A computer gamer says he has been playing the same strategy game for 10 years - and turned the world into a "hellish nightmare of suffering and devastation". The Civilisation 2 player, who calls himself Lycerius, posted on Reddit that he's been playing the same game in fits and spurts for over a decade. The Civilisation series allows users to make nations, develop new technology and battle for territory and the hearts and minds of computer citizens. Lycerius wrote: "Naturally I play other games and have a life, but I often return to this game when I'm not doing anything and carry on."

His virtual world is now approaching the year 4000AD and is dominated by just three remaining superpowers "each competing for the scant resources left". "Roughly 90% of the world's population has died either from nuclear annihilation or famine caused by the global warming that has left absolutely zero arable land to farm," he said. All of the three powers left - the Celts, the Vikings and the Americans - have been engaged constant war for about 1700 years, he said. "I was forced to do away with democracy roughly a thousand years ago because it was endangering my empire," he continued.

"But of course the people hate me now and every few years since then, there are massive guerrilla uprisings in the heart of my empire that I have to deal with which saps resources from the war effort. "Peace seems to be impossible. Every time a ceasefire is signed, the Vikings will surprise attack me or the Americans the very next turn, often with nuclear weapons."