Heads up for anyone looking to pick up Civilization VI (Free) on the iPad. The game’s IAP is currently $29.99, and the sale ends tonight at midnight Pacific time (March 2nd at 3:00 AM EST), when the game will go back to its regular $59.99 price. Which is what the game normally costs on Steam, and this is practically the samae game, just fit onto iPad devices. The onyl feature you’re missing right now is online multiplayer. Aspyr has put in a ton of work for this port, and you can even pick up the Poland and Vikings DLC packs for the iPad version as well.

While there’s definitely a chance that the game will go on sale again, since it launched as a $29.99 IAP before going up to $59.99, you don’t know when that’s going to happen. So you’re possibly taking a risk by waiting. Thankfully, if you’re unsure if you want the game, the app is a free download where you can play 60 turns before having to pay. You do have to pay at least 30 bucks if you want the full game, but that makes a lot more financial sense for publishers and developers instead of doing freemium with a low-priced unlock. Also considering how intensive Civ VI can be on many of the iPads out there, it ensures that customers know the game works.

I’d love to see this business model work for Aspyr, and see them crow about it to the world. If games can sell for normal prices but also address users’ concerns about making sure they work and are fun beforehand…maybe there’s a brighter future for paid content on mobile after all? Or perhaps we are dealing with the nuclear waste that free-to-play dropped on mobile like Gandhi nuking his enemies in Civiliation VI.