How does time works, 20 years passed in one turn?

Understand how the passage of time affects gameplay in Sid Meier's Civilization VII, from 4000 BC to the late game, and how turn length changes.

Hey there! So, you're probably wondering how time actually ticks by in Sid Meier's Civilization VII, right? It's not a constant speed; the game actually changes how many years pass each turn as you progress through history. This is super important to keep an eye on because it affects how quickly you advance through eras and how long a single game can take. Let's break down how the years fly by:

• 4000 BC - 20 BC: You'll be playing with 20 years per turn. This is your ancient history phase, lots of exploration and early city building.
• 20 BC - 1 AD: Things speed up just a tiny bit, with 21 years per turn.
• 1 AD - 20 AD: It slows down slightly to 19 years per turn.
• 20 AD - 1000 AD: Back to 20 years per turn for a long stretch.
• 1000 AD - 1500 AD: The pace picks up significantly, with only 10 years per turn.
• 1500 AD - 1755 AD: Time really starts to fly now, at 5 years per turn.
• 1755 AD - 1851 AD: It's getting serious, with just 2 years per turn.
• 1851 AD and later: The final stretch, where each turn represents only 1 year.

All this means a typical game can last anywhere from about 570 to 650 turns. Playing a full game can take days or even weeks, so remember to take breaks! If you're aiming for a quick domination victory, focusing on speed can help end games faster, sometimes in as little as 2 hours. However, if you're going for a high score with a spaceship victory, you could be looking at 100 hours or more. It can get a bit grindy for some, but hey, that's the Civ experience!

Keep in mind that the year you're in also influences when and where new enemies pop up. Even if you're playing with 7 civilizations, there are 12 enemy civilizations total. When you wipe out one, another one of the same color might appear, often in a far-off corner or another continent. Sometimes they'll spawn right in front of you, making it easy to capture their settler or a tiny city. Other times, you might even see a message saying one civ destroyed another right after you finish your own conquest!