Revolts (Civ7)

For the Revolts Crisis in the Exploration Age, see Religious Revolts (Civ7).

Revolts is one of the possible Crises that can occur during the Antiquity Age in Civilization VII and its expansions. Its theme centers on the fracturing of imperial authority — inspired by historical periods of decentralization, internal unrest, and the decline of centralized empires such as Rome.

Theme[]

The Revolts Crisis centers on citizens questioning the legitimacy of their authoritarian government, leading to growing discontent and disloyalty. To reflect this, players are required to adopt Crisis Policies that reduce Happiness across various types of Settlements.

A key mechanic of this Crisis is that the threshold for revolts is set to -1 Happiness. This means any Unhappy Settlement will immediately begin damaging one Building or Improvement per turn until its Happiness is restored. However, these Settlements are not considered to be in Unrest, so damaged Buildings can still be repaired as usual.

If a Settlement remains Unhappy for 10 consecutive turns, it will be lost. At this point, the Settlement becomes fully disloyal and will attempt to join a neighboring civilization. It selects the closest foreign Settlement and triggers a Narrative Event, where that civilizations owner is prompted with a message that a "neighboring Settlement" seeks to join their empire:

If the offer is accepted, the Settlement transfers ownership immediately — Cities become their Cities, and Towns become their Towns.
If the offer is refused, the Settlement retains its original owner, and the player who refused the offer suffers −1 Happiness in all Settlements and -1 Influence for the remainder of the Age.

As the Crisis progresses, additional Crisis Policies must be slotted, often introducing further Happiness penalties. Maintaining positive Happiness becomes the central challenge and the only reliable way to survive the Crisis. Failure to do so can lead to significant territory loss, as opposing players may absorb your disloyal Settlements.

The Crisis is especially punishing to dominant players, as larger empires with many Settlements will struggle to keep all of them satisfied. Moreover, if a player is offered a revolting Settlement while already at the Settlement Limit, they face a lose-lose decision: either accept it and suffer a -5 Happiness penalty in all Settlements, or refuse and still lose -1 Happiness across the board.

For all of these reasons, the Revolts Crisis is one of the most unforgiving Crises in the game, capable of toppling empires and redrawing the geopolitical landscape — potentially shifting power dynamics drastically before the Age ends.

Crisis flow[]

Revolts
Phase 1 — Power at the Center
At the heart of civilization, the capital city radiates authority. Banners bearing the sigil of empire flutter atop monuments to the power of a people united. Yet other settlements distinguish themselves, and as their stars rise, citizens question their place in this larger community. Does the empire truly represent us all?
Continue the crisis	+2 Crisis Policy slots. Villas can be purchased in Towns. Unlocks 4 Crisis Policies.
Crisis Policies
Decadence	-6 Happiness in Settlements with unfilled Resource slots.
Incompetent Ministers	-1 Influence in Settlements you founded.
Suppress Local Traditions	-3 Happiness in Settlements you did not found.
Zhuhou	-6 Happiness in Settlements without Walls.
Phase 2 — Broken Borders
The empire fractures as once-loyal Settlements seek their own path forward. Laws and customs, symbols and pageantry — they are no longer sufficient in holding society together. What was once a shared identity forks like a river, and its currents bear many beyond political borders. They pledge themselves to outside powers, seeking new threads of connection, and aid in extracting themselves from their former state.
Continue the crisis	+1 Crisis Policy slot. Unlocks 2 Crisis Policies.
Crisis Policies
Ambitious Governors	-6 Happiness in Cities.
Provincial Scorn	-6 Happiness in Towns.
Phase 3 — Paradigm Shift
As settlements drift farther and farther from the empire's core, the capital falters and its banners lie limp. Once the city held civilization together; now it sits as vestige of broken bonds and archaic union. But smaller hubs find voices that grow ever louder, proclaiming their singularity amid new communities based not on tradition, but customs, beliefs, economy, identity.
Continue the crisis	+1 Crisis Policy slot. Unlocks 1 Crisis Policy.
Crisis Policies
Independent Nobility	-10 Happiness in the Capital.
The end — The Coming of Dawn
The world has settled into a new order. In the wake of unrest, borders have been reforged and political bonds redefined. The old world's models of authority have broken beneath the weight of progress, and the very nature of "empire" transforms into a new Age.
The Age of Antiquity is ending.	Who will carry our legacy?

Legacies[]

Legacy Bonus	Requirement	Legacy point cost	Effect
Imperial Ambition	Have no Unhappy Settlements and have at least 4 conquered Settlements.	2	+1 Production for every 5 excess Happiness in Settlements you conquer.
Inward Perfection	Have no Unhappy Settlements and have maximum 4 Settlements.	2	+1 Culture for every 5 excess Happiness in Settlements you founded.