Project: Pocket Civ
Author: Shawn McCaffrey
Official Site: pocketciv.radioxy.com
Platform: Palm O/S 3.1+ (Runs on all Palm handhelds, dating back to the Palm III and the Handspring Visor. Works great on a modern PDA/phone like the Treo 650!)
Development: Currently a closed project; not accepting new developers.
(2002) Goal: Ideally, to create a game that's as close to Sid Meier's Civilization (Civ1) as possible on a hand-held device. Realistically, to develop a civ-like game having some degree of playability, but lacking many of the elements of the PC game. The ultimate goal of creating a Civ1 clone is more of an abstract destination; it's the journey that counts.
Copyright: Copyright (c) 2002-2008 Shawn McCaffrey, All Rights Reserved.

Updated 5-2-08!

Download Version 13 (latest version) 386K
Download Version 12 346K
Download Version 11 310K
Download Version 10 229K
Download Version 9 209K
Download Version 8
Download Version 7
Download Version 6
Download Version 5
Download Version 4
Download Version 3
Download Version 2
Download Version 1

Version History

v1 - Apr 16, 02
The world consists of a 39x39 grid of grassland. The hero plays the English. The only unit is Settlers, and there's no combat. Your settlers can build cities - and that's it. Cities produce settlers faster as their population grows.


Your capitol city at the dawn of time

About the only thing to do is wander around until you find the French.


Contact with the French!

Features: fog of war, re-centering screen. Known bugs include incorrect screen redraws.

v2 - Jan 15, 05
The first update in 3 years!


Paris is undefended, and ripe for capture!

Features: Settler vs. Settler combat. Since settlers are still the only unit, they act as 1/1/1 for this version only. Cities can be captured. Units can be sentried, fortified, told to wait, disband, or be given no orders for the turn.
v3 - Jan 21, 05


Liverpool's only hope is a catapult forced to use its weak defence!


Wow, it won! Anything can happen in Pocket Civ...

Features: Military units - one offensive and one defensive. The calendar year now shows the passage of time.

Be careful when defending in this version - there are no defense bonuses for fortifying or being in a city.

v4 - Nov 23, 05
Features: a 50% defense bonus for fortified units, and GoTo. The GoTo really makes the game a lot less tedious once you get a lot of units!

To use the GoTo feature, click G, then use the world map (mini map) to find the general area of your destination, then click on the main map to tell the unit where to go.

v5 - Aug 10, 06


An ocean near London

Features: Oceans. Some instructions and welcome text. Building a settler reduces the city population by 1. Automatically filed under Games.

Bug: Opening CivStats while the End of Turn button is showing caused a crash (fixed in v6)

v6 - Aug 13, 06


Features: Color!!
v7 - Jan 15, 07


City Screen


London is defended by two catapults and one phalanx

Features: a city screen, allowing you to choose what to build. Cities can be renamed. Show defending unit when attacked.

When more than one unit is present at the same location, you can pick which unit to activate.

v8 - Jan 28, 07


The first tech tree


At least one other unit occupies the same square as the Knight

Features: All land-based military units. Now available: Armour, Artillery, Cannon, Catapult, Cavalry, Chariot, Knight, Legion, MechInf, Militia, Musketeers, Phalanx, Riflemen, and Settlers.

Science. The first mini tech tree is introduced, allowing the discovery of each unit.

Resume Course. Got held up by some enemy units along the way to your destination? No need to GoTo again. Find it under the Orders menu.

Show stacked units.

v9 - Apr 8, 07


Roads link London, Liverpool, and Birmingham

Features: Roads. Choice of Random World or EARTH.
v10 - May 14, 07


City walls protect London

Features: City Improvements - knowledge, production and defence-related.

New Tech Tree:

TechRequiresAllows
NoneNoneMilitia, Settlers
Bronze WorkingNonePhalanx
Horseback RidingNoneCavalry
The WheelNoneChariot
MasonryNoneCity Walls
PotteryNoneGranary
AlphabetNoneNothing
AutomobileMetallurgy, The WheelArmour
ConscriptionGunpowder, UniversityRiflemen
ChivalryHorseback Riding, WritingKnight
GunpowderIron Working, ConstructionMusketeers
Iron WorkingBronze WorkingLegion
TechRequiresAllows
Labor UnionAutomobile, WritingMech Inf
MathematicsAlphabet, MasonryCatapult
RoboticsUniversity, ElectronicsMfg. Plant, Artillery
WritingAlphabetLibrary
ConstructionMasonry, Bronze WorkingNothing
IndustrializationMathematics, The WheelFactory
ElectronicsGunpowder, UniversityHydro Plant
Nuclear PowerElectronics, AutomobileNuclear Plant
RefiningUniversity, The WheelCoal Plant
UniversityMathematics, WritingUniversity
MetallurgyGunpowder, UniversityCannon
v11 - Oct 14, 07


Choose a civilization to play


The Aztecs capture the Russian capitol early in the game

Features: Multiple Civilizations. Choose which Civilization to lead, then play against just one or up to all 6 at once.

Each civilization you can encounter plays with a slightly different style. They are: The Aztecs, Babylonians, Chinese, English, French, Mongols, and Russians.

Cities lose population when attacked. The city screen is now accessible from the City Advisor. (Makes it convenient to change what's building in several cities at once!)

v12 - Mar 2, 08


Make peace with your neighbours... or declare war


Review your diplomatic positions

Features: Diplomacy. Use gold or the spectre of military force to negotiate peace treaties with other civilizations.

New end-of-game features: Have a last look around before starting another game. See a graph showing the relative power of each civilization, and reveal the map to see just where the Aztecs had been hiding all that time...

Treo buttons. Optionally use the keys on your Treo or Centro for basic unit actions. (Build, Fortify, Sentry, etc.) Many actions, including unit movement, still require tapping on the screen though.

New city improvement: Aqueduct. (requires Construction)

Gold. Used for maintainence fees and diplomacy.

Bugs: 2 crash bugs found (fixed in v13)

v13 - May 2, 08


Assign workers to the surrounding terrain

Features: Workers. The amount of food, production, and trade earned each turn is now determined by the placement of workers surrounding each city.

By default, this is taken care of automatically. Auto-placement can be toggled by tapping on the city square in the center of the worker area on the city screen. Placing a worker manually will turn off auto-placement. If you don't like micro-management, just leave it on Auto.

Trade contributes to science and gold. Oceans offer more trade but less food and no production. Roads increase trade.