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If you want a history-focused 4X game in the space occupied by Humankind 2, start with Old World for dynasty drama, Millennia for branching ages and production chains, Ara: History Untold for simultaneous turns and a living-world presentation, or Sid Meier’s Civilization VII for the most familiar empire-building structure and widest platform support. They are not interchangeable: each answers a different idea of historical strategy.
The four strongest alternatives at a glance
All four games use the broad 4X framework—exploration, expansion, exploitation and warfare—but they place their historical emphasis in different locations. The table below is the fastest way to identify the right fit before you read the detailed breakdowns.
| Game | Historical scope | How identity carries forward | Signature system | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old World | Classical antiquity | Dynasty and ruler succession | Orders-based turns and more than 1,000 unique events | Character-driven, concentrated history |
| Millennia | Ten millennia with alternate and crisis ages | Your nation is shaped by age choices | Variant or crisis ages plus a crafting economy | Branching history and production depth |
| Ara: History Untold | Broad human history | Nation and leaders continue across eras | Simultaneous turns, national crafting and a non-linear technology tree | Newer systems and subscription access |
| Sid Meier’s Civilization VII | Antiquity, Exploration and Modern Ages | Civilization selection changes at age transitions, with selected legacies retained | Ages system and broad platform support | Familiar mainstream 4X play |
How to choose a historical 4X game
Searches for “games like Humankind 2” often hide several different preferences. Decide which of these matters most to you:
- A continuous family story: You want named rulers, heirs, households and court decisions to matter as much as the map. Choose Old World.
- History that can branch radically: You prefer selecting unusual ages, crisis paths or speculative futures instead of following one expected timeline. Choose Millennia.
- A more modern systems mix: You want simultaneous turn resolution, a living world, crafting and a technology tree that does not simply run in a straight line. Choose Ara: History Untold.
- The recognizable Civilization loop: You want a well-known empire-building structure, three major historical ages and the ability to play on almost any current gaming platform. Choose Sid Meier’s Civilization VII.
The most important distinction is continuity. In one game, continuity means a dynasty. In another, it means a nation repeatedly reshaped by age choices. In another, it means a civilization relationship that changes at formal era breaks. Decide what should remain stable in your campaign before comparing combat or economic details.
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Old World: best for dynasty continuity and concentrated antiquity
What makes it different
Mohawk Games describes Old World as “a historical 4X strategy game created by Soren Johnson (Lead Designer, Civilization IV).” Its setting is classical antiquity rather than the whole span of human history. That narrower scope lets the game spend more attention on rulers, heirs, families and court politics than an all-ages campaign usually can.
If your ideal history-focused 4X game is a story about a ruling house—who inherited power, which relative became a liability and how a court decision changed a war—Old World is the clearest match in this group. It is a dynasty strategy game as much as a map-painting exercise.
Orders change how a turn is spent
Its defining operational rule is the Orders system. Units can be moved multiple times in one turn until the player runs out of Orders, rather than being limited to one movement per unit per turn. This makes each turn a sequence of priorities: concentrate a force, exploit an opening, reposition a threatened unit or spend Orders on another important action.
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The result is a denser decision loop than a conventional “move every unit once” structure. A plan can succeed because you reserved enough Orders for a final attack, or fail because routine movement consumed the resource you needed for an emergency. Players who enjoy planning several actions inside a single turn will find this more distinctive than a simple movement bonus.
Events make the era feel specific
Mohawk Games reports more than 1,000 unique events inspired by the period’s history. These events are not a substitute for the strategic map; they give the political and social layer enough variation to make repeated campaigns feel less like the same sequence of generic prompts.
The historical concentration is also the trade-off. Old World does not try to deliver a ten-thousand-year tour from the first cities to the modern age. Choose it when depth within classical antiquity matters more than covering every century.
Rank #2
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- BUILD AN EMPIRE THAT STANDS THE TEST OF TIME - Lead your empire through distinct Ages of human history. Each Age is its own rich, nuanced journey, with unique playable civilizations, available resources, explorable land, and even entire gameplay systems, creating a deep, historically immersive strategy experience. Strive to accomplish significant scientific, cultural, militaristic, and economic milestones within each Age to unlock impactful advantages in the next!
- EVOLVE YOUR EMPIRE AS EACH NEW AGE DAWNS - To build a legacy that truly stands the test of time, you must adapt. Forge your own path through history as you reshape your empire at the start of each Age, selecting from a pool of new Age-relevant civilization options determined by your prior gameplay accomplishments. Evolving your empire unlocks fresh gameplay bonuses and unique units, so your current civilization is always at the height of its power.
- PLAY AS VISIONARY LEADERS OF PROGRESS - Embody an illustrious leader with one of Civilization's most diverse rosters yet, from traditional heads of state known for their militaristic might or political prowess, to visionary leaders who made everlasting impacts in philosophy, science, human rights, and more!
- TEST YOUR STRATEGIC METTLE IN MULTIPLAYER - Compete against other players online and prove your prowess as a great leader.** Multiplayer matches can be epic multi-Age campaigns, or take place in a single Age so you can enjoy an entire game in a single session. Cross-play is supported, so you can play together with friends wherever they are.
Choose Old World if…
- You want named rulers, heirs, families and court politics to shape the campaign.
- You prefer a tight historical period with high decision density.
- You like turns where one unit can take several actions through an Orders budget.
- You would rather have a large pool of period-inspired events than a single all-human-history timeline.
Millennia: best for branching ages and economic experimentation
A ten-thousand-year campaign with choices that redirect history
Millennia presents a ten-thousand-year span and asks you to create your own nation. Instead of treating history as one fixed ladder of eras, it makes age selection a central strategic decision. Variant ages, crisis ages and alternate futures can send a campaign down a different historical or speculative route.
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That makes it a strong answer to the search phrase “4X with branching ages.” Your choices do not merely determine which technology you research next; they help determine what kind of age comes next and what pressures define it.
Production chains are a major part of the strategy
The economy refines raw materials into finished goods. The examples listed for the game include lumber, paper, books, ingots, tools and weapons. You therefore manage more than a simple stockpile of food, money or production points: you decide which materials to process, which goods to prioritize and how an economic chain supports expansion or war.
This is the right fit if you enjoy tuning an economy as a system. A new age can change what is valuable, while a crisis or variant path can make an established production plan less efficient. The appeal is experimentation—trying a different national identity and seeing how its age choices reshape the rest of the campaign.
The trade-off: less emphasis on a single unbroken identity
Millennia keeps the nation you create at the center, but its identity is intentionally shaped by age choices. That is different from a dynasty game in which the same family remains the narrative anchor. Players who want every era to feel like a continuation of one familiar civilization may find the branching model less straightforward; players who want replayability through alternate outcomes will find that flexibility valuable.
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- You want to explore unusual historical or speculative outcomes.
- You enjoy deciding between standard, variant and crisis ages.
- You like production chains that turn raw materials into goods such as books, ingots, tools and weapons.
- You are looking for a strategy game through the ages where the route matters as much as the destination.
Ara: History Untold: best for simultaneous turns and a living world
A different approach to historical grand strategy
The official Ara: History Untold description calls it an evolution of historical grand strategy. Its identity comes from combining several systems that are less commonly presented together: a national crafting economy, true simultaneous turn resolution, a non-linear technology tree, exploration and a living-world presentation.
Rank #3
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- TECUMSEH AND SHAWNEE PACK - This content pack adds the leader Tecumseh and the Shawnee civilization to Civilization VII! Tecumseh specializes in diplomacy and defense.
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- 4 LEADER PERSONAS - Enjoy alternate Personas for four of Civilization VII's leaders, including Ashoka (World Conqueror), Friedrich (Baroque), Himiko (High Shaman), and Xerxes (The Achaemenid)! Each persona includes a unique outfit and background for the respective leader, plus a new Unique Ability and Agenda that reflect a different side of their personality!
This is the option to investigate when “newer systems” matters more to you than reproducing a familiar 4X formula. It still covers nation building and historical development, but it asks you to think about production, research and turn timing in a more integrated way.
True simultaneous turns
In simultaneous turn resolution, players submit actions and the game resolves them together rather than waiting for every player to complete a fully separate turn. That structure is especially relevant for multiplayer, where it can reduce the downtime created by watching another player finish a long list of actions.
Ara supports both synchronous and asynchronous multiplayer. Synchronous play suits groups that are online together; asynchronous play allows participants to submit decisions on different schedules. The distinction matters if your group wants a historical strategy game but cannot commit to identical play sessions.
Crafting and a non-linear technology tree
The national crafting economy makes production an explicit part of national development. Alongside the strategic map, you are managing how a nation turns resources into the things it needs. The non-linear technology tree means advancement is not presented as one inevitable sequence, so a campaign can be shaped by the technologies you prioritize rather than by a fixed research order.
The living-world presentation and exploration systems support the sense that the map is changing while you develop your nation. This is a good fit for players who want a world that feels active and systems-heavy, but the extra layers also mean there is more to learn than in a minimalist 4X design.
Game Pass access
Xbox highlights PC Game Pass access for Ara: History Untold. Availability can change with subscription catalogs, so check the current listing before relying on a subscription for long-term access. The important point for this comparison is that Ara can be approached through a subscription as well as a conventional purchase route.
Rank #4
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- Expand the strategic horizons of your empire and enjoy more options for your reign with Sid Meier's Civilization VII Deluxe Edition!
- Deluxe Edition includes: Full base game, Early Access, the Tecumseh and Shawnee Pack, the Crossroads of the World Collection, and the Deluxe Content Pack.
- BUILD AN EMPIRE THAT STANDS THE TEST OF TIME - Lead your empire through distinct Ages of human history. Each Age is its own rich, nuanced journey, with unique playable civilizations, available resources, explorable land, and even entire gameplay systems, creating a deep, historically immersive strategy experience. Strive to accomplish significant scientific, cultural, militaristic, and economic milestones within each Age to unlock impactful advantages in the next!
- EVOLVE YOUR EMPIRE AS EACH NEW AGE DAWNS - To build a legacy that truly stands the test of time, you must adapt. Forge your own path through history as you reshape your empire at the start of each Age, selecting from a pool of new Age-relevant civilization options determined by your prior gameplay accomplishments. Evolving your empire unlocks fresh gameplay bonuses and unique units, so your current civilization is always at the height of its power.
- PLAY AS VISIONARY LEADERS OF PROGRESS - Embody an illustrious leader with one of Civilization's most diverse rosters yet, from traditional heads of state known for their militaristic might or political prowess, to visionary leaders who made everlasting impacts in philosophy, science, human rights, and more!
Choose Ara if…
- You want true simultaneous turns rather than strictly sequential play.
- You enjoy a national crafting economy and a non-linear technology tree.
- You value exploration and a living-world presentation.
- You need synchronous or asynchronous multiplayer options.
- You specifically want a historical strategy game on Game Pass.
Sid Meier’s Civilization VII: best for broad availability and familiar empire building
Platform coverage
Sid Meier’s Civilization VII launched on February 11, 2025. The official franchise information lists PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac and Linux through Steam and the Epic Games Store.
That is the broadest platform footprint among the four documented options here. If your group is split across consoles and computers, or you want a historical 4X game that is easy to find on your existing system, this is the practical starting point.
The Ages system changes continuity
Civilization VII is organized around Antiquity, Exploration and Modern Ages. Its official Ages guide explains that an age transition involves selecting a new civilization, retaining selected legacies and changing the world.
This structure preserves the feeling of a long historical campaign while making continuity more deliberate. You are not simply carrying one unchanged civilization identity from the earliest settlement to the modern era. At the transition, you choose what continues, which new civilization represents the next age and how the changed world affects your plans.
That design is why Civilization VII is both a strong best Civilization alternative and a different answer to the “game like Humankind with culture changes” search. It offers a recognizable empire-building loop, but the relationship between civilization and era is actively redefined at age boundaries.
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Choose Civilization VII if you want the most familiar mainstream structure, broad hardware support and an explicit three-age framework. It is less focused on dynasty succession than Old World, less centered on production-chain experimentation than Millennia and less defined by simultaneous turns than Ara. Its strength is accessibility through a known format combined with the Ages system’s changes to long-term identity.
Best Value
Choose Civilization VII if…
- You want to play on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC, Mac or Linux.
- You prefer a recognizable empire-building loop.
- You like the idea of Antiquity, Exploration and Modern Ages structuring a campaign.
- You want civilization identity to change at age transitions while selected legacies carry forward.
How the four games differ on the questions that matter
Which one covers the most history?
Millennia states a ten-thousand-year span. Civilization VII covers Antiquity, Exploration and Modern Ages. Ara: History Untold is presented as a broad human-history strategy game. Old World deliberately concentrates on classical antiquity. “Most history” therefore depends on whether you mean chronological span or depth inside one period: Millennia offers the clearest explicit long timeline, while Old World offers the tightest period focus.
Which one keeps a single civilization identity?
None of these games treats continuity in exactly the same way. Old World keeps continuity through rulers and dynastic succession. Millennia keeps the nation central while allowing age choices to redefine it. Ara follows a nation and its leaders through broad history. Civilization VII makes civilization selection part of each age transition and asks you to preserve selected legacies rather than carry every element unchanged.
Which one has the most distinctive turn structure?
Old World is built around spending Orders to move units multiple times in one turn. Ara uses true simultaneous turn resolution, which is particularly significant for multiplayer. Millennia and Civilization VII are better choices when your priority is age development and empire management rather than a fundamentally different timing model.
Which one is best for economic specialization?
Millennia provides the clearest production-chain emphasis, with raw materials refined into goods including lumber, paper, books, ingots, tools and weapons. Ara also makes crafting a national system. Choose Millennia if branching ages and manufacturing chains are the main attraction; choose Ara if you want crafting combined with simultaneous turns and a non-linear technology tree.
A practical decision guide
- Start with your preferred historical scale. Pick Old World for classical antiquity, Millennia for an explicit ten-thousand-year span, or Civilization VII and Ara for broad multi-era campaigns.
- Decide what continuity means to you. Choose dynasty succession for Old World, nation-shaping age choices for Millennia, nation-and-leader continuity for Ara, or legacy-based transitions for Civilization VII.
- Choose your preferred turn rhythm. Select Old World for Orders-based multi-movement, Ara for simultaneous resolution, or one of the other two if age and empire planning are more important than turn-order innovation.
- Check how you will play. If you need the widest console and computer support, Civilization VII is the clear choice. If PC Game Pass access is central, investigate Ara first.
- Match the economy to your tolerance for complexity. Production-chain experimentation points to Millennia; national crafting plus a non-linear technology tree points to Ara; a more character-centered campaign points to Old World; a familiar empire loop points to Civilization VII.
Common mistakes when choosing a Humankind-style alternative
Assuming every era-based game handles identity the same way
“Culture changes” can mean several things. In Old World, the key continuity is dynastic. In Millennia, age paths can redirect the nation. In Civilization VII, a formal transition includes selecting a new civilization and retaining selected legacies. Compare the transition rules, not just the number of eras shown on a store page.
Choosing by timeline length alone
A longer timeline does not automatically provide a deeper historical simulation. Old World trades all-history scale for more concentrated antiquity and a large event pool. If you want a dynasty story, its narrower period is an advantage rather than a missing feature.
Ignoring turn structure in multiplayer
If your group dislikes waiting, simultaneous resolution can matter more than the setting. Ara supports synchronous and asynchronous multiplayer, while Old World’s Orders system changes how each player spends actions inside a turn. Confirm that the game’s timing model suits your group before choosing on historical theme alone.
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Millennia and Ara put significant weight on crafting and economic systems. That is valuable if you enjoy optimization, but it is a different pleasure from following rulers and heirs in Old World. Decide whether your preferred story is about people, institutions, factories or changing ages.
The bottom line
For the closest match to a dynasty-focused historical 4X, choose Old World. For branching ages and the deepest documented emphasis on production chains, choose Millennia. For simultaneous turns, crafting and a non-linear technology tree, choose Ara: History Untold. For the broadest platform availability and a familiar empire-building structure redesigned around Antiquity, Exploration and Modern Ages, choose Sid Meier’s Civilization VII.
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