Card Hog
Card Hog
Game
Game2021
HUMANKIND™
Developer AMPLITUDE Studios
Humankind is a turn-based strategy 4X video game by Amplitude Studios and published by Sega. The game was released for Microsoft Windows and Stadia in August 2021, for macOS in November 2021, and for PlayStation and Xbox consoles in August 2023. It received generally favorable reviews. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
292 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Mastodon, Bluesky) · newest Nov 2, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
76
LovedLoved
217 positive · 67 negative
95% range 71–81%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 217 | 67 | 0 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Bluesky * | 1 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mixed
10,581 of 15,336 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
77% recommend · 200 yes, 60 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 260 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mixed (19,975 of 28,881 positive).
Many players find Humankind a refreshing and innovative 4X game that improves on Civilization. [1][2][3] Some reviewers praise the combat system and city-building mechanics as standout features. [4][5][6] A few players criticize the culture-switching mechanic and persistent multiplayer issues. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [7]
Switching cultures during the game is an odd concept and it doesn't work. It feels like the culture switching was tacked on just to make Humankind distinct from Civ. If they had just made Humankind a game like Civ with better combat, I would have liked it. But now Firaxis has stolen the culture switching and built Civ 7 around it proving a second time the concept doesn't work.
- [1]
Do not trust reviews saying the gameplay is bad because it is not like civ games. It is, they just do not agree with Humankinds changes/differences. This is absolutely an 8 or 8.5/10 game that has very user friendly UI and simplifies several tedious aspects of other 4x games with nuances where one-trick-pony strategies will not work. The Good: 1) Capable AI for the most part. Though this is very minorly affected by …
- [2]
Okay, confession time: I've been playing Civilization games since forever. I'm talking thousands of hours across the series, the kind of dedication that makes my friends worry about me. So when Civ 7 came out, I was hyped. Bought it, downloaded it, launched it, played for a few hours and... yeah. I refunded that thing faster than a bad Tinder date. What a letdown.. Fast forward a few months, and here I am with 130 …
- [3]
This is the game Firaxis tried to imitate with Civ VII and completely failed to capture. HK brought a fresh breath of innovation to the 4X genre with its bold mechanics and unique identity. It’s one of those rare strategy games that truly dares to do something different, and for that, it will always have a special place in my library.
- [4]
One of the best 4X games on the on market that's unfortunately very misunderstood by the 4X community. With divisive mechanics like fame and culture switching, not to mention the poor balance on launch has lead many to overlook this amazing game. Humankind has some of the best combat in the genre only rivaled by amplitude's other games, with instanced dynamic battlefields that feel closer to a tactical RPG like Fire …
Summarised from 34 of the 270 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 11, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Players who liked HUMANKIND™ talk about combat is strategic and engaging, with tactical depth; those who didn't talk about culture-switching can break immersion and feel tacked on. Which matters more to you?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Humankind received "generally favorable reviews", according to review aggregator platform Metacritic. It was nominated for Best Sim/Strategy Game at The Game Awards 2021. IGN writer Leana Hafner felt the game fell short of its potential, stating "Humankind is an interesting but fairly safe riff on historical 4X that doesn't always rise to meet its potential." PC Gamer writer Fraser Brown enjoyed the process of watching civilizations grow, but felt that the gameplay was too numbers-focused and lacked the personality and narrative uniqueness of Amplitude's earlier works. Writing for Rock Paper Shotgun, Nate Crowley compared the game favorably to the Civilization series, but felt the game…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 292 · most liked firstSwitching cultures during the game is an odd concept and it doesn't work. It feels like the culture switching was tacked on just to make Humankind distinct from Civ. If they had just made Humankind a game like Civ with better combat, I would have liked it. But now Firaxis has stolen the culture switching and built Civ 7 around it proving a second time the concept doesn't work.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Amplitude Studios set out to challenge the 4X throne, promising a revolutionary historical strategy game where you shape your own civilization through the ages. Whilst the changing of cultures never appealed to me, I was still hoping they got it right. The result though feels less like an immersive journey through history and more like an over-engineered spreadsheet that forgets to be fun. They have done so much wrong, but I specially have problems with the following: - Culture-Swapping…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I don't care what anybody says, this game is such a comfort game, enjoyable, intense as you want it, and it satisfies my "I would like to burn a few hours before bed and go to work" energy.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Do not trust reviews saying the gameplay is bad because it is not like civ games. It is, they just do not agree with Humankinds changes/differences. This is absolutely an 8 or 8.5/10 game that has very user friendly UI and simplifies several tedious aspects of other 4x games with nuances where one-trick-pony strategies will not work. The Good: 1) Capable AI for the most part. Though this is very minorly affected by them having innate bonuses from game start that the player does not have…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I picked this up for $12ish on the winter sale. Played the tutorial, saw pretty quickly this was Endless Legends with a coat of Civ paint on it. I liked Endless Legends, so I tried to play that tutorial game to the end to see what the different ages had to offer. Game got stuck on "Turn Pending" and nothing I tried could get me past that turn. I did the bug reporting and attached the files. I get the sense that the people who are putting money in their pockets from this game do not care about…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I much prefer Humankind over Civ, the graphics, overall vibe, Neolithic era are all great. The way that influence and faith are utilized work so well in my opinion. It definitely has its drawbacks, the battle management for one, is a double edged sword. On one hand the tactical nature and strategy is a huge plus, but when you have massive armies duking it out it takes ages to get through the battle, making single turns take 20+ minutes. Also the fame mechanic took some getting used to at…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game, incredibly fun, I've loved every minute I've played of it. but the multiplayer STILL to this day dosn't work. trying to play with friends constantly leads to the game disconnecting every 20 turns and refusing to reconnect for long periods of time. most of my whole reason for playing this is to play with buddies of mine. but out of the hundred hours I have playing, I've probably spent fifty plus hours in a group call trying to get the game to reconnect so we can play. Is it fun, yes.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →1,500 hours into this game, probably another 1,500 to come, if you are interested and scared by the "mixed" review status maybe i can give some insight. The base game was okay, maybe above average at best on launch. The game has received many updates and overhauls that really really improved upon the game. However the part of the game that is "mixed" or just straight up bad is the "Together we Rule" expansion. My opinion is the game is amazing, completely worth the money, maybe just skip the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a game that rewards understanding rather than rushing. It teaches you that progress comes with consequences: Expand too fast, and your people lose stability. Grow too rich, and you might forget happiness. But find harmony — between food, influence, faith, and trade — and your cities will thrive like living organisms. Humankind asks for patience and nuance. It’s not about winning quickly, but about feeling the rhythm of history — shaping a world that makes sense both strategically and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun game but don't bother as you can never finish a game since it starts to disconnect every turn at the late game, hasn't been fixed for 4 years, dont even know if devs update the game.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the best 4X games on the on market that's unfortunately very misunderstood by the 4X community. With divisive mechanics like fame and culture switching, not to mention the poor balance on launch has lead many to overlook this amazing game. Humankind has some of the best combat in the genre only rivaled by amplitude's other games, with instanced dynamic battlefields that feel closer to a tactical RPG like Fire Emblem or Advanced Wars than a normal 4X game. With tons of different battle…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Okay, confession time: I've been playing Civilization games since forever. I'm talking thousands of hours across the series, the kind of dedication that makes my friends worry about me. So when Civ 7 came out, I was hyped. Bought it, downloaded it, launched it, played for a few hours and... yeah. I refunded that thing faster than a bad Tinder date. What a letdown.. Fast forward a few months, and here I am with 130 hours in Humankind. HOW did this happen? Here's the thing nobody tells you:…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a get the high score to win 4x game. compared to civ this game realies more heavily on combat and bullying your way to victory. There are no traditional civ victory conditions like culture, science, or diplomatic, save for domination. Instead the game has multiple different end game conditions such as research all techs, turn limit, and render planet uninhabitable through pollution. The winner is whoever gains the most fame (score points) which can be garnered through all the standard…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →For me, it is more fun and better than Civilization 7, and now I understand some of the concepts introduced in Civ 7. The first age is brilliant, and I love how you can build few cities with a large number of territories. Claiming wonders and have multiple cities building a wonders i also better than in Civ. All-in-all, have enjoyed playing the game, and for ~15 euro's its easily worth the money.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game is actually pretty fun but you eventually see why it never took off. It doesn't feel like I'm building a nation, but rather micro-managing stats and modifiers. Starts off strategic and tactical but turns into a cookie-clicker slog the further you get. Has the typical Civ tech nonsense of building nuclear reactors while still only having swordsmen. Improved tiles all look the same, it's impossible to tell what is what by looking at the map. The color palette often matches that of the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game-ruining bug makes this unbearable. I played this for a couple weeks on launch and had fun but went back to Civ 6 soon after. I came back after about 4½ years and the game is unplayable. I am simply trying to play an easy game to get the hang of things again and within 6 turns the game gets permanently stuck on "turn pending". I have to quicksave and quickload every single turn because the game will softlock until I do so. No mods, only the preorder DLCs enabled, and the game is still…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Four years after release and two disappointing Civ releases later I've finally found the time - by not sleeping - to try out Humankind. What an amazing love letter to humankind - the game goes above and beyond to celebrate the beauty of our civilization and diverse cultures, while managing somehow to point out our cruel past and present. Fan of strategy games or not, this is a game you have to play. All the issues pointed out by most reviews are there - not the most balanced, not the most…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I don't play 4k games. I wanted to get into the genre. So, mistakingly, I spent half an hour reading scathing steam reviews written by 4k veterans. I still bought it. Here's my thoughts, specifically angled towards people trying to get into this genre. If you're a 4k veteran, see the top rated review. This one isn't for you. 1. If you spend over 100 hours playing a game and downvote it, you're absolutely delusional. In my book, if you spend 100 hours doing anything willingly then it's more…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →so many innovative and cool ideas. civ switching, leverage system, combat, starting as nomads, how you attach parts of the empire. so many mechanics thrown at you, that should spice things up heavily, but in the end nothing feels impressive enough to tip the scale to at least not be utterly boring. its a short refreshing journey if you come from playing civ for years. its cool to get behind the ideas the devs wanted to implement in this game if you have a spare weekend or two. but nothing…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is the game Firaxis tried to imitate with Civ VII and completely failed to capture. HK brought a fresh breath of innovation to the 4X genre with its bold mechanics and unique identity. It’s one of those rare strategy games that truly dares to do something different, and for that, it will always have a special place in my library.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Back in the days i played lot strategy games like commandos, warcraft, heroes of might and magic, age of mythology, you name it but never touched 4x genre until now. This game pleasing UI/UX and gorgeous art direction makes it easy to learn the genre, my impression this genre is good for people want to read more in his/her life
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →much like Civ but with some cool features. IMO after Civ V it became a little bloated and less fun. I had fun with this game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Often unfairly compared to the Civilisation series, but Humankind makes more than enough radically unique decisions that sets it well apart from its contemporaries, even its siblings in the Endless franchise. There are still some aspects that are massively unbalanced (especially bombing, bombardment, and Machu Picchu), but it is a very fun experience for us.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →this game is great, has all the best mechanics that you could wish for in a civ type game... but it has sooo many bugs. You cant seperate the initial unit from a group of unts, or it disappears and makes you unable to click the tiles on the map, you have to seperate the other, non original unit in order to properly split a group And then the loading a savegame... after about turn 50+, you can no longer load your savegame, you can only load an autosave, and even then if you dont complete a…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Released in a rough state, but by now it's the best game of the genre IMO. City development part is very well done, some great mechanics. Similar to the ENDLESS games. Combat is super good with good depth, huge focus on playing the right terrain for your army comp. Diplomacy is okay, there's also a DLC for leverage and more advanced politics. The uses are quite niche e.g. using spies to gather leverage to prevent an opponent from war justification. Or you can bribe/blackmail world council to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →While it compares poorly in many ways to Civ, I really like the way combat is handled. While I do think I still prefer Civ overall, I really did enjoy my time with this and is definitely worth your time if you can get it cheap.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Basically the best turn-based pseudohistorical 4X. Without trying to bash any other games in the genre, Humankind just does what I want from them better than they do.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's much much better than civ, because battles actually have more strategy and tech disparity really can be felt in the battles. I got addicted to this game so much more than Civ 6. I really wish the best for this game and it's next development. I think a more in depth exploration in battle formations, longer gameplays for more time to stay in one era, or even modes that force 1 -2 era and expand on their tech trees and strategy. This game is so fun because the battles are a bit better, but i…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fantastic. Almost all the main issues people had have been fixed because the devs did their job and fixed them. They also give you free stuff sometimes which is really cool....Its not Civ...which will not be fixed ever, so get over it..... It is points based and that's fundamentally different. New ownership may change that the devs actually do their jobs, but I have loved this game. please note: I would play with rivers on high (lakes small) though as map gen is just better that way.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Played a few sessions really trying to give it a fair chance but no cheese. Was playing it a few notches above "normal" difficulty (empire difficulty) expecting it to be challenging-ish without knowing the mechanics of the game in-depth but nope, the AI kept on folding like wet tissue. After entering delayed ancient era (getting all the bonuses from stone age) I dominated each game I tried, no matter if playing aggressively or passively. The game components look and sound really good... until…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →When Humankind was released, it definitely had some issues, but its new take on the Civ formula scared Firaxis so much that they copied as much as they could with Civ 7. I recently partook in their Civ 7 Free Week and after 70 hours,[url=https://steamcommunity.com/id/chronocliff/recommended/1295660?snr=1_5_9__402] that itch had not been scratched. So I went back to Humankind and played two full games of it with much enjoyment. I'm almost tempted to go play a third with the things I learned, but…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Humankind's worst sin is probably the fact that it "inspired" Civilization 7 to introduce the same half-baked, badly thought-out and ultimately terribly artificial culture swapping system. The idea of mixing cultures is not a bad one per se, historically it makes sense and if done right, it could be a real innovation in the stagnating Civ-like sub-genre. The way it's implemented in Humankind - and in Civ 7 - is simply bad. You're not mixing cultures (even less doing it "organically"), you're…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's like if Civ hadn't jumped off the deep end and swam around in the Pool of Monetization and supped from Cup of Regression. Had a rough start and can be a bit of a handful to learn, even with previous 4Xperience, but rustles my jimmies in all the right ways. Just wondering how they'll top this in Endless Humankind III: Celts vs Vodyani.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →In general, it is not a bad 4X game, certainly not when going by its aesthetics, but apparently it has not been the revolution that everyone was so hyped about back then. The core of the game feels like yet another iteration of the original Endless formula while using the most basic Civilization-typical aspects to start out as a possible competitor and go from there. But many aspects feel undercooked. Seemingly important ones like research feel like an afterthought or barebones at best. I…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The graphics and overall look of the game are attractive, but it's boring. The way battles are played is not interesting at all and also from the middle of history everything is very illogical. I don't know how to explain it but after the Middle Ages it doesn't give you the feeling that you are making history, everything is very rushed (and has nothing to do with the host settings).
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →this is Civ 7 if Civ 7 was a decent game cannot recommend highly enough, the depth this game has on top of the persistent support they have given this title is truly worth your money $50 for base game feels a little high, but $50-$60 for the complete edition is absolutely a great value 10/10 recommend
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Better then Civ 7 as good as Civ 6 for me at least. Good game that has gotten a lot of love since release so it still holds up. I hope that it continues to get updates and such.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game was fine at the start, but at the 8 hour point the whole thing just starts breaking down and crashing. I moved a unit and my whole computer went to black and restarted. Now the whole thing is unplayable and Steam won't refund because it only starts to show problems past the 2 hour mark.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game, nothing to point out besides it's really fun and gets you hooked. Too ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ bad your save files can just evaporate and you're stuck with the good old "it is what it is" Your cloud saves will eventually disappear and you have toi just be ok with that Just happened to me after a VERY long playthrough and support is so difficult and tedious to get to Save yourselves the trouble and play something that doesn't erase your progress :)
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's been a while since I've played Humankind, and I'm thinking it's overdue for a revisit. I have fond memories of the game, as it does a lot right. The art style is gorgeous, as is usually the case with Amplitude games. The combat system borrowed from Endless Legend is fun. I also really like how the game handles trade, with an easy to understand interface. Further, I loved the playful banter between leaders that often occurs in the diplomacy screen. Civ7 does something similar, but…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Been playing this game for years since release. The fact that there is a battle bug since release and the only way around is to reload a save for this long is horrible and greedy considering its been a known problem but we keep getting more paid DLC than a fix.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →People often call this a lesser version of the Civ series, but it feels distinct enough and in depth on mechanics that are staples of Amplitude's games to be a stand out on its own. Not a replacement for Civ but its different and distinct in ways that make it fun to play as its own experience. As someone who has played both I really have had an easier time losing myself in this one more than the Civ games I did play. You might too.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As a big Amplitude fan, I naturally got this on launch and I'm sure glad I played this instead of Civ VI...or VII. wish it had more content though because it can get kinda samey. also the world congress is ass, don't bother with the DLC new zealand is busted
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Glad I came back to this game after all this time. It's an interesting game which seems to have been improved a lot by its updates
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I can warmly recommend this game. I was VERY surprised that it is actually really good. This is what Civ 7 should have been like. Humankind really does to the concept where Civ should have gone long ago. It doesn't mean I hate Civ, I have played a good amount of Civ 7. But the age transitions and it's complete obsession with min-maxing just everything really makes it more stressful at times than enjoyable. Humankind really takes a fresh look at the concept and the genre and does A LOT right.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good game and keeps getting better with upgrades from Amplitude.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Can't play multiplayer - every 20 turns you get desynced or you get an error that says you dont have an internet connection. I didn't buy it for singleplayer.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →AI dumb as bricks. Either so easy not worth playing or AI pulling moves human can not. Always goes first and combat score doesn't matter. Started awesome, but as you learn the game and improve it gets boring an extremely repetitive. Every run feels almost the same and when you crank up the difficulty and play with expert AI they are not smarter just boosted with better tech. Uninstalled.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A regular game of hide and seek at Oliver's playgroup became unforgettable when he discovered someone special hiding near the slide. #humankind #uncle #nephew
neutral · AI labelView post →Battles and graphics are great. I bought the game a year after release, so my experience has been quite smooth and often bug-free. The gameplay flow feels great (I play on Fast/Normal, Humankind difficulty, Last human standing). However, you can gather era stars and advance quite fast regardless of game speed. I recommend using the More Era Star requirements mod. It slows down the pace, making you stay in an era for more than 10 turns, which prevents you from easily overwhelming the AI with…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is one of those cases I would really like to vote "Meh". Humankind is the 4X that challenged Civ, and failed. It has several unique mini-mechanics here and there (example: all ships can traverse the ocean, but the earlier ones got damaged for staying there), but let's be honest: it is essentially a carbon copy of its famous competitor. The main selling point of Humankind, which is the fact that you can switch culture during the game, only contribute to destroy the immersiveness of the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A better, more functional version of Civ7. Don't by that game. Enjoy this and then just place VI.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So far, i recommend it, i tried it several years ago when it first dropped and never comes back to it again, now after few DLC's and improvements its way better, coming from a huge Civ6 fan and after 100%ed Civ7 (the biggest slop) i can see myself playing HUMANKIND for longer than i expected.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →23Dec25 TLDR: At this price point, and having needed a game for me to play while traveling, the game is worth it. I’ve been contemplating buying this since it came out. I held off because of reviews reporting bugs, lack of content, poor mechanics, other games I thought I’d rather play, etc. Now, 4 years later, after all the patches, after all the DLC, and with a significant sale bringing the complete edition to ~$25, the game is worth it. I sunk 8 hours my first day and really enjoyed…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game has to be the definition of mid while still being fun - or rather it is really good in certain mechanics and sucks in others. The switching of Cultures with the large amount of choices and skills is great. Visually the game looks good, the combat itself is well thought out (but kinda slow at times). BUT, the war mechanic, while being more realistic just hinders progress if you dont completely outclass your opponent. If you dont manage to completely destroy a player you have to decide…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've played this type of game since the 90's but I like this one better than any version of Civilization I've ever played. Definitely worth purchasing.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Wow what a bargain! This game gave me nearly everything I had hoped to obtain from Civilization VII but was heartbroken not to receive there. It is like they anticipated Civ VII's intended outcome, and actually got there without ruining the game. Okay, so for much less money, it is not quite as beautifully rendered. But it remains a terrific sandbox game, as well as a solid 4X. There is only one win condition: fame. There are several end-of-game triggers, but the triggering player is…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A bit abstract and unintuitive at time as a massive fan of the 4x genre I think Humankind is the best 4x at creating plausible alt history. All of the civ choices are addative so it doesn't feel like my past 60 turns of history have been swept aside. the combat is great allowing you to be incredibly strategic even if the AI cannot keep up with that concept. And the graphics are phenominal In the later stages watching a train travel between your cities is the closest a game has ever made me feel…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a game made with a lot of love, and it shows in every aspect. If you enjoy 4x games this is something more than worth the price of admission.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The most disappointing 4x strategy game in the past 5 years. Major balancing issues have mostly been ignored in favor of pumping out DLC. If you're looking for a fresh experience away from Civilization, go try Old World or Frostpunk instead. They're much better.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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