CIV 6 Game Guide: Amenities and Luxury Resources

Civilization VI (CIV 6) made a lot of updates and changes to how you manage your cities and population. One of the most important factors for your empire is how happy your citizens are as revolutions and uprisings are not conducive to world domination.

Creating a Happy Empire

Happiness in Civilization V (CIV 5) was altered to the new Amenities mechanic but still measures the satisfaction of citizens, though it’s now per city instead of the civilization as a whole. The amount of Amenities needed is based on population, more people means more need across the board. Your cities will start with a free Amenity built in so the first two citizens won’t need any additional support. After that you’ll want to have Amenities equal to half of your population minus one (or just half if playing Gathering Storm as the expansion removed the free Amenity everywhere but the Capital).

The importance of well maintained Amenities is the impact is has on production of non-food items. Each tier of satisfaction has a different level of boosts or setbacks, with some changes in Gathering Storm (GS).

• Ecstatic – 10% increase to non-food yields, 20% increase to growth
  • GS – 20% increase to ALL yields
• Happy – 5% increase to non-food yields, 10% increase to growth
  • GS – 10% increase to ALL yields
• Content – No bonuses, this is when you have the exact amount needed
  • GS – No bonuses, range for content is 0-2 Amenities more than needed
• Unhappy – 10% decrease to non-food yields, 30% decrease to growth
  • GS – 20% decrease to non-food yields, 30% decrease to growth
• Unrest – 30% decrease to non-food yields, Rebel (aggressive) units will appear in the territory
  • GS – 30% decrease to non-food yields, Rebels begin spawning
• Revolt – 60% decrease to non-food yields, Rebel units spawn much more often in larger groups
  • GS – 40% decrease to non-food yields, increase Rebel unit spawns.

Fueling the Fun Fire

Keeping citizens at the Ecstatic level requires Luxury Resources, the most common source to boost Amenity levels. These tiles no longer have a global affect, rather each unique Luxury Resource provides +1 Amenity to up to four cities with the exceptions of Perfume, Cinnamon, and Cloves which support up to six cities. The keyword here is “unique” as multiple tiles of the same Luxury Resource do not increase the amount of cities utilizing it.

The source of each category of Luxury Resources is different. Some are static tiles while others only come through Great Merchants or a specific City-State. Check the table below to get an idea of what’s available at each source.

• Mines – Diamonds, Jade, Mercury, Salt, Silver, and Amber (Rise and Fall (RF))
• Fishing Boats – Pearls, Whales, Amber (RF), and Turtles (RF)
• Plantations – Citrus, Cocoa, Coffee, Cotton, Dyes, Incense, Silk, Spices, Sugar, Tea, Tobacco, Wine, and Olives (RF)
• Camps – Furs, Ivory, Truffles, and Honey (Maya & Gran Colombia Pack (M&G))
• Quarries – Gypsum and Marble
• Zanzibar – Cinnamon and Cloves
• Great Merchants – Perfume from Estée Lauder, Cosmetics from Helena Rubinstein, Toys from John Spilsbury, and Jeans from Levi Strauss.

Managing the Luxury Resources each city has access to requires knowledge of which options are available as well as what’s near you and the biome you start with. Furs, Ivory, and Honey all come from Camps but are only found in specific tiles. Furs can be found in the Tundra, Ivory is most common on Plains and Desert tiles, and Honey is found within Grasslands and Plains.

Aside from locations, always check what other benefits each Luxury Resource offers. Be sure to also keep an eye on your Great Merchant points to snag some new Jeans or Toys for everyone. With a better understanding of the new Amenities system, you’ll be able to create thriving cities one after another until the whole world knows of your awesome power!