31 years later and here we are: Exploration—that half-remembered DOS relic from 1994—just got dropped on Steam.

31 years later and here we are: Exploration—that half-remembered DOS relic from 1994—just got dropped on Steam.

At a glance, you’ll say exactly what I did: “Wait, isn’t this just Civilization with a funny hat?” And yeah, it is. Civilization’s DNA is splattered all over this thing. But instead of starting in 4000 BC, Exploration throws you into 1492—ships creaking, sails snapping, bankers grinning, priests demanding tithes—basically the whole Age of Discovery cosplay kit.

The trouble is, Sid Meier had already beaten them to the punch. Colonization came out the same year. Same premise, tighter execution. Colonization became a classic. Exploration became a trivia question.

And here’s the kicker: MicroProse, the company that first published both Civ and Colonization, doesn’t even own them anymore. Civilization lives under Take-Two. Colonization is buried somewhere in Atari’s basement. Yet now MicroProse has re-emerged to re-publish… Exploration. The knockoff. That’s hilarious to me.

As for the game itself—hey, it’s got some charm. The VGA graphics pop with bright colors and painterly explorer mugs. You’ll meet Columbus, da Gama, James Cook—if you want to play history’s greatest colonizers, here’s your shot.

But the sound? Forgettable. Aside from the intro theme, you’ll mostly be listening to silence and a few stock effects. It controls the way it should: keyboard and mouse, no gamepad nonsense.

Back in ’94 critics were lukewarm. “Above average” was about as high as the praise went. PC Gamer said it was fun but added nothing new. Computer Game Review quipped that for a game called Exploration there wasn’t much to explore. That, right there, is a spicy take.

Now it’s back, dressed up for Steam, with an introductory price of C$7.19. Not bad if you’re curious about the also-rans of the 4X golden age. Civilization is the crown jewel. Colonization is the remembered sibling. Exploration? That’s the drunk cousin who just stumbled into the high school reunion after three decades.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3020300/Exploration/

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