Civilization 7takes some huge leaps for the series, and the one that really stands out is the new age system. This completely changes how a Civilization game plays out. You pick a leader at the start, then transition into the Exploration Age and Modern Age with a new Civilization. The new way you need to think about how your civilization develops over history introduces a lot of new strategies, units, world events, and much more.
We’ll be covering the absolute fundamentals of Civilization 7, as well as digging a bit deeper into some of the new mechanics. We’ll try to progress age-through-age to give you a full walkthrough of a game.
Updated June 09, 2025:We’ve updated this article to include additional information to help you get started with Civilization 7.
Starting The Game
Even before you start, there are some new options you need to consider -potentially game-changing decisions before you’ve even hit play.
First up, your leader and civilization.
Leader And Civilization
Unlike previous Civilization games,the leader and their civilization are no longer linked. Yes, that does mean you can play as Augustus of the Ming Dynasty, but before you shake your head at the historical inconsistency, let’s dig into why this is quite an interesting change to the series.
Each leader has a set of bonuses that will span across all three ages -Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern(don’t worry, more on these in a moment) - so picking the right one is pretty important.
Leaders have a natural inclination towards certain win conditions. You should consider what sort of victory you want to aim for before you even begin the game.
Civilizations, however, will change as the game progresses. For example, you may begin as Rome with its boosts to infantry production and culture gain, but in the Exploration Age you may switch Civilizations to something else.This has the potential to completely change the direction of your game.
For example, you may have spent more time as Rome building wonders and culture buildings and neglecting the military side of things. This means you may want to adjust your Exploration Age tactics to a Civilization more suited for culture gain.
With your leader and civilization decided, it’s time to think aboutMementos.
Mementos
Mementos are another new addition to Civilization 7. These are part of the game’smeta-progression, basically rewards that can be earned by playing the game, leveling up different leaders, and completing challenges.
you’re able to choosetwo Mementosto use at the beginning of the game. These can provide boosts that range from extraattribute pointsfor your leader, to providing extra gold for every 50 tiles you scout.
You can also change Mementos between Ages.
Mementos are usually color-coded to give you an idea of what sort of victory condition they lean into. Gold for an economic victory, red for military, and so on.
As you play the game, you’ll earn extra Mementos. Levelthreeandfivewill grant you Mementos from your leader levels, whereas completing challenges - like defeating the game - will also grant you new Mementos. Lastly, you can earn Mementos by leveling up the Civilization pass.
Getting Started In The Antiquity Age
Okay, the game has started - you’ve picked a leader and civilization and slotted any Mementos you might think will be good for the game. Now it’s time to settle your first city.
Unlike previous Civilization games, Settlers will notalwayssettle a city. Newly founded settlements will first become Towns, which you later need to convert with gold into cities.
However, your first Settler is a unique unit called aFounder.This instantly settles a city.
Your first city is the important choice in the game - and while the choice may seem pretty straightforward, sometimes it isn’t. You can use theSettler lenslocated in the tab above your map (it looks like a telescope) to see if the game has any suggestions for you.
Here are a few things to know about cities in Civ 7.
Fresh Water
One of the most important parts of settling your first city - and any towns after that - is the new Fresh Water system in Civilization 7. In previous games it’s always been a good idea to settle somewhatnearwater, mostly because it provides opportunities to explore the coast, have fertile lands, and construct certain World Wonders.
The benefits ofFresh Waterin Civilization 7 are barely explained. It doesn’t offer anythingthatsignificant other than aninitial happiness boostto the settlements you found on fresh water.
Culture, Gold, Science, Happiness, Influence
There are five types of income generated by your empire: Culture, Gold, Science, Happiness, and Influence. All of these can be seen on the top left of your screen.
Influence
Starting Strategies
The first ten or so turns are extremely important in Civilization 7. This is because of the newDiscoverysystem which has replaced the typical goodie huts or barbarian villages.
These are unique locations on the map that will grant powerful rewards when you walk over them with a unit.
You want to get as many of these as you possibly can, but you’re racing against other civilizations to collect them.
That’s why we always opt for the Scout rush strategy.
Early Scout Rush
The idea here is to produceat least two scoutsin your city as quickly as you can. Grab an early production tile, if you have one, and try to reduce the number of turns it takes to get a scout out the door.
Once you’ve got a scout, you can use theSearchfunction to quickly scan a large radius, highlighting Discoveries even through the fog of war. The search function is located on the unit card.Lookoutwill not highlight Discoveries.
Head straight towards them, making anyLuxurious Encampmentsyou see a priority - these often have the best rewards.
If you have good production, you can opt to go for the triple-scout rush. This will help you discover lots of Discoveries, nearby Independent Powers, and other civilizations nearby.
Production Is King
Early on you really want to focus onProductionin your capital, making sure to grab early production buildings like the Saw Pit and Brickyard.
As a result, you also want to grabAnimal HusbandryandPotteryfor their early production boost to these buildings.
you may use your towns to feed your capital food, which makes grabbing food-related buildings in your main city not as much of a pressing issue.
Independent Powers, Diplomacy, Warfare
Conflict is inevitable in Civilization 7, especially as you begin to encounter Independent Powers and Civilizations.
Independent Powers are this game’s city-states, and they can either spawn asHostileorFriendly.The type of Independent Power they are is marked by the icon next to their city name, so a coin for economic, a flask for science, etc. On standard speed, it costs170 Influenceto start to befriend an Independent Power.
Early on, the AI will start to aggressively spam you with Influence-related opportunities. These might be research collaborations, local festivals, or combat bonuses.Sometimes it makes sense to reject these in favour of saving Influence so as to befriend Independent Powers.
On harder difficulties like Immortal and Deity, the Independent Powers can be extremely aggressive. If you meet multiple hostile powers nearby, we recommend using some of your early production to build up some military.
Diplomacy
Diplomacy has received a total revamp in Civilization 7. You nowearn Influence per turnthat can be used to start diplomaticendeavorsandsanctionswith or against other players.
Even early on, the AI will start to spam you with various endeavors. You don’t need to accept them all. However, some of these can be beneficial - like a research collaboration to boost your early science.
Playing adiplomatic gameis more viable than ever in Civilization 7, especially at the harder difficulty levels. With enough Influence generation, you can essentially stop enemies from attacking you by rejecting their hostile sanctions.
Warfare
The map in Civilization 7 gets small very quickly. By that we mean that that neighboring Civilization might seem far away when the game begins, but within just a few turns you’ll be right next to each other.
The AI in Civ 7 is generally aggressive, andyou must build troopsto survive early aggression.
Thankfully, there are a lot of ways to play both defensively and offensively - mostly thanks to the new Army Commander unit.
Army Commanders
Army Commanders are a brand-new addition to Civilization 7, and they bring so much to combat. They help to remove micromanagement by enabling you tostack multiple units on one tileand move them as one, as well as provide significant combat buffs via apromotion system.
Units no longer receive promotions in Civilization 7. Instead, Commanders receive all experience and promotions, and retain their levels between Ages.This makes them one of the most important units in the game.
Army Management
The Army Commander has a variety of useful promotions - some, such as theAssault promotion, allowing units to immediately move after being deployed by your Commander.
Alternatively, you could opt for theFortification tree- this is particularly useful if you’re playing a defensive game.
Commanders can even be useful if you’re not playing a military game, as they can providebuffs and bonuses to cities and districts.
Learning how to use Army Commanders properly takes a bit of time to get used to, as it’s a new system for the series.
Cheesing The Peace Negotiation
Opposing AI players areextremely keen on handing over their cities during peace negotiations. Even if you’re caught up in a bloody slog against an enemy empire, try and see if you can snatch up one or even two of their cities when you propose peace.
We’re not 100 percent sure how this is calculated, but typically we see thiscommonly occur when we have a significant military advantage. Just proposing peace can save you a lot of time, especially if you have no interest in wiping out the entire enemy empire.
Exploration And Modern Age Commanders
While you first start to trainArmy Commandersin the Antiquity Age, you’ll also gain access toFleet Commanders(naval commander units) in the Exploration Age, andSquadron Commanders(aircraft commanders) in the Modern Age.
Religion Doesn’t Get Properly Started Until The Exploration Age
Unlike previous Civilization games, religion doesn’t play a major part in your early plans. You are able to constructAltarsand choose apantheon, but don’t worry about trying to found a religion with a Great Prophet or anything like that.
Religion instead arrives properly in the Exploration Age. Here you’ll need to research thePietycivic. Then you’ll be able to construct temples and produce missionaries to spread your religion across the globe.
Religion can provide some powerful benefits to your empire - like extra gold, culture, and more - and it’s actually a key part of acultural victoryin the Exploration Age as you attempt to collect as many relics as you can.Relics are primarily earned via religion.
Civilization Change And Stacking Bonuses
The biggest change in Civilization is the ability to change to another civilization between Ages. This is, in fact, a forced interaction. The game may prompt you to follow historical or geographical connections between two civilizations, but you have total freedom to play whatever you want.
For example, in a recent military game, we started as Rome, took over half the continent, and then switched to the Mongolian empire in the Exploration Age to create a horde of Keshigs and wipe out the other half.
At any given point in the game, you shouldalways be thinking about your next victory condition.If you’ve spent the previous age building up a science economy, you should lean into science for the next age. There are so many variables here, it’s basically impossible to provide a concrete answer to “What is the best Civilization?”.
Victory Conditions - What Should You Aim For?
Certain leaders and civilizations have a natural inclination towardscertain victory conditions. You should also consider each age has its own standalone victory, and your civilization choice should reflect that.
For example, let’s say we take Amina in the Antiquity Age and hit an Economic Golden age.Gold is flexible in Civilization 7. You could transition into a Science victory condition for the next age using your robust economy.
However, you may have aimed for a military victory as Rome in the Antiquity. It makes sense to continue leaning into your military dominance in the next age.
The key is to understand which leaders and civilizations excel at certain victory conditions.
The Age System - Crisis And Transition
The game is broken up into three ages:Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern.
Antiquity is all about establishing your empire and aiming for a golden age victory. At the end of the era, you will be faced with a crisis. This might be a plague or a swarm of hostile independent city-states spawning on your borders. We cover this age more in-depth in our Antiquity Age guide.
The Exploration Age opens up deep ocean exploration, allowing you to meet civilizations from another continent andcollect Treasure Fleet resources. You can also spread religion. You’ll also face another crisis at the end of the age. We cover this age more in-depth here.
The Modern Age is the conclusion of the game, allowing for hugemilitary expansion, scientific space races, and cultural dominance with artifacts.We cover this age more in-depth here.
City Management And Resources
As your empire grows, so will your borders. You can settle new towns as you expand. Towns can not use a typical production queue and must be upgraded to cities to allow access to this feature.
Towns can be converted to cities at the cost of gold. This cost is reduced according to how many buildings you’ve purchased in the town.
Town specialization iscrucial,as any yields from the towns are distributed back to your cities. For example, you may establish a new town along a fertile river - that’s a farming town. Alternatively, you may be in an area dense with mines, which means you should turn it into a mining town.
Resource Management
Resources work a little bit differently in Civilization 7. There are three types of resources in the Antiquity Age: city resources, bonus resources, and empire resources.
City resourcescan only be slotted inside city slots on the resource management screen.Bonus resourcescan be slotted anywhere.Empire resourcesapply to your entire civilization and can’t be slotted.
In the Exploration Age, you gain access to Treasure Fleet resources, which will spawn a Treasure Fleet when connected to a city, and you’ve researchedShipbuilding.
In the Modern Age, you’ll gain access toFactoriesandfactoryresourceswhich must be slotted inside a Factory. Once you’ve built one and placed a factory resource you can then fill any other remaining slots with the same resource. This allows forsignificant specialization of your cities and towns.
