Sid Meier's Civilization VI Getting Started guide screenshot

Getting Started

Getting Started with Sid Meier's Civilization VI



Your First Hour: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough



Civilization VI is a deep turn-based strategy game where you guide a civilization from the Stone Age to the Space Age. As a brand-new player, your first hour sets the foundation for your entire game. Follow this walkthrough:

1. Launch the Game and Start a New Game
- From the main menu, select Single Player > Play Now (or New Game for more settings).
- Play Now uses default settings (Continents map, Prince difficulty, standard speed) – ideal for beginners.
- If you click New Game, leave most settings default. Choose a simple civilization like Rome (Trajan) or Egypt (Cleopatra) – they have straightforward bonuses.

2. Choosing Your Civilization ("Character Creation")
- There is no traditional character creator. You select a historical leader, each with unique bonuses, units, and buildings.
- For your first game, pick Rome (Trajan). Bonuses: +1 Production per city (from the start), free monument in every city, and stronger roads. Very newbie-friendly.
- Avoid advanced civs like Germany (district-focused) or Japan (requires careful placement).

3. The First Turn – Spawning & Settling
- Your starting Settler and Warrior appear somewhere on the map. The game suggests a settle location (white hex with a blue circle).
- Before moving your Settler, move your Warrior one or two hexes to scout the immediate area. Look for:
- Fresh water: River, lake, or oasis (without fresh water, your city will grow slowly).
- Good terrain: Plains (2 food, 2 production) are best. Avoid tundra and desert.
- Avoid moving your Settler more than 2-3 hexes – it's risky and wastes turns.
- Once you find a good spot, click the Settler and then the Found City button (looks like a tent) on the hex. Name your capital (default is fine).

4. First City Production & Tech Choice
- After founding, the city screen opens. Your city will start building a Scout by default. Keep this – Scouts are vital for exploring.
- Research: Open the tech tree (top-left corner, lightbulb icon). Research Pottery first – it unlocks the Holy Site district and allows farms (more food).
- Civic Tree: Open the civic tree (top-left, wings icon). Research Code of Laws – it grants your first government policy card (usually choose God King for +1 Faith early).

5. Turn 2-20: Exploration & Early Build Order
- Warrior movement: Scout in one direction until you encounter other civs or city-states. Hug hills for better vision.
- Scout movement: When the Scout finishes, send it in the opposite direction. Put it on "/explore" mode (right-click map with Scout selected, but manual is better).
- Build order:
1. Scout (already in progress)
2. Builder (worker) – after Scout, build a Builder to improve tiles.
3. Monument (optional) – but Rome gets it free, so build a Slinger (ranged unit) instead.
- Important: Do not build more than 2-3 units early. You need an army but not too many – they cost gold maintenance.

6. First 30 Turns: Found Second City & Meet Others
- After researching Pottery and then Writing, start building a Settler in your capital once it reaches population 2 (around turn 25-30).
- When the Settler finishes, send it with a Warrior escort to a new location. Look for fresh water again.
- Meanwhile, explore to find city-states and other civs. Sending a delegation (diplomacy) costs 25 gold – worth it to build relations.
- Tip: Do not declare war or provoke anyone in the first 60 turns.

Controls Across All Platforms



Civilization VI is available on PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and mobile (iOS/Android). Controls vary slightly but the core actions are similar.

#### PC / Mac / Linux (Keyboard & Mouse)
  • Left-click: Select unit/building;

  • Right-click: Move unit, attack (if enemy tile), or open context menu;

  • Mouse Wheel: Zoom in/out;

  • W/A/S/D: Scroll map;

  • Escape: Open menu/back;

  • B: Activate a unit’s action (e.g., Builder improvements);

  • N: Next unit;

  • F1: Empire overview;

  • F2: Tech tree;

  • F3: Civics tree;

  • F4: Culture overview;

  • Enter: End turn.


    • #### Xbox & PlayStation (Controller)
  • Left Stick: Move cursor;

  • Right Stick: Scroll map;

  • A (Xbox) / X (PS): Confirm/select;

  • B / Circle: Cancel/back;

  • Y / Triangle: Open action/unit menu;

  • X / Square: Quick unit action (e.g., fortify, plant forest);

  • RB/R1 + LB/L1: Cycle through units/cities;

  • View/Select: Open empire overview;

  • Menu/Options: Game menu.


    • #### Nintendo Switch
  • Same as Xbox/PS but with A (confirm), B (back), X (quick action), Y (action menu).

  • ZL/ZR to scroll map faster.


    • #### Mobile (iOS/Android)
  • Tap to select and move; drag to scroll; pinch to zoom.

  • Bottom toolbar has action buttons for current unit.


    • UI Overview – Key Elements



    When you start a game, the screen shows:

  • Top Bar:

    • - Left: Civ name, leader icon, and gold, science, culture, faith, and diplomatic favor totals (in that order from left).
    - Right: Turn counter, time, and achievements.
  • Bottom Panel:

    • - Left: Mini-map (click to expand).
    - Center: Current unit/city action buttons (e.g., move, attack, found city).
    - Right: End Turn button (big arrow).
  • Left Side Icons (vertical):

    • - Tech Tree (lightbulb)
    - Civics Tree (wings)
    - Great People (star)
    - Religion (scroll) – only after founding a religion
    - Government (palace)
    - Trade Routes (cart)
    - Envoy screen (flag)
    - Empire lens (cog)
  • Right Side:

    • - Notifications (events, diplomatic messages) appear as small pop-up boxes. Click to see.
    - Combat preview (when selecting an enemy unit).
  • City Banner: Colored bar on each city with health bar, culture/growth progress.


    • Pro tip: Mouse over any icon to see a tooltip explaining it.

    Essential Early Objectives (First 50 Turns)



    1. Settle your capital on fresh water – No fresh water = -2 Food per turn. Huge penalty.
    2. Explore with Scout and Warrior – Map knowledge = better decisions. Encountering city-states early gives a free envoy.
    3. Improve a tile with a Builder – Build a farm on a wheat/rice tile (3 food) or a mine on a hill (2 production).
    4. Found a second city – Ideally before turn 40. More cities = more production.
    5. Meet at least one other civ and one city-state – Send delegation (25 gold) to the first civ you meet to boost diplomacy.
    6. Choose a pantheon (around turn 10-20) – When you get enough Faith, pick a pantheon belief. "Religious Settlements" (free Settler) is excellent for beginners or "Fertility Rites" (faster growth).
    7. Research Writing – Unlocks Campus district (science) and ability to build libraries.

    What to Do First & What to Avoid



    #### ✅ Do This First (In Order)
    1. Move Scout and Warrior to explore.
    2. Settle city on first turn or after one move.
    3. Start building a Scout.
    4. Research Pottery.
    5. Send delegation to first meeting.
    6. Build a Builder.
    7. Improve tiles (farm, mine).
    8. Research Writing.
    9. Build a Settler as soon as population hits 2.
    10. Place your first district (Campus or Holy Site).

    #### ❌ Avoid These Mistakes
  • Don't settle without fresh water – unless you have no choice (reload the game or accept slow growth).

  • Don't build too many military units early – they drain gold. Stick to 2-3 units until you have 3 cities.

  • Don't ignore amenities – If your city is unhappy (frowning face), growth stops. Have at least one Luxury resource improved.

  • Don't try to build every wonder – Wonders are risky. Only try one early wonder if you have strong production.

  • Don't declare war without a plan – Early wars are costly and distract from development.

  • Don't neglect science – Research is king. Always have a tech in progress.

  • Don't let your Scout die – They are fragile. Keep them away from barbarians.


    • Early Resource Priorities



    | Resource | Priority | Why?
    |----------|----------|------
    | Food | Highest | Grows your city population. More pop = more districts and production.
    | Production | Highest | Builds everything faster. Focus on hills and mines.
    | Science | High | Unlocks better units, buildings, and improvements.
    | Culture | Medium | Unlocks civics (policies, governments). Important but not as urgent as science early.
    | Gold | Medium | Pays for unit maintenance, bribes, and upgrades. Don't overspend.
    | Faith | Low-Medium | Needed for religion. If not going for religion, ignore until later.

    Golden rule: Always work the best tiles. In the city screen, you can lock tiles to prioritize food if city is starving, or production if you need a building fast.

    Common Beginner Mistakes & How to Avoid Them



    1. Moving units too far away – Units take damage if they end turn outside your borders without heal support. Keep Warriors near your cities.
    2. Not checking the "Lens" views – Click the lens icon (bottom-left) to see yield, appeal, or resources. Use "Settler" lens when placing cities.
    3. Forgetting to improve tiles – An unimproved tile gives only 1 food and 1 production. A farm raises food, a mine raises production. Builders are critical.
    4. Not paying attention to barbarians – Barbarian camps spawn scouts that reveal your cities. If you see a red scout near your city, kill it before it returns to camp or it will spawn raiders. Keep a unit near your city to intercept.
    5. Overbuilding districts – You can only build one district per population. Don't start districts if city is small – grow first.
    6. Ignoring the civic tree – Civics unlock policies. Always research a civic (like Code of Laws, then Early Empire).
    7. Clicking "End Turn" without reviewing notifications – Check for events (e.g., "Barbarian camp spotted" or "City-state quest available").

    Day-One Checklist (First 20 Turns)



  • [ ] Start a new game as Rome (or Egypt).

  • [ ] Move Warrior to scout immediate area.

  • [ ] Settle capital on fresh water (preferably on Plains Hills).

  • [ ] Start building a Scout.

  • [ ] Research Pottery.

  • [ ] Send delegation to first civilization met (costs 25 gold).

  • [ ] Select first civic: Code of Laws.

  • [ ] Assign policy card "God King" (yields +1 Faith).

  • [ ] When Scout finishes, send him exploring in opposite direction of Warrior.

  • [ ] Build a Builder.

  • [ ] Research Writing.

  • [ ] Use Builder to improve a wheat/rice tile (farm) and a hill (mine).

  • [ ] Find and kill any barbarian scouts near your borders.

  • [ ] When population reaches 2, start building a Settler.

  • [ ] Choose Pantheon after earning enough Faith (prefer Religious Settlements).

  • [ ] Meet at least one city-state and get the free envoy.

  • [ ] Place your first district (Campus if possible) in the capital.

  • [ ] Use the "Next Action" hotkey to ensure no idle units.


Final advice for your first game: Click "Play Now" and accept the default settings. Don't be afraid to reload an autosave if things go badly. Use the Civilopedia (F7) for any questions. Most importantly, have fun building your empire!