Sid Meier’s Civilization VI is a 2016 strategy video game in which the player leads a historical civilization from 4000 BC to the present. The Civilization series is the subject of much scholarly writing, especially its representation of history and non- Western cultures. My work builds on Karen Cook’s research (2014) on the technological progress and American hegemonic identity signaled by Civilization IV’s soundtrack. I argue that the music in Civilization VI contributes to a Eurocentric teleological progress narrative of history inherent in the structure of the game: the idea that history is a story of inevitable and positive technological and cultural advancement. I examine the four-stage progression of each civilization’s theme music, including a case study on Egypt’s theme, as well as the representation of historical music and musicians in the game mechanics. This work is key to understanding what messages players glean from the game and enabling nuanced uses in education.
","abstract_html":"<p><em>Sid Meier’s Civilization VI</em> is a 2016 strategy video game in which the player leads a historical civilization from 4000 BC to the present. The <em>Civilization</em> series is the subject of much scholarly writing, especially its representation of history and non- Western cultures. My work builds on Karen Cook’s research (2014) on the technological progress and American hegemonic identity signaled by <em>Civilization IV</em>’s soundtrack. I argue that the music in <em>Civilization VI</em> contributes to a Eurocentric teleological progress narrative of history inherent in the structure of the game: the idea that history is a story of inevitable and positive technological and cultural advancement. I examine the four-stage progression of each civilization’s theme music, including a case study on Egypt’s theme, as well as the representation of historical music and musicians in the game mechanics. This work is key to understanding what messages players glean from the game and enabling nuanced uses in education.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Larner, Alec"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"M.A.","degree_level":"Masters Thesis","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Jack Sheinbaum","Mitchell Ohriner","Sean Friar","Christopher Coleman"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2023,"date_issued":"2023-08-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2023-08-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:01:39Z","subjects":["Sid Meier","Civilization VI","Video game","Music","Historical narrative","Historical music","Arts and Humanities","Game Design","History","Other Music"],"languages":["English (eng)"],"rights":["Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
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"],"dc:subject":["Sid Meier","Civilization VI","Video game","Music","Historical narrative","Historical music","Arts and Humanities","Game Design","History","Other Music"],"dc:title":["Historical Narrative in the Music of Sid Meier’s Civilization VI"],"thesis:degree_level":["Masters Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["M.A."]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:01:39Z"}