How to Play Civitas (Formerly Pixels Online), Complete Beginner's Guide

What Is Civitas?

Civitas (previously known as Pixels Online) is a community-driven 4X strategy game built on the Immutable L2 blockchain. Developed by Directive Games, a studio staffed with veterans from CCP Games (EVE Online) and LucasArts, Civitas puts players in charge of building and managing their own cities in a persistent, player-driven world. The game combines classic city-building strategy with blockchain-based asset ownership and augmented reality features.

Honest 2026 Status: Development has been painfully slow. Despite raising $20 million and boasting a strong pedigree, Civitas has delivered very little playable content as of April 2026. There is no token launched yet, and the game remains in a very early state. The rebrand from Pixels Online to Civitas happened some time ago, and the official site is now playcivitas.io. If you are looking for a polished, fully playable experience right now, this is not it, but the team's background and funding suggest the project has not been abandoned outright.

Getting Started

What You Need

• A PC or smartphone (Civitas supports both platforms)
• A compatible Web3 wallet (MetaMask or similar that supports Immutable zkEVM)
• An internet connection
• Optional: Location services enabled on your phone for AR features

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Visit the official website at playcivitas.io and create an account.
2. Connect your wallet. You will need a wallet that supports the Immutable L2 network. MetaMask is the most common option. Add the Immutable zkEVM network to your wallet if you have not already.
3. Download the client if playing on PC, or access the mobile version through the app store links on the official site.
4. Complete the tutorial. The onboarding introduces you to the basics of city placement, resource gathering, and building construction.
5. Claim your starter plot. New players typically receive a basic land allocation to begin building on.

Core Gameplay Loop

Civitas follows the classic 4X formula, Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate, adapted for a persistent blockchain world:

• Explore: Scout the map to discover resource-rich territories and strategic locations. On mobile, the augmented reality mode lets you discover CITI tokens and unique resources through real-world geolocation.
• Expand: Grow your city by constructing buildings, upgrading infrastructure, and claiming additional territory.
• Exploit: Harvest resources, set up production chains, and trade with other players to fuel your city's growth.
• Exterminate: Engage in strategic conflicts with rival cities. Form alliances or go to war over contested resources and territory.

The game is designed to be played over long sessions with strategic planning, similar to Civilization or Anno series games but with persistent multiplayer and blockchain ownership of key assets.

Earning Mechanics

As of April 2026, Civitas has no live token and no functioning play-to-earn economy. Here is what has been discussed or planned:

• CITI Tokens: The planned in-game currency, discoverable through AR gameplay on mobile. Not yet tradeable.
• NFT Land Ownership: Land plots are intended to be NFTs on Immutable L2, giving players true ownership of their in-game territories.
• Resource Trading: The long-term vision includes player-to-player marketplaces for resources and crafted items.
• AR Discovery: The mobile AR mode is designed to reward exploration with tokens and rare resources, though this system remains limited.

Bottom line: Do not enter Civitas expecting to earn money. There is no token economy live yet, and any promises about future earning potential should be taken with extreme caution given the slow development pace.

Beginner Tips & Strategy

1. Focus on resource production first. Before expanding aggressively, ensure your existing city has a stable resource base.
2. Use the AR mode if available. Walking around in the real world to discover resources is a unique feature that can give you materials unavailable through standard play.
3. Join a community early. The Discord community is the best source of information since official documentation is sparse.
4. Do not invest real money yet. Given the early state of development, spending significant funds on NFT land or other assets carries substantial risk.
5. Learn from 4X veterans. If you have played Civilization, Anno, or EVE Online, many of the same strategic principles apply, economy before military, location matters, and diplomacy can be more powerful than force.

Common Issues & Solutions

Issue	Solution
Cannot connect wallet	Make sure you have added the Immutable zkEVM network to MetaMask. Check the official Discord for the correct chain ID and RPC settings.
AR mode not working	Ensure location services are enabled and you have a strong GPS signal. The AR features require outdoor use.
Slow loading or crashes	The game is still in early development. Try clearing your browser cache or reinstalling the client. Report bugs through official channels.
Cannot find other players	The player base is small given the early development state. Check Discord for active play sessions and community events.
Confused about rebrand	Pixels Online is now Civitas. All official activity happens at playcivitas.io. Ignore any old Pixels Online links.

FAQ

Q: Is Civitas free to play? A: The base game is intended to be free to play, though premium NFT land and assets may be available for purchase. Given the early state, there is not much to spend money on yet.

Q: What blockchain is Civitas on? A: Civitas migrated to Immutable L2 (zkEVM), which offers lower gas fees and better gaming infrastructure compared to Ethereum mainnet.

Q: Is this the same as the Pixels farming game? A: No. Despite the similar old name "Pixels Online," Civitas is a completely different project from the popular Pixels farming game on Ronin. The rebrand to Civitas was partly to reduce this confusion.

Q: When will the token launch? A: There is no confirmed date for the CITI token launch as of April 2026. The development timeline has been repeatedly delayed.

Q: Is this game dead? A: Not officially dead, but development has been extremely slow. The studio still has funding and experienced developers, but the lack of playable content after years of development is a legitimate concern.

Q: Should I buy Civitas NFTs? A: Exercise extreme caution. With no live token economy and limited playable content, any NFT purchase is highly speculative. Only spend what you can afford to lose entirely.