Expand your reach across the stars with Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth - Rising Tide, a massive expansion to the hard science-fiction strategy epic. Developed by Firaxis Games, this expansion pack introduces new layers of depth to the colonization of an alien world, offering players fresh factions, revamped diplomatic systems, and entirely new ways to interact with the planetary environment.

A New Era of Colonization

Set an undefined number of years after the initial wave of colonists arrived on the alien planet, Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth - Rising Tide shifts the focus toward a second wave of settlers. Unlike the original pioneers, these new factions arrive with different motivations and technologies. Some, like the INTEGR and North Sea Alliance, represent groups focused on repairing the remnants of Old Earth, while others, such as Al Falah, arrived via generation ships after leaving Earth before more advanced propulsion technology was available.

The setting is rich with narrative depth, a hallmark of the Civilization franchise. Players can uncover the history of humanity by discovering Old Earth artifacts scattered across the landscape—ranging from the profound to the unexpectedly humorous, such as finding an ancient coffee machine. This sense of discovery is paired with a fleshed-out lore for every new leader and technology introduced in the expansion.

Innovative Gameplay Mechanics

Rising Tide introduces significant shifts to the core gameplay formula, focusing on environmental interaction and political maneuvering. Key features include:

  • Ocean Cities and Naval Expansion: The introduction of new colonization technologies allows for the creation of floating cities. Factions like the North Sea Alliance can begin their journey with an ocean-based foothold, fundamentally changing how players manage territory and resources.
  • Revamped Diplomacy: The expansion features a complete overhaul of the diplomatic system, introducing the Diplomatic Capital and Traits system to create more meaningful political interactions between factions.
  • Planetary Biome Quests: Each planetary biome now features its own unique chain of quests. Completing these objectives provides tangible benefits, such as increased yields on specific hexes, making each environment feel distinct and rewarding to master.
  • Artifact Crafting: New mechanics allow players to engage with the artifacts found during exploration through a dedicated crafting system.

Who is This Expansion For?

This expansion is designed for strategy enthusiasts who have mastered the base game and are looking for increased complexity. If you enjoy the "4X" genre (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate) and crave deep customization, the new non-linear tech trees and faction-specific abilities provide endless replayability. It is particularly appealing to players who appreciate high-concept science fiction settings and complex, interlocking systems like diplomacy and resource management.

Platform Availability

Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth - Rising Tide is available on PC. Please note that this is an expansion pack and requires the base game, Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth, to play.