Civilization IV is a game.
Civilization IV . Most standard full-length games start the player with a settler unit and/or a city unit in the year 4000 BC . As with other games in the series , there are by default five objectives the player can pursue in order to finish the game : conquering all other civilizations , controlling a supermajority of the game world 's land and population , building and sending the first sleeper ship to the Alpha Centauri star system , increasing the `` Culture ratings '' of at least three different cities to `` legendary '' levels , or winning a `` World Leader '' popularity contest by the United Nations . If the time limit for the game is reached and none of the previous goals has been fulfilled by any players including game AI players , the civilization with the highest total game score is declared winner . The game has received critical acclaim and was hailed as an exemplary product of one of the leading video game producers in the turn-based strategy genre . Civilization IV has sold 3 million copies and won multiple awards , including several Game of the Year awards .