Civilization IV

Civilization IV is an entry in the Civilization video game series. A major change from the prior Civilization III was the use of 3D graphics. It was developed by Firaxis Games and released in 2005. Like other games in the series, it takes on a 4X format. Players start out by building a city, and from there conducting research into new technologies, building units to explore and settle, improving the facilities of a city, and possibly engaging in conflict.

The game is well known for its opening theme, Baba Yetu, which was the first piece of video game music to win a Grammy Award as reported by NBC here.

You can get it on Steam for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS here, or for just Windows on GOG.com here. It has a webpage on the 2K Games Civilization website here. It was followed by Civilization V.

Tropes used in Civilization IV include:

Ancient Greece: The Greeks are a playable civilization led by Alexander the Great.
Ancient Rome: The Romans are a playable civilization led by Julius Caesar.
Easier Than Easy: Settler is an easier difficulty level than Chieftain, which is already described by the game as an easy mode.
Eagle Land: Players can build their own Eagle Land by playing as America. The default city names are based on real American cities such as Washington DC and New York City.
Experience Points: Units can gain experience points by beating other units.
The Fundamentalist: Isabella of the Spanish Empire greets the player by asking if they are righteous or heathens.
Harder Than Hard: Deity difficulty level, which is ranked harder than other hard difficulties such as Emperor or Immortal.
Historical Domain Character: Every civilization has a leader based on a notable real life representative. For example, the Americans are led by either Franklin D. Roosevelt or George Washington.
In Case You Forgot Who Wrote It: Sid Meier is prominently noted as a creator with the full official name of the game being Sid Meier's Civilization IV.
Level Editor: The world builder tool allows players to edit the map.
Level Map Display: Shown in the bottom right hand corner.
Narrator: One reads off a short passage or quote when a new technology is researched.
Scoring Points: Civilizations score points as a means of gauging progress as the game progresses.
Sickly Green Glow: The in-game Civilopedia entry for Uranium shows a green glow emanating from green crystalline rocks.
Tech Tree: Civilizations can research technologies that build off earlier tech.