Replay Value and the Joy of Rediscovery

Playing an old game can be a new experience — one that teaches you a little about your own life

Lately, I’ve been playing a lot of Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri, the 1999 science fiction spinoff of the legendary Civilization series. I’d really never expected to play this title again — it was one of several “archive” games in my GOG library, titles from my youth that I picked up for pocket change during sales solely so that I would always have access to them. But for a brief period, I had a minor obsession with Alpha Centauri that I’ve had a chance to re-examine.

My original copy was a second-hand disc that I bought in high school. It came with no box, no manual, not even the original case — just a CD in a plain jewel case, easily lost among others in the bin. What drew me to the game was Meier’s name first, the sci-fi setting (easily gleaned, even with just the screen printing on the disc) second, and it was an easy purchase to justify.

But actually playing the game was a trial. Alpha Centauri features more complex mechanics than the Civilization games of the time, and without proper documentation I really had no clue what I was doing. Yet I was determined, meandering numbly through one unfortunate game after another, picking up a little more about the mechanics…