Crisis (Civ7)

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A Crisis is a game concept in Civilization VII and its expansions that occurs after the Age Meter reaches 70%. It represents a period of difficulty and instability that challenges civilizations before the end of an Age.

Mechanics

A Crisis begins when the Age meter reaches 70% and lasts until the transition to the next Age. It represents a time of hardship and instability that disrupts the prosperity of civilizations, requiring players to adapt, stabilize their empires, and plan ahead.

Theme

Each Crisis has a unique theme based on the current Age (see full list below), and one is chosen at random in every game. This system encourages civilizations to build resilience and prepare for hardship, rather than focusing solely on Legacy Path milestones. Additionally, each Crisis can unlock unique Legacy bonuses based on the theme during Age Transition.

When the Crisis begins (at 70% on the Age meter), a Narrative Event reveals the theme. From that point onward, two key effects take place:

1. Players are required to slot Crisis Policies.
2. Negative Events (e.g., Building destruction, Unrest) begin occurring in Settlements.

Crisis flow

The Crisis increases in severity as the Age meter progresses:

• Stage 1 (70%)
  • Unlocks Crisis Policies
  • 1 Crisis Policy must be slotted
  • Light negative events begin
• Stage 2 (80%)
  • Unlocks more Crisis Policies
  • 2 Crisis Policies must be slotted
  • Negative events occur more frequently
• Stage 3 (90%)
  • Sometimes unlocks additional Crisis Policies.
  • 3 or 4 Crisis Policies must be slotted
  • Severe negative events lead to maximum instability.
  • Players are strongly encouraged to push toward 100% and end the Age

The Crisis ends automatically once the Age meter hits 100% and the next Age begins.

Crisis Policies

Main article: Social Policy (Civ7) § Crisis Policy

Crisis Policies are mandatory Social Policies tied to the theme of the ongoing Crisis. They often include negative effects, but some offer trade-offs or situational bonuses — similar to Dark Age policy cards in Civilization VI: Rise and Fall.

These Crisis Policies can dramatically shift the power dynamics between civilizations. While larger empires may have more tools to respond to threats, they also face more severe effects and management challenges. Smaller or well-prepared civilizations may use the Crisis as an opportunity to catch up or surpass struggling leaders.

Strategic implications

There is a duality to Crises: on one hand, leading civilizations have more Resources to confront emerging threats; on the other, larger empires are harder to manage, and Crisis Policies scale in severity with empire size. This adds to the shifting power dynamics that Crises often bring. Although dominant civilizations face harsher penalties, building a strong lead before the Crisis remains advantageous. Yield generation slows across the board, forcing players to prioritize stability and defense over continued progression along their Legacy Paths. Civilizations that complete many milestones before the Crisis begins are generally more resilient and better positioned in the long run.

Crises

Antiquity Age

• Invasion
• Plague
• Revolts

Exploration Age

• Plague
• Revolts
• Revolutions

Videos

Can you save a civ in CRISIS? -Civ7

Crisis Gameplay

Civilization VII [edit]
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