3. Civilization III

Does that advisor remind you of someone?

Give Civilization III credit for having introduced multiplayer to the franchise, and national borders. No longer would those pesky AI leaders settle in your territory, despite your constant protests. Civilization III also made culture a thing: rival cities could flip to your side if located too close your borders (even if you were not the dominant culture on the planet).

However, the way it handled strategic resources made this game less attractive than it could have been. Starting the game on a continent with no iron made reaching the industrial revolution a sad experience indeed, and the game’s buggy release did not help either. But the game’s depth, atmosphere, tightly woven gameplay systems and little touches (such as the fact one of your advisors looks like Sid Meier himself) made this a winner nonetheless.