPad model simply can't handle it.

It's worth pointing out that Civ VI on PC is also $30, but for $40 you can pick up the Digital Deluxe edition including the 25th anniversary soundtrack and access to six sets of DLC (Vikings Scenario Pack, Poland Civilization & Scenario Pack, Australia Civilization & Scenario Pack, Persia and Macedon Civilization & Scenario Pack, Nubia Civilization & Scenario Pack, Khmer and Indonesia Civilization & Scenario Pack).

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About Matthew Humphries

Senior Editor

I started working at PCMag in November 2016, covering all areas of technology and video game news. Before that I spent nearly 15 years working at Geek.com as a writer and editor. I also spent the first six years after leaving university as a professional game designer working with Disney, Games Workshop, 20th Century Fox, and Vivendi.

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