Civilization V beginner guide: settling, research and early defense
Build a base-game opening around useful tiles, improvement technologies and global happiness.
Edition covered
Civilization V with its original base-game systems, including global happiness and the five-policy-branch cultural victory. Gods & Kings and Brave New World add religion, tourism and other changes that are excluded here. Publisher media shows the base PC game.
Settle for food and production
A city needs growth and production to develop. Inspect resources, hills and water access. Moving the Settler several turns has a cost, so seek a clear benefit.
| Priority | Purpose | Check |
|---|---|---|
| Scout | Reveal land and contacts | Do not expose every civilian |
| Worker | Improve useful tiles | Required technologies |
| Research | Unlock usable improvements | Nearby terrain and threats |
| Settler | Claim another city site | Happiness and defense |
| Military unit | Protect borders and civilians | Barbarian routes and neighbors |
Research what the terrain can use
Choose technologies that improve nearby resources or unlock needed defense. A Worker needs suitable jobs, and an unlocked building needs production before it helps.
| Output | Use | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Food | Population growth | Food tiles and improvements |
| Production | Buildings and units | Hills and production improvements |
| Gold | Maintenance and purchases | Tiles, buildings and connections |
| Science | Technology research | Population and science buildings |
| Culture | Social policies | Culture buildings and other sources |
Explore and defend together
Scouts reveal ruins, neighbors and city-states. Keep military protection near vulnerable civilians. Barbarians can punish an empire that sends every defender away.
Check happiness before expanding
Cities and population create unhappiness across the empire. Secure happiness sources while settling rather than discovering the deficit after several new cities are founded.
Cities and population create unhappiness across the empire. Secure happiness sources while settling rather than discovering the deficit after several new cities are founded.
References
| Reference | Website |
|---|---|
| Sid Meier's Civilization V publisher listing | store.steampowered.com |
| Firaxis Civilization V manual | store.steampowered.com |
| 2K digital manual support | support.civilization.com |