Civilization VI, the latest installment in the iconic Civilization franchise from Firaxis Games, offers a captivating and immersive strategy experience. Released in 2016, the game has captivated players worldwide with its intricate gameplay, detailed graphics, and vast content. This comprehensive guide aims to provide a thorough understanding of Civilization VI, exploring its features, strategies, and the expansive universe Firaxis Games has created.

Gameplay Overview

Civilization VI, like its predecessors, is a turn-based strategy game where players guide a civilization through history, from humble beginnings to global dominance. The game features a vast array of civilizations, each with unique leaders, units, and abilities. Players must carefully manage resources, build cities, wage war, and advance their civilization through technological advancements and diplomatic negotiations.

Key Features

Active Research: Instead of a passive tree, players now actively research technologies and civics, allowing for strategic choices and customization.
New City-States: City-states play a more significant role, providing bonuses, quests, and unique rewards when allied.
Loyalty System: Cities can now gain or lose loyalty, influencing their productivity and potential for rebellion.
Governors: Players can assign governors to cities to enhance their capabilities and specialize them for specific roles.
Reworked Religion System: Religion has been overhauled, with beliefs and followers providing powerful bonuses and strategic advantages.
Improved AI: The AI has been enhanced, making opponents more challenging and providing a more engaging experience.

Strategy and Tactics

Choosing the right civilization and developing effective strategies are crucial for success in Civilization VI. Here are some key tips to consider:

Strategy	Description
Early Game Focus: Focus on expanding and securing resources, building a strong economy, and researching key technologies.
Science and Culture Victory: Prioritize scientific and cultural advancements to achieve victory through knowledge and influence.
Military Domination: Build a powerful army and conquer other civilizations to secure territory and achieve victory through force.
Diplomatic Victory: Establish alliances, negotiate treaties, and influence world congress votes to win through diplomacy.
Religious Victory: Spread your religion globally and convert other civilizations to win through spiritual dominance.

Civilizations and Leaders

Civilization VI features a wide range of civilizations, each with unique characteristics and playstyles. The following table provides a brief overview of some notable civilizations:

Civilization	Leader	Unique Ability
America	Theodore Roosevelt	Rough Riders: Combat units gain bonus strength when fighting on their own continent.
China	Qin Shi Huang	Great Wall: Builders can construct Great Wall segments, providing defensive bonuses and trade routes.
England	Victoria	Pax Britannica: Cities gain bonus production when constructing Wonders.
France	Catherine de Medici	Château: Unique district that provides culture, tourism, and diplomatic favor.
Germany	Frederick Barbarossa	Holy Roman Empire: Gain bonus faith and production for adjacent Holy Sites and Commercial Hubs.

Expanding the Universe

Firaxis Games has continued to expand the Civilization VI experience with a series of expansions and updates. These include:

Rise and Fall: Introduces loyalty mechanics, governors, and new civilizations.
Gathering Storm: Adds natural disasters, climate change, and new civilizations.
New Frontier Pass: A series of six DLC packs that add new civilizations, game modes, and gameplay enhancements.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What are the system requirements for Civilization VI?

PC: Windows 7 64-bit, Intel Core i5-2500K or AMD FX-8350, 8GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 or AMD Radeon R9 290X
Mac: macOS 10.11, Intel Core i5-2500K, 8GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 775M or AMD Radeon R9 M290X

Q: How many civilizations are in Civilization VI?

The base game features 20 civilizations. With all expansions and DLC, the number of civilizations increases to 53.

Q: What is the best strategy for winning in Civilization VI?

There is no single best strategy, as it varies based on the chosen civilization and playstyle. However, focusing on early expansion, building a strong economy, and developing effective military, scientific, or cultural capabilities are key elements of success.

Civilization V: Firaxis Games

Civilization V is a turn-based strategy video game developed by Firaxis Games and the fifth installment in the Civilization series. Released in 2010, the game places players in control of a civilization, guiding it through the ages from the Stone Age to the Modern Era. Players build cities, manage resources, engage in diplomacy and warfare, and pursue various victory conditions to establish their empire as the most dominant in the world.

Civilization V introduces several new features and gameplay mechanics, including an improved combat system, a more detailed research tree, and a new espionage system. The game also features a wide variety of civilizations, each with its own unique leaders, abilities, and playstyles. Additionally, the game includes support for multiplayer modes, allowing players to compete or cooperate with others in order to achieve victory.

Civilization IV, Firaxis Games

Civilization IV, developed by Firaxis Games, is a turn-based strategy game where players guide a civilization through history. Players can choose from 18 civilizations, each with unique abilities and starting bonuses. The game introduces a new concept of religion, allowing players to found or convert to different religions, which provide bonuses and can spread to neighboring cities.

Civilization IV’s gameplay involves exploring, expanding, exploiting, and exterminating (the "4 Xs"). Players can build cities, engage in diplomacy and trade, engage in warfare, and develop their civilization’s culture and technology. The game’s victory conditions include conquest, diplomacy, culture, and science.

Civilization IV was critically acclaimed upon its release in 2005 for its deep gameplay, challenging AI, and extensive modding community. It remains a popular and influential strategy game, considered one of the best in the Civilization series.

Civilization III, Firaxis Games

Civilization III is a turn-based strategy game developed by Firaxis Games and published by Infogrames. Released in 2001, it is the third installment in the Civilization series and a sequel to Civilization II. The game allows players to control a civilization from the dawn of time to the modern era, developing their cities, researching new technologies, and expanding their empire through diplomacy, trade, or warfare. Civilization III introduces several new features, including the ability to build wonders, establish trade routes, and create custom civilizations. The game also features a new AI system that provides a more challenging experience for players. Civilization III was a critical and commercial success, winning numerous awards and selling over 2 million copies worldwide. It is considered one of the best strategy games of all time.

Civilization II: Firaxis Games

Civilization II, a turn-based strategy video game from Firaxis Games, is a sequel to the critically acclaimed Civilization. The game offers an expanded range of civilizations, leaders, and technologies to choose from, allowing players to explore different historical eras and cultural perspectives.

Civilization II introduces several new features, including diplomacy, which enables players to form alliances and trade with other civilizations. It also features an improved AI system, more nuanced city management options, and a larger world map. Players can conquer territories, establish cities, and engage in diplomatic and military conflicts to achieve victory through conquest, culture, or diplomacy.

Civilization I, Firaxis Games

Civilization I, released in 1991 by Firaxis Games, is a turn-based strategy video game that simulates the development of a civilization from prehistory to the modern era. Players control one of 16 civilizations and lead them through a series of technological, cultural, and political advancements. The game features a hexagonal map, random world generation, and a variety of unit types, buildings, and wonders. Civilization I is known for its deep strategy, addictive gameplay, and its influential role in popularizing the 4X genre (explore, expand, exploit, exterminate). It has been critically acclaimed and remains popular among strategy gamers today.

Civilization: Beyond Earth, Firaxis Games

Civilization: Beyond Earth is a turn-based strategy game released by Firaxis Games. Set in the distant future, players lead humanity as it colonizes an alien world. The game introduces new gameplay mechanics, such as affinity choices and terraforming, while retaining the core gameplay elements of the Civilization series. Players explore their environment, establish cities, research technologies, and engage in diplomacy and warfare to build a thriving civilization and shape the future of Earth on a new planet.

Civilization VI: Gathering Storm, Firaxis Games

Civilization VI: Gathering Storm is the second major expansion for the popular turn-based strategy game Civilization VI. The expansion introduces several new features and changes to gameplay, including:

Natural Disasters: Natural disasters, such as hurricanes, floods, and volcanoes, can now occur in the game. These disasters can damage cities and tiles, and can even cause units to be lost. Players must plan for and mitigate these disasters in order to survive.
Climate Change: Climate change is a new threat to the world of Civilization VI. As the game progresses, the climate will change, causing sea levels to rise and temperatures to increase. This can lead to flooding, coastal erosion, and other problems for civilizations that are not prepared.
World Congress: The World Congress is a new diplomatic body that allows players to vote on resolutions that can affect the entire game. These resolutions can cover a wide range of issues, from environmental protection to military intervention.

Civilization V: Gods & Kings, Firaxis Games

Firaxis Games’ Civilization V: Gods & Kings expansion enhances the base game with numerous additions and improvements. It introduces new civilizations, religion, spies, and a revamped combat system. The new civilizations include the Dutch, which excel in trade and naval warfare, and the Maya, known for their astronomy and calendar. Religion allows players to establish beliefs, build holy sites, and spread their faith, with bonuses and penalties depending on how well they manage their religious influence. Spies can be used for espionage, sabotage, and covert operations. The combat system is reworked with new unit types, formations, and terrain effects to provide more tactical depth. Gods & Kings also adds new wonders, scenarios, and diplomatic options, expanding the gameplay options and strategic possibilities.

Civilization IV: Warlords, Firaxis Games

Civilization IV: Warlords is an expansion pack for Sid Meier’s Civilization IV. It introduces new features, including:

Warlords: Leaders can now become Warlords, giving them special abilities and bonuses in combat.
Espionage: Players can now spy on other civilizations, gaining information and sabotage capabilities.
Corporations: Players can now establish corporations, which provide economic bonuses and can be used to influence other civilizations.
New Civilizations: The expansion pack includes six new civilizations: the Babylonians, Carthaginians, Koreans, Persians, Spanish, and Vikings.
New Units: Warlords introduces several new units, including the Legion, Musketman, and Gatling Gun.
New Buildings: The expansion pack also includes several new buildings, including the Oracle, the Great Library, and the Stock Exchange.

Civilization IV: Warlords adds depth and complexity to the base game, making it a must-have for fans of the series.

Civilization III: Play the World, Firaxis Games

Civilization III: Play the World is a turn-based strategy game that allows players to build their own civilizations and compete against others for global supremacy. Players can choose from 20 different civilizations, each with its own unique strengths and weaknesses. The game features a variety of different maps, scenarios, and game modes, so players can customize their experience to suit their own preferences.

Civilization III: Play the World includes a number of new features and improvements over its predecessors. These include a new AI system that makes the computer-controlled opponents more challenging, a new diplomacy system that allows players to negotiate with other civilizations, and a new trade system that allows players to buy and sell resources. The game also features a new graphical engine that provides stunning visuals and a more immersive experience.

Civilization III: Play the World is a deep and complex strategy game that offers a lot of replayability. It’s a great choice for both experienced strategy gamers and newcomers to the genre.

Civilization II: Test of Time, Firaxis Games

"Civilization II: Test of Time" is a turn-based strategy game released by Firaxis Games in 2005. As a modernized version of the classic "Civilization II," the game features improved graphics, gameplay enhancements, and a new timeline system. Players take control of a civilization and guide its development from ancient times to the modern era, conquering territories, building cities, advancing technology, and engaging in diplomacy and warfare. The game offers various civilizations with unique abilities, multiple difficulty levels, and a vast world map to explore and conquer. "Civilization II: Test of Time" has been highly acclaimed for its strategic depth, engaging gameplay, and historical accuracy.

Civilization I: Wonders of the World

Civilization I: Wonders of the World is a turn-based strategy game released in 1991 by Firaxis Games. Players control a civilization through various eras of history, starting from a single city-state and developing it into a global empire. The game features various aspects of civilization building, including technological research, city management, unit production, and diplomacy.

A notable feature of Civilization I is its focus on Wonders of the World. These iconic structures, such as the Great Pyramid and the Statue of Liberty, provide powerful benefits to the civilization that builds them. Players must carefully manage their resources and strategize to secure these Wonders, as they can significantly impact the outcome of the game.

Civilization I: Wonders of the World was a pioneer in the turn-based strategy genre and has influenced countless subsequent titles. Its simple yet engaging gameplay, combined with its emphasis on historical accuracy, made it a classic among strategy enthusiasts.