More importantly, if you want to jump into this, now might be the right time, because a free-to-play weekend for the game is starting.

In addition, existing players who pre-purchase the Rising Tide expansion will also receive a 10 per cent discount. Picking up the full game or the full Civilzation: Beyond Earth Collection (which includes the base game, the Exoplanets Map Pack, and Rising Tide expansion) will allow players to carry over any progress made over the course of the free weekend.

The reveal is delivered via the official site and is written from the perspective of someone living in the world of the video game, which makes it a little hard to parse the exact nature of the new civilization that gamers will be able to lead. It is essentially a spiritual successor to Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri, and they have the same development team. The first was Sid Meier’s Pirates, and then the Railroad Tycoon, the entire Civilization series, and much more.

There is a similar game to Civilization: Beyond Earth known as Sid Meier’s Starships that builds upon the narrative of Civilization: Beyond Earth.

Just hours ago, Civilization: Beyond Earth became free to play this weekend only on Steam as an incentive to get you to buy the newly available “Rising Tide” expansion pack pre-order. Let’s see how it goes.