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A Settlement Settlement is the basic unit of a civilization in Civilization VII and its expansions. Settlement Settlements are home to Citizen Citizens who can work the tiles within their borders, providing yields to the empire.

Mechanics[]

Settlement Limit Settlements are the foundational components of a civilization's empire. They are directly responsible for generating yields and producing units, which are essential resources for becoming a prosperous and powerful civilization, securing a foothold on the map, and ultimately determining victory or defeat, as losing all Settlement Limit Settlements results in elimination.

Each game begins with a Founder, allowing the player to establish their first Settlement Limit Settlement: the Capital Capital, which serves as the heart and base of the civilization. From that point on, players aim to expand by acquiring more Settlement Limit Settlements through various means: founding new ones with Settlers, conquering and annexing rival Settlement Limit Settlements, or diplomatically incorporating City-State City-States. This gives players multiple pathways to victory, whether aggressive or peaceful.

City center[]

When founding a Settlement Limit Settlement with a Settler, the City Center City Center is placed directly beneath the unit, surrounded by a border that initially claims the six adjacent tiles. The City Center City Center functions as a special urban District — the first in any new Settlement Limit Settlement — and always contains one unique Building Building: either a City Hall (for regular Settlement Limit Settlements) or the Palace (for the Capital Capital).

The City Center City Center is the most critical District in a Settlement Limit Settlement, as many core mechanics are tied exclusively to it:

  • It always counts as a fortified District, providing +50 HP HP. If no additional fortifications are present, the Settlement Limit Settlement is lost when the City Center City Center is captured.
  • It provides +10 healing to units resting on the tile.
  • It houses key Building Buildings that contribute essential yields for early and ongoing Settlement Limit Settlement growth.
  • Most trained units spawn on the City Center City Center tile.
  • Adjacent rural tiles never lose their Appeal bonuses due to proximity to the City Center City Center.
  • Borders can expand up to 3 hexes away from the City Center City Center, forming the maximum territorial range.

These traits illustrate — but do not fully encompass — the strategic value of the City Center City Center. Its placement should be considered carefully, not only for development efficiency but also for its defensibility against enemy capture.

Yield generation[]

Civ7 yields

Settlement yields

As previously mentioned, Settlement Limit Settlements are vital for acquiring yields. This is achieved by:

Each Settlement Limit Settlement controls a number of tiles, shown by borders in the civilization's color. These tiles are where Building Buildings and Improvement Improvements can be placed. Citizen Citizens will then work those tiles, generating yields and Resource Resources tied to each one. Tile control can be expanded by developing the Settlement Limit Settlement — through growth, Building Buildings, or Improvement Improvements.

Expanding settlements[]

Because yields are primarily generated through Settlement Limit Settlements, expanding your borders — either by acquiring new Settlement Limit Settlements or growing existing ones — is a key strategy. The map becomes a competitive space, with civilizations racing to claim land and snowball into greater wealth and power.

With the introduction of Town Towns, players should always aim to found or conquer as many Settlement Limit Settlements as possible for optimal empire growth and efficiency. Players typically adopt one of two core expansion strategies, defined by the ratio between Town Towns and City Cities in their empire:

  • Wide – In this strategy, a large number of Town Towns are converted into City Cities, resulting in an almost 1:1 Town/City ratio. These City Cities are usually smaller, as the available resources are spread thin across many City Cities. Each City City will contain core yield Building Buildings to provide the necessary empire-wide output.
  • Tall – This strategy focuses on a few large metropolises, heavily investing in Food Food and population to grow them. The Town/City ratio is typically around 3 or 4:1, meaning each City City is supported by several Town Towns funneling their yields inward. This allows for City Cities with high populations and many Specialist Specialists, Wonder Wonders, and Resource Resource slots, covering more ground per City City, but fewer City Cities overall.

Settlement Limit[]

Settlement Limit Settlements cannot be acquired endlessly. At any given time, players have a Settlement Limit Settlement Limit which dictates how many Settlement Settlements they can own at no penalty. Each Settlement Settlement in excess of the limit imposes a -5 Happiness Happiness penalty, to a maximum of -35. The Settlement Limit Settlement Limit can be increased by discovering new Technologies Technologies and Civic Civics, through Attribute Attributes, and by advancing to the next Age.

Settlement management[]

While all Settlement Limit Settlements can produce every type of yield, three key yields are especially important for maintaining local development:

  • Food Food – Vital during early development. Food Food increases population, and each population growth triggers a growth event, allowing players to either:
  • Production Production – Crucial at every stage of the game. Production Production determines how fast Building Buildings, Wonder Wonders, and units are completed. It also speeds up border expansion and accelerates yield generation. High Production Production allows for faster and more efficient Settlement Limit Settlement and empire development.
  • Happiness HappinessCitizen Citizens need to be content to work effectively. If Happiness Happiness drops below 0, yields begin to suffer a -2% penalty per point (to a cap of -50, at which point Citizen Citizens stop working entirely). Building Buildings and Specialist Specialists consume Happiness Happiness, requiring players to grow their Happiness Happiness yield alongside their Settlement Limit Settlements. For these reasons, monitoring this resource is vital, as Unhappy Unhappy Settlement Limit Settlements will develop more slowly and risk falling into Unrest Unrest.

Unrest[]

Settlement Settlements in Unrest Unrest cannot purchase Building Buildings, switch Town-focus, or increase population, as they are considered too unstable for infrastructure growth. There are two main causes of Unrest Unrest:

  1. Plagues or other Crises Crises – These can temporarily destabilize Settlement Limit Settlements by destroying Building Buildings and damaging affected units.
  2. Conquest – When a rival Settlement Settlement is captured, it will automatically enter a 10-turn Unrest Unrest period. However, these Settlement Settlements can still generate yields as long as Happiness Happiness is maintained.

Revolt[]

Beyond the standard Unhappiness Unhappiness penalties, Revolts Crises Crises introduce a far more dangerous consequence: Unhappy Unhappy Settlement Settlements can break into open revolt.

A revolt is triggered the moment a Settlement Settlement remains Unhappy Unhappy for a full turn during one of these Crises Crises. Once a Settlement Settlement enters revolt, the player has 10 turns to restore a positive Happiness Happiness balance. If not resolved in time, the Settlement Settlement will be permanently lost.

During the revolt:

This creates a dangerous negative spiral — reduced yields and lost infrastructure further decrease Happiness Happiness, making recovery increasingly difficult and raising the risk of total loss.

Settlement types[]

Settlement Settlements in Civilization VII are divided into three types: Capital Capitals, Town Towns, and City Cities.

Capital[]

The Capital Capital is the Settlement Settlement that is founded by a civilization's Founder at the beginning of the game. It is the only Settlement Settlement which immediately becomes a City City, not a Town Town, after being founded. Aside from containing the Palace, the Capital Capital behaves identically to all other City Cities.

The Capital Capital can be relocated when transitioning to the next Age by selecting the legacy option to change Capital Capitals. This will upgrade the chosen Settlement Settlement to a City City for free and designate it as the new Capital Capital, while the original Capital Capital Capital will revert to a standard City City.

There are several benefits to changing the Capital Capital. The Capital Capital contains the Palace, which provides significant upgrades compared to a standard City Hall, enhancing the City City's growth and development rate. Relocating the Capital Capital can be beneficial for boosting a newer Settlement Settlement with ample space for expansion and infrastructure projects, especially if the original Capital Capital is already well-developed and self-sustaining.

Another key factor is Resource Resource management, as some City Resource Resources behave differently in value depending on whether they are housed in the Capital Capital or a regular City City. Because the Capital Capital is typically the most important and valuable City City, it is generally ideal to position it in a well-protected, strategically located area with room for extensive infrastructure.

For these reasons, swapping Capital Capitals when given the opportunity is often advantageous.

Town[]

Civ7 town focus infographic

Town focus infographic (from launch)

A Town Town is a Settlement Settlement that is founded by a Settler. Town Towns cannot produce Building Buildings, but warehouses and some select others can be purchased with Gold Gold. Additionally, all of their accumulated Production Production is converted into Gold Gold.

Town specialization[]

A Town Town always begins with the Growing Town focus, which provides a +50% growth rate bonus to the Settlement Settlement. Once the Town Town reaches 7 Population, its owner may select one of the available Town Town Specializations listed in the table below. This choice is permanent — after specialization, the Town Town can only switch focus between the Growing Town and its chosen specialization.

Town Specialty Description Antiquity Exploration Modern
Farming/Fishing Town +1 Food Food per Age on Farms, Pastures, Plantations, and Fishing Boats. Yes Yes Yes
Mining Town +2 Production Production per Age on Camps, Woodcutters, Clay Pits, Mines, and Quarries. Yes Yes Yes
Fort Town +5 healing to Units and +25 HP HP to Walls in this Town Town. Allows purchasing of additional walls beyond the first. Yes Yes Yes
Urban Center +100% Gold Gold and Happiness Happiness towards maintaining Building Buildings in this Town Town. The following Tier 1 Buildings can be purchased directly:

Antiquity: Barracks, Garden, Library, Market, Monument
Exploration: Bazaar, Dungeon, Guildhall, Kiln, Observatory, Inn, Wharf
Modern: City Park, Military Academy, Museum, Schoolhouse

Yes Yes Yes
Trade Outpost Bonus Happiness Happiness on Resource Resource tiles and Trade range. Yes Yes No
Religious Site +1 Happiness Happiness on every Building Building in the Town Town and an additional Relic Slot on Temples. No Yes No
Hub Town +1 Influence Influence for every connected Town Town No Yes Yes
Factory Town +100% Gold Gold towards purchasing a Factory in this Town Town and adds an additional Resource Resource Slot. +5 Trade Range. No No Yes
Resort Town +1 Happiness Happiness and Gold Gold per Age on tiles with Natural Appeal. +50% yields on Natural Wonder Natural Wonder tiles in this Town. Yes Yes Yes

When specializing, all accumulated Food Food is distributed among connected City Cities. However, if a Town Town lacks a connection to a City City, it can continue growing independently. In most cases, specialization halts a Town Town's growth, which may initially seem like a drawback. However, this is far from the truth — when utilized correctly, specialization results in a net increase in overall yields, particularly in later Ages. Because of this, Town Towns introduce one of the most complex and strategic mechanics in the game, offering nearly limitless possibilities for optimization.

Settlement connection[]

Settlement Settlements are considered connected if they have a direct road link over land (not passing through other Settlement settlements), or if both possess a Fishing Quay in the same ocean and are within trade range. Most friendly Settlement Settlements are automatically connected, but in some cases, using the Build Road to Settlement Build Road to Settlement action through Merchants is advisable — especially to ensure that Town Towns are properly linked to key City Cities in need of Food Food provisioning.

When to specialize[]

One of the first challenges players face is determining the right time to specialize. On one hand, you want to unlock the Town Town's bonuses as soon as possible; on the other, the Town Town needs sufficient growth to provide enough tiles and yields to make specialization worthwhile. The larger the Town Town, the greater its potential value — but waiting too long delays any bonuses, which are better the sooner your City Cities get them.

While specialization timing depends heavily on the game's context and the intended role of the Town Town, two general rules apply:

  1. Specialize no later than 30 turns before an Age ends. Ages typically last 75-125 turns, depending on game settings and success. To maximize a Town Town's impact, it should contribute to your empire's most crucial phase of development before the Age ends. Specializing too late means missing out on vital yield gains, City City development, and potential Legacy progression.
  2. Let early-established Town Towns grow until they need 10 turns to gain their next Citizen Citizen. Town Town growth increases its long-term value, but once reaching a point where acquiring an extra Citizen Citizen takes more than 10 turns, further growth is inefficient. The delayed specialization bonus outweighs the benefit of a single additional tile.
Choosing the right specialization[]

As mentioned, Town Town specialization depends on game phase and strategic needs at any given time. Below are some of the most straightforward and valuable specializations:

Food distribution for cities[]

The primary benefit of specialization is enabling Town Towns to supply large amounts of Food Food to City Cities. This frees City Cities to focus on Production Production and other global yields while relying on Town Towns for Food Food.

This mechanic is invaluable throughout the game, but it becomes especially crucial in the Modern Age when City Cities start running out of tiles for districts and Wonder Wonders, forcing them to be built over any remaining Farms. Without Town Towns, City Cities would stagnate, limiting Specialist Specialist growth and thereby slowing Cultural and Scientific progression — both of which are essential for securing victory.

By converting Town Towns into Farming Towns, they can provide 100–150 Food Food per turn in the Modern Age, ensuring continuous urban expansion and maximizing the number of Specialist Specialists.

Economic powerhouses[]

Town Towns also serve as the primary source of Gold Gold income, as their Production Production is converted to Gold Gold. This makes them vital for maintaining stability, adaptability, and expansion in all game phases.

Mining Towns can significantly boost Gold Gold income by increasing Production Production Improvement Improvements within the Town Town. However, this focus is only useful when improving a lot of Rough tiles, which comes with a major drawback: slower Town Town growth. Because of this, Mining Towns are best utilized from the Exploration Age on, where they can be supported by Building Buildings that provide additional Food Food and Resource Resources, allowing them to grow while focusing almost entirely on Production Production and Gold Gold accumulation.

Military & defensive strongholds[]

Town Towns are less valuable than City Cities, making them ideal as buffer zones to protect core Settlement Settlements. They can be strategically placed to stall enemy advances while supporting your military efforts.

  • Defensive Role: Town Towns can fortify their centers, purchase units, and serve as garrisons for stationed troops, making them effective defensive positions.
  • Vision & Scouting: Town Towns provide extra vision, making it easier to anticipate enemy movements and deploy defenses accordingly.
  • Healing & Reinforcement: Units heal faster within a Town Town's borders and can upgrade while inside. This makes Fort Towns particularly useful when besieging enemy Settlement Settlements, as they act as rally points for reinforcements.
  • Naval Warfare: Fort Towns built on islands in the middle of the Open Ocean can serve as safe havens for naval units, as well as buffers protecting Coastal City Cities. This is especially useful in the Exploration Age, when combat at sea significantly increases due to the competition for Settlement Settlements on Distant Lands.
Future city sites[]

In some cases, it's better not to specialize at all if a Town Town is located in a prime spot for a future City City. Players can allow the Town Town to grow rapidly while purchasing cheaper Building Buildings with Gold Gold, making it easier to convert into a fully developed City City later.

Other uses[]
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How many towns should you establish?[]

Because Town Towns significantly benefit an empire, players should establish as many as the Settlement Limit Settlement Limit allows — or even exceed it if their empire has a large Happiness Happiness surplus.

  • Town Towns typically contain 7–15 Citizen Citizens, meaning they require minimal planning and can be placed almost anywhere.
  • They require little micromanagement, making them an efficient and low-maintenance feature.

Ultimately, well-managed Town Towns provide unparalleled flexibility in empire development, making them one of the most powerful and strategic tools in the game.

City[]

A Town Town can be upgraded into a City City after meeting a certain set of criteria.

While Town Towns are beneficial to a civilization's strength, City Cities are its true source of power. Like Town Towns, they can generate yields such as Science Science and Culture Culture, but the crucial difference between the two is that City Cities generate Production Production, which they can use to produce Building Buildings, units, and Wonder Wonders. This makes them vital to an empire that wants to engage in combat or construct powerful Wonder Wonders before opponents do.

Independent Power settlements[]

An Independent Power Independent Power use three special types of Settlement Settlements: Villages, Encampments, and City-State City-States.

Village[]

A Village can only be founded by an Independent Power Independent Power. A Village can be dispersed by units or upgraded to a City-State City-State if a civilization becomes its Suzerain.

Encampment[]

An Encampment can only be founded by the Barbarian Independent Power Independent Power during the Invasion Crisis Crisis. An Encampment functions like a Village, but unlike it, it uses the name of the people and cannot be upgraded to a City-State City-State.

City-State[]

Once a civilization becomes the Suzerain of an Independent Power Independent Power, its Village is upgraded to a City-State City-State. A City-State City-State functions as a Town Town and can be conquered or incorporated into its Suzerain's empire as a new Town Town with a project.

Videos[]

Will_you_build_tall_or_wide_in_-Civ7?_🏗️

Will you build tall or wide in -Civ7? 🏗️

Towns & Cities Gameplay

See also[]

External links[]

Civilization VII Settlements [edit]
Antiquity
Exploration
Modern
1 Requires DLC
Civilization VII [edit]
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