The game is designed to be played with multiple players. Even in single player mode, you take turns against the computer which is technically a player in the game. There is no mode where you're just playing with yourself, I would not by any means consider it a single player game and that's by its nature. Basically a computerized board game that requires you to play against an opponent human or ai
If you're trying to argue that Civilization is a multiplayer game first, you're starting a losing battle. Civ was always and still is a single player game front and center.
You might not like that, but that's how the game has always been.
You take turns against other players, real or computer. Doesn't matter who's in control of the players, even since CIV 1 this is how the game works. It's turn based, by nature it's multiplayer. The game is literally designed as a multiplayer computerized board game. This is absolutely not a first player game front and center. A game like that would be pure single player experience like a Mario or Zelda game
Does it though? If all the players start on relatively equal footing with similar goals where only one can win, does it matter who is in control of the other players?
I will say, this topic also spurred a healthy discussion in my house. In the instance of civ, I firmly believe AI opponents who are playing the same game as you qualify it as inherently multiplayer even when playing alone.
Me either. Multiplayer games have multiple players playing. Wether the thinking is done digitally or organically makes no difference. It is possible to play a multiplayer game alone, that does not make it a single player game