Civilization Wiki
Advertisement

BackArrowGreen Back to Civilization VI
BackArrowGreen Back to Tourism (Civ6)
Blue arrow right Go to Great People (Civ6)


A Great Work is an exceptional item in the world of Civilization VI. It may appear as an object created by an artist, an ancient artifact that serves as a reminder of the world's glorious past, or a holy relic left behind by a person of faith. Great Works are essential to players pursuing a Cultural Victory in the game.

Mechanics[]

The Great Work system has been expanded and tweaked considerably in relation to Civilization V: Brave New World; however, its main purpose remains the same. Great Works are the main source of Tourism Tourism in the game, and consequently the main path to a Cultural Victory.

All Great Works exist as physical items in the game. As such, they need a space to be stored in by their owner. If no such space exists, the item cannot be acquired by the civilization in question; indeed, it sometimes cannot be created at all. If, for example, a Great Artist has been attracted by your civilization, but you have no suitable slots in your buildings for Great Works of Art, then they won't be able to ever create their masterpieces; similarly, if an Apostle with the necessary Promotion Promotion dies heroically in theological combat with rival religious agents, but its civilization has no slots for any Relic Relics, then its death will have been in vain! Thus, players looking to acquire Great Works must prepare space ahead of time, constructing specific buildings or wonders to be able to house these items.

Great Works may also be acquired via trading with other civilizations; however, the same condition applies here: if you want to buy a specific Great Work, you'll need an appropriate slot to store it.

The Great Works screen[]

A special interface button for your Great Works is found in the upper left corner of the UI, which will open a screen showing your whole Great Work infrastructure. It shows separate space for each building with appropriate slots, and what (if any) Great Works currently reside in it. Mouse over each one to see its details; but the main stats provided by all works in the current building are always shown in the bottom part of its space. The total number of works, total number of free slots available and total yield may be seen in the upper right corner of the screen.

From here you can also manage your Great Works by moving them around. After being produced or excavated, all Great Works are immediately placed in an appropriate slot in one of your buildings. In principle, you are able to move them at will (just click on a Great Work to select it, and the game will highlight all suitable empty slots you could move it into), but there are some rules for this:

  • Artifact Artifacts cannot be removed from a Museum until all of the Museum's slots are full.
  • Great Works of Art cannot be moved from their slots for 10 turns after being created or moved.

Why should you shuffle your Great Works? First, because each Great Work provides yields which you may want to use in a specific city (Culture Culture-yielding works are a case in point). Second, because Museums may activate a special theming bonus which doubles the yields of the works. And third, because this allows you to move them away from danger of war or disaster and into cities protected by Spies, and to maximize bonuses from Governors and buildings.

Types of Great Works[]

In comparison to Civilization V: Brave New World, Civilization VI brings greater variety to the various classes of Great Works, as well as one brand new class.

Great Works of Art[]

These are the true cultural staples of your civilization: exceptional creations of human genius in the most varied of forms. All of them are the work of Great Person Great People, more specifically the Great Writers, Great Artists, Great Musicians and the Great General Sun Tzu. There are three main types of Great Works of Art, according to their type of Person:

  • Great Work of Writing Great Work of Writing, created by a Great Writer. These consist of collections of poetry (e.g., In the Mountains on a Summer Day), prose, and even political treatises (e.g., The Prince). Those created by Sun Tzu and the Great Writers added in the Babylon Pack (Beatrix Potter, Gabriela Mistral, Rumi, and Valmiki) provide +4 Culture Culture and +4 Tourism Tourism; others provide +4 Culture Culture and +4 Tourism Tourism in vanilla Civilization VI and Rise and Fall, or +2 Culture Culture and +2 Tourism Tourism in Gathering Storm. Researching the Printing technology doubles their Tourism Tourism yields.
  • Great Work of Music Great Work of Music, created by a Great Musician. These are musical pieces (e.g., Symphony #3 (Eroica Symphony) Mvt. 1) written by ingenious composers and left for future generations to perform and admire. Each provides +4 Culture Culture and +4 Tourism Tourism.
  • Great Work of Art, created by a Great Artist. Each normally provides +3 Culture Culture and +2 Tourism Tourism (except Great Works of Art added by the Babylon Pack, which grant +3 Culture Culture and +4 Tourism Tourism instead). These are further divided into four subcategories:
    • Portrait Portrait - a painting of a person (e.g., Andries de Graeff)
    • Landscape Landscape - a painting of a natural scene (e.g., "Saminmunnyeondo")
    • ReligiousArt6 Religious - a work of painting relating to religion (e.g., Sistine Chapel Ceiling)
    • Sculpture Sculpture - a work of carved three-dimensional art (e.g., Marriage of Hiawatha)

All of these divisions are important for the purposes of activating theming bonuses. Even without themes, all Great Works produce both Culture Culture and Tourism Tourism after being placed in their relevant Great Work slots. For a detailed guide on how to maximize Tourism Tourism out of Great Works of Art, read here.

Artifacts[]

Artifact Artifacts are remnants of the past that hold historical importance in some way, be it an ancient mask, a rusty sword of the Classical Era, or a flintlock pistol of the Industrial Era. Unlike Great Works of Art, Artifact Artifacts may only be accessed later in the game, after discovering the Natural History and/or Cultural Heritage civics, and by performing archaeological expeditions all over the world at Antiquity Site Antiquity Sites and Shipwreck Shipwrecks. In this, you will be competing against other civilizations, so take care to reach these locations first.

Artifact Artifacts are assigned to a specific era. In order for an Archaeological Museum to be themed, all Artifact Artifacts must be from the same era but different civilizations. An Archaeologist can only excavate Artifact Artifacts from at least 4 eras behind the current era.

Each Artifact Artifact provides +3 Culture Culture and +3 Tourism Tourism.

Anshan's Suzerain bonus provides +1 Science Science from each Artifact Artifact.

Relics[]

Civilization VI introduces a brand new type of Great Work: the religious Relic Relic. This may be a piece of the True Cross, or the Tablet of the Prophet, or a similar item filled with sacred significance. In the world of Civilization VI, more pious than ever, these Relic Relics are powerful tools of both religious and cultural dominance. Their sources are unique, and so are the places they may be stored. Unlike Great Works of Art or Artifact Artifacts, Relic Relics may be earned throughout the entire game until the maximum of 24 Relic Relics exist.

Each Relic Relic provides +4 Faith Faith and +8 Tourism Tourism. If playing as Jadwiga, a Relic Relic provides a bonus of +4 Gold Gold, +2 Culture Culture and +2 Faith Faith, while a Kongolese player will earn an extra +2 Food Food, +2 Production Production and +4 Gold Gold from each Relic Relic. Anshan's Suzerain bonus provides +1 Science Science from each Relic Relic, and Kandy's Suzerain bonus provides +50% Faith Faith from each Relic Relic.

Relics of the Void[]

In the Secret Societies game mode, a new type of Great Work makes itself known. When the Voidsingers' sinister Cultist meets its end or spends all of its charges, it will create a terrifying item not of this world: a Relic Relic of the Void. This eldritch artifact could be something as mundane as a simple tome of arcane knowledge, or something as incomprehensible and madness-inducing as the original Civilization II hint guide! In any case, Relic Relics of the Void function much the same way as regular Relic Relics - up to 24 can exist in the game and they provide +4 Faith Faith and +12 Tourism Tourism each - so make sure to pick some up to increase your Tourism Tourism and Faith Faith output.

Heroic Relics[]

In the Heroes & Legends game mode, the first time a Hero meets their end, whether in battle or as their life ends naturally, they create two Heroic Relic Heroic Relics: an epic detailing their glorious feats, which is automatically displayed in their home city's Monument; and a memento - perhaps an article of clothing or a weapon - which must be excavated before it is displayed, and which works like Artifact Artifacts.

Each Heroic Relic Heroic Relic provides +2 Culture Culture, +2 Faith Faith, and +6 Tourism Tourism. They can be displayed in Monuments, which gain +2 Great Work slots for them.

Mvemba a Nzinga has some difficulty getting regular Relic Relics and recruiting Cultists due to low Faith Faith generation, so Heroic Relic Heroic Relics may be a great boon for him.

Products[]

In the Monopolies and Corporations game mode, running the Create New Product project in a city with a Corporation will produce a new type of Great Work called a Create New Product (Civ6) Product, each with a unique name. Create New Product (Civ6) Products can only be stored in either a Stock Exchange or a Seaport, each of which has 3 slots in this game mode. Create New Product (Civ6) Products can also be traded or sold to the AI (their value seems to be similar to that of Great Works of Writing or Art but also based on bonus type).

Each individual Create New Product (Civ6) Product provides the Industry bonus yield multiplier, a small amount of base yield (+2 to +6, depending on resource yield type) and 1 Tourism Tourism. For instance, if a City with a Jade Jade Corporation were to produce a Jade Jade Create New Product (Civ6) Product, the city that slots the Create New Product (Civ6) Product will receive a 25% Gold Gold bonus. Create New Product (Civ6) Products can stack in an additive manner, so a city with a Stock Exchange and a Seaport can receive the same Industry bonus multiple times (but note that a corporation can only produce a maximum of 5 products).

Creating Great Works[]

The three main types of Great Works differ substantially in the methods that must be used to create and/or acquire them.

Creating Great Works of Art[]

As mentioned above, Great Works, as objects of art, are created by certain types of Great Person Great People. In order to attract them to your civilization, you'll need first to accumulate respective Great Person Points (for more information on how to do this, head to the Great People article).

Once acquired, these exceptional humans have to get activated. This, however, may only be done on a tile containing a building with free slots for the respective type of Art (such as an Art Museum). Most of the time this will happen in a Theater Square district, since it holds the common buildings which have these slots. However, many Wonders also have Great Work slots; make sure to check their descriptions beforehand to be sure. Additionally, the Palace in your Capital Capital has 1 slot which can hold any type of Great Work, Artifact Artifact, or Relic Relic.

Excavating Artifacts[]

Artifact Artifacts work very differently than Great Works of Art. The source of Artifact Artifacts is not Great People, but rather the history of the world itself. Artifact Artifacts are created by a hidden mechanic all the way until the Industrial Era, when the Natural History civic is able to be completed. At this point, the locations are revealed where Antiquity Site Antiquity Sites all over the world hold hidden historical treasures, waiting for Archaeologists to dig them up. Later, during the Atomic Era, another source of Artifact Artifacts, Shipwreck Shipwrecks, are revealed via the Cultural Heritage civic, allowing further exploration of history.

In order to access these sources, your civilization needs a special civilian unit: the Archaeologist. Archaeologists may only be trained inside of a city containing an Archaeological Museum with at least one free Artifact Artifact slot. Then, they must be moved to the target Antiquity Site Antiquity Site or Shipwreck Shipwreck, at which point one must activate its special ability. A dialogue window will appear, informing you of the era the Artifact Artifact belongs to. In most cases, you will also be prompted to select which civilization this Artifact Artifact would have been generated by. Pay attention to this, since this option is a way to achieve theming bonuses in your Museums.

Note that, once they appear, Artifacts will block any development in their tile. You will be unable to place Districts or Wonders there, as well as any Improvements, until you excavate the Artifact. It is usually a good idea to first dig out Artifacts from tiles which you need for development, before looking for those situated further from your lands.

Creating Relics[]

The third type of Great Works are created mainly through one of the most interesting novelties of Civilization VI: theological combat. Every Apostle with the special Martyr promotion will create a Relic Relic if it dies during theological combat. In this way, its sacrifice is remembered by a material remnant, which may be displayed in your religious institutions to inspire the faithful and draw tourists to your civilization.

Another way to gain a Relic Relic is by visiting a Tribal Village. If you are lucky, the locals will have a Relic Relic that has been passed from generation to generation, and they will deem you worthy to receive it. Retiring the Great General Jeanne d'Arc will also earn you a Relic Relic. Moreover, Kandy's Suzerain bonus allows players to find Relic Relics once they encounter a natural wonder.

Just like Great Works and Artifact Artifacts, Relic Relics must be placed in their relevant slots. The most common source of such slots are Temples, each of which has 1 Relic Relic slot.

For the necessary process to create Relics of the Void, Heroic Relics, and Create New Product (Civ6) Products (the three new Great Work types introduced by the new modes of New Frontier Pass), check the necessary sections above.

Storing Great Works[]

It is a requirement of producing or excavating a Great Work that there is an available slot in a building or wonder within your empire. A player trying for a Culture Victory ought to prioritize these buildings.

Most Great Work slots are for a single type of matching Great Work, though some buildings have slots that can contain a Great Work of any or many different types. Every civ starts with a Palace which has a slot for any type of Great Work (or 5 slots when playing as the Kongolese).

Building/Wonder Requirements Slots
Amphitheater Amphitheater Theater Square 2 Great Work of Writing Great Works of Writing
Apadana Apadana[1] Political Philosophy 2 Great Works, any type
Archaeological Museum Archaeological Museum[2] Theater Square, Humanism, Amphitheater or Marae 3 Artifact Artifacts[3]
Art Museum Art Museum[2] Theater Square, Humanism, Amphitheater or Marae 3 PortraitLandscapeReligiousArt6Sculpture Great Works of Art
Bank Bank Giovanni de Medici (Great Merchant) 2 Great Works, any type
Bolshoi Theatre Bolshoi Theatre Opera and Ballet 1 Great Work of Writing Great Work of Writing

1 Great Work of Music Great Work of Music

Broadcast Center Broadcast Center Theater Square, Radio, Archaeological or Art Museum 1 Great Work of Music Great Work of Music
Broadway Broadway Mass Media 1 Great Work of Writing Great Work of Writing

2 Great Work of Music Great Works of Music

Cathedral Cathedral Holy Site, Cathedral Worship Belief, Temple or its replacements 1 ReligiousArt6 Great Work of Religious Art
Film Studio Film Studio American, Theater Square, Radio, Archaeological or Art Museum 1 Great Work of Music Great Work of Music
Great Library Great Library Recorded History 2 Great Work of Writing Great Works of Writing
Hermitage Hermitage Natural History 4 PortraitLandscapeReligiousArt6Sculpture Great Works of Art
Mont St Mont St. Michel Divine Right 2 Relic Relics
Monument Monument[4] None 2 Heroic Relic Heroic Relics
National History Museum National History Museum R&F-Only Government Plaza, Tier 3 government, Tier 2 government building constructed 4 Great Works, any type
Old God Obelisk Old God Obelisk[5] Voidsingers membership 1 Great Work, any type
2 Heroic Relic Heroic Relics[4]
Oxford University Oxford University Scientific Theory 2 Great Work of Writing Great Works of Writing
Palace Palace Starting building in Capital Capital 1 Great Work, any type[6]
Prasat Prasat[7] Khmer, Holy Site, Theology, Shrine 1 Relic Relic
Queen's Bibliotheque Queen's Bibliotheque GS-Only Government Plaza, Swedish, Tier 2 Government adopted, Tier 1 government building 2 Great Work of Writing Great Works of Writing

2 PortraitLandscapeReligiousArt6Sculpture Great Works of Art
2 Great Work of Music Great Works of Music

Seaport Seaport[8] Harbor, Electricity, Lighthouse, Shipyard 3 Create New Product (Civ6) Products
St St. Basil's Cathedral R&F-Only Reformed Church 3 Relic Relics
Stave Church Stave Church Norwegian, Holy Site, Theology, Shrine 1 Relic Relic
Stock Exchange Stock Exchange[8] Commercial Hub, Economics, Market, Bank 3 Create New Product (Civ6) Products
Sydney Opera House Sydney Opera House Cultural Heritage 3 Great Work of Music Great Works of Music
Temple Temple Holy Site, Theology, Shrine 1 Relic Relic
  1. Requires Persia and Macedon Civilization & Scenario Pack.
  2. 2.0 2.1 The two Museums unlocked with Humanism are mutually exclusive with each other.
  3. 6 if playing as England in vanilla or Rise and Fall.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Requires Babylon Pack and to be playing in Heroes & Legends mode. Has to complete a Devotion project first.
  5. Requires Ethiopia Pack and to be playing in Secret Societies mode.
  6. Has 4 additional Great Work slots when playing as the Kongolese.
  7. Requires Khmer and Indonesia Civilization & Scenario Pack.
  8. 8.0 8.1 Requires Vietnam and Kublai Khan Pack and to be playing in Monopolies and Corporations mode.
R&F-Only Added in the Rise and Fall expansion pack.
GS-Only Added in the Gathering Storm expansion pack.

List of Great Works[]

Great Works of Writing[]

See Great Writer (Civ6)

Great Works of Music[]

See Great Musician (Civ6)

Great Works of Art[]

See Great Artist (Civ6)

Artifacts[]

See Archaeology (Civ6)

Relics[]

Relics of the Void (Secret Societies mode only)[]

See Voidsingers (Civ6)

Relics in Heroes & Legends mode[]

See Heroes & Legends (Civ6)

Relics in Pirates scenario[]

See Pirates (Civ6)

Related achievements[]

Epic of Gilgamesh
Epic of Gilgamesh
As Sumeria, have the first Great Work of Writing
The Epic of Gilgamesh is considered the earliest piece of great literature still surviving.
Pizza Party!
Pizza Party!
Activate Leonardo da Vinci in New York with Great Works from Michelangelo and Donatello -- and a sewer -- all in that city.
A reference to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, comic superheroes who enjoyed pizza in New York City's sewers and were named after the famous Renaissance Italian artists.
Repo Man
Repo Man
Steal a Great Work of Art and don't get caught.
A repossession agent that retrieves outstanding rented or leased objects. May also be a reference to the film Repo Man, which features a repossession agent that 'retrieves' objects from clients without their compliance or knowledge.

See also[]

Civilization VI [edit]
Rise and FallGathering StormNew Frontier PassLeader Pass
Lists
Concepts
Miscellaneous
R&F-Only Added in the Rise and Fall expansion pack.
GS-Only Added in the Gathering Storm expansion pack.
Advertisement