Civilization 7 Dev Recommends Even Experts Stick With the Tutorial for Their First Full Campaign — Here’s Why

Firaxis Games' creative director, Ed Beach, urges even veteran Civilization players to utilize the tutorial for their first Civilization 7 campaign. In a Steam post, he highlights the game's significant departures from previous iterations, particularly the new Ages system (Antiquity, Exploration, Modern) and its accompanying Age Transitions. These transitions involve choosing a new civilization, selecting retained Legacies, and witnessing world evolution—a novel feature in the series.

Beach explains the rationale behind the default "Small" map size. While experienced players often prefer larger maps, the smaller size facilitates learning the intricacies of Civ 7, especially the new Diplomacy system. Managing relationships with a limited number of opponents simplifies understanding Diplomatic Influence management. He also recommends the "Continents Plus" map type, citing its offshore islands as a helpful introduction to ocean exploration, crucial in the Exploration Age.

The tutorial is automatically enabled for first-time players, and Beach strongly advises even seasoned players to keep it active for their initial full campaign. The tutorial provides timely tips and explanations for new mechanics. While experienced players might dismiss the tutorial, the numerous system upgrades warrant its use. The game features four Advisors, each guiding players through specific game aspects; Beach suggests focusing on one Advisor at a time to avoid information overload.

Even after mastering core systems, Beach recommends switching to the "Only Warnings" setting. This allows Advisors to alert players to impending setbacks, a practice even the Firaxis development team utilizes.

Firaxis also revealed Civilization 7's post-launch roadmap during a livestream event (note: Great Britain is DLC). Civilization 7 launches on PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on February 11th; the Deluxe Edition provides early access from February 6th.