Firaxis Games' creative director, Ed Beach, urges even seasoned Civilization players to utilize the tutorial for their first Civilization 7 campaign. His Steam post highlights the game's significant departures from previous installments, particularly the new Ages system (Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern). Each Age concludes with a simultaneous transition for all players, involving civilization selection, Legacy retention, and world evolution – a novel feature in the series.
Beach explains the rationale behind the default "Small" map size. While veteran players often prefer larger maps, the smaller size facilitates learning the intricacies of Civ 7, especially the revamped Diplomacy system. Managing relationships with a limited number of opponents simplifies mastering Diplomatic Influence. He also recommends the "Continents Plus" map type, citing its helpfulness in navigating early ocean exploration, a crucial aspect of the Exploration Age.
The tutorial is automatically enabled for initial gameplay and strongly recommended, even for experienced players. The tutorial provides timely guidance on new mechanics. Beach suggests focusing on one Advisor at a time if the volume of information feels overwhelming. Even after mastering core systems, he recommends switching to the "Only Warnings" setting, which alerts players to potential setbacks. This setting is used even by the Firaxis development team.
Firaxis recently revealed Civilization 7's post-launch content roadmap during a livestream. Civilization 7 launches on PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on February 11th, with early access for the Deluxe Edition on February 6th. Note that Great Britain is slated for release as DLC.
