Best Civ 6 Mods

Like other great strategy games of its kind, there’s always something new to do in Civilization 6. Taking the reins of a budding civilization and cultivating it through multiple centuries doesn’t get old very quickly. However, both veterans and newcomers alike frequently look for new ways to enhance their experience.

Unsurprisingly, this is where the modding community comes into play. The Steam Workshop contains a veritable treasure trove of useful Civ 6 mods that players may find interesting. Installing them is as simple as clicking a button, making experimentation quick and painless. Any serious fan of Civilization 6 should definitely give these mods a try.

Updated December 13, 2024 by Joe Grantham: With the confirmation of Civilization 7 being in the works, and recent updates to the game, interest in Civilization 6 has been rekindled, and many returning players will be looking to flesh out their grand strategy experience with more amazing mods. From small quality-of-life mods to larger overhauls that warp the game in exciting ways, to those that add extra layers of realism, there are mods for all types of players.

The fact that the best mods for Civilization 6 can be browsed and installed easily on the Steam Workshop makes the modding experience all the more enjoyable. Furthermore, new mods for Civ 6 are always being released, and golden oldies also see continuous updates from dedicated modders, meaning the community always has new experiences to look forward to.

1 Civ6 Plus: Harmony In Diversity

A Complete Overhaul Mod

If players own the Rise and Fall DLC as well as Gathering Storm, then the Harmony in Diversity mod may interest them as it overhauls the game to make an overall more interesting experience. The aim of the mod is to give players more options in every aspect of the game and to create more realistic and historical evolutions of civilizations.

Specific changes include those to the terrain, resource yields, buildings, districts, religions, governors, civs, great people, the tech tree, and much more. As it is such a large overhaul, players may want to do further research before downloading it.

2 City Lights

Gameplay Mod

For those who love city builder games, the City Lights mod is a great addition to the game and is considered to be one of the best Civ 6 mods among the playerbase. What the mod does is allow the creation of either urban or rural cities, through the use of specialized districts. The biggest standout is the aesthetics, with cities looking more realistic, but there are also gameplay benefits to specialization.

Rural cities, which are created by building a few rural community districts, depend on the tiles and resources for success and can help provide more food. These districts are unlocked early in the game, and this is where they are best utilized. Urban cities, on the other hand, which are made out of borough districts, are all about the later stages of the game when going all out for victory. To get the most out of rural or urban cities, players will need to plan ahead and maximize the bonuses of adjacent districts.

3 Sukritact’s Oceans

Gameplay Mod

Sukritact is one of the most established modders in the community and players can check out Sukritact’s Steam workshop page to browse a number of great Civ 6 mods. One of the best is Sukritact’s Oceans which makes oceans in the game a more valuable asset, and a place of contention for those looking to become the next superpower. It does this in a number of ways, such as by adding two new bonus resources; seals and squids.

Players will also be able to acquire many more luxury resources, such as caviar, coral, and stingrays, among others. The addition of the kelp forest terrain is another welcome addition, with these forests being abundant in food, but a hindrance to passing ships. The beauty of these kelp forests should not be overlooked either. The mod also includes balance changes to fisheries and water parks, and as the mod is technically a new game mode, players will need to make sure to enable it in the game mode section.

4 GoldenAge – Brave New World

Gameplay Overhaul Mod

GoldenAge – Brave New World claims to be the most comprehensive gameplay mod for Civ 6 and has the ratings and subscribers to back up this claim. From new game modes to custom rules and unique mechanics, this mod has it all, and in some ways can be seen as an unofficial patch. A standout feature of the mod is an emphasis on increasing the importance of population levels, making playing tall, rather than expanding outwards, more fun and rewarding.

One aspect of the mod that is great for veteran players is that the AI can become more powerful throughout the game, making the overall experience more challenging, and thus more rewarding for those who still prevail. Impressively, the mod is also split up into multiple components, which allows players to disable specific features they don’t like or those that clash with some of the other best Civ 6 mods.

5 Resource Info

Clarity/UI Mod

While Civ 6 is fairly easy to get into for a strategy game, understanding the finer details and what all the symbols mean can be quite confusing. In fact, the game doesn’t explain how all the resources on the map work. The Resource Info mod aims to plug this hole by showing players exactly what bonuses they will gain from building an improvement, such as a plantation, on the tile in question.

In the Yields section, players will even be shown whether or not the tile is currently being worked by a citizen. In the case that it is not, the number will be in red and this means these resources are being missed out on. Players are so happy with how much clearer the game is with this feature, that many fans are hoping it is something that will be implemented in Civilization 7.

6 NotificationClear

Quality Of Life/UI Mod

Not all mods have to be complicated to improve the playing experience, and that is exactly the case with the small, but helpful NotificationClear mod. The mod simply adds another button to the notification panel, and when clicked it will delete all notifications apart from those alerting players about transactions.

This saves players from having to manually clear every individual notification, which is usually quite a tedious task. The only problem with this mod is that it doesn’t seem to currently work in multiplayer games, which is annoying for those who enjoy playing strategy games with friends.

7 Civilization VI, But Minecraft

Aesthetic Mod

If players have ever wondered what it would be like to combine Minecraft, which has its own assortment of amazing mods, and Civilization 6, then they should look no further than the Civilization VI, But Minecraft mod.

This purely aesthetic mod changes the textures of certain things within the game, such as the landscape and resources, and replaces them with pixilated Minecraft models. This is just one way to make the game more fun.

8 Create Your Pantheon

Faith Mod

One thing that can be found lacking in Civilization 6 is the ability to get creative, and this is something that the Create Your Pantheon mod helps put right. Instead of simply choosing from a pre-set selection of pantheons, players are able to combine different Domains and Powers.

This allows players to form a unique pantheon for their civilization to follow, opening up new playthrough possibilities that more veteran players should appreciate. Players can either aim for a fun pantheon or one that will give them a strategic advantage.

9 Removable Districts

Gameplay & Quality Of Life Mod

Much like in real life, cities that grow large enough in Civ 6 can form Districts, where a special form of activity can take place. These Districts impart bonuses and other benefits that can aid players in specific sectors of their civilization, such as Culture, Production, Religion, etc.

However, once a District is chosen and subsequently built, it can’t be removed or demolished. This is annoying since it’s not uncommon for players to change their minds or otherwise alter their long-term plans. The Removable Districts mod is an exceedingly helpful quality-of-life improvement. With it, fans have a mechanism to remove a District and replace it with something else they may find helpful.

10 Detailed Map Tacks

Quality Of Life Mod

Staying on the topic of Districts, it can be difficult sometimes to formulate a clear idea of how a potential new District will perform. As stated previously, Districts are permanent once built (unless the preceding mod is installed). Knowing how a particular District will help in terms of yield buffs and adjacency bonuses can be a bit unclear while playing the vanilla game.

To obtain a clearer picture of how a potential District will perform, it’s highly recommended to give the Detailed Map Tacks mod a shot. This mod automatically calculates the yields and adjacency bonuses a District will impart to nearby hexes before having to actually build it. The mod is a tremendous boon for players who enjoy having as much information as possible before committing to an important decision.

11 Quick Deals

Quality Of Life & UI Mod

If players thought the previous add-on was helpful, then they’ll also be interested in Quick Deals, a mod created by the same author. Having extra resources to burn (or not having enough) is a common problem that all players have to deal with at some point. However, shopping for the best prices is cumbersome.

Quick Deals simplifies the buying/selling process for a particular good concisely. With this mod installed, players can see the best deals for their goods in one convenient location. Fans can also be notified when new deals become available. It certainly beats having to manage everything individually, which can become a real pain in the latter stages of a playthrough.

12 Colorized Historic Moments

Aesthetic UI Mod

Although it may not seem like a lot, tweaking some of the game’s smaller artistic elements can breathe new life into the overall presentation. Incorporating a little added color to the game’s Historic Moments is one such example of this idea.

Colorized Historic Moments is one of the more simplistic Civ 6 mods that does exactly what its name suggests. Instead of the familiar black-and-white illustrations, players are used to seeing, this mod utilizes colorized artwork to depict Historic Moments. It’s not a groundbreaking mod, but one that’s much appreciated nonetheless.

13 Tomatekh’s Historical Religions

Faith Expansion Mod

History buffs should get plenty of joy out of Civilization 6. However, for those who enjoy those extra little bits of historical detail in their games, mods are often the answer. Luckily, fans who want more variety in terms of playable religions are covered.

Tomatekh’s Historical Religions mod adds a dizzying array of new faiths to the game. The full list can be found here. Many of the major religions from history, including some of their offshoots, are included. For example, Catharism and Hussitism make an appearance as offshoots of Christianity. History majors will definitely want to check out this mod!

14 Terra Mirabilis

Gameplay & Natural Wonders Expansion Mod

Geography obviously plays a very important role in Civilization 6. Building cities near natural wonders, for instance, provides advantageous bonuses that should be secured wherever possible. For a slightly different gameplay experience, mods that improve upon natural wonders themselves are worth trying.

With Terra Mirabilis, owning a natural wonder becomes even more beneficial. Every natural wonder now comes with an additional ownership effect, making them more valuable to secure than before. Furthermore, 20 new natural wonders are also added, including ones from past games in the series.

15 Sui Generis – Regional Groups & Bonuses

Gameplay Mod

Playing as a particular civilization comes with its set of strengths and weaknesses. Naturally, certain civilizations are better at performing particular tasks than others, making each culture feel more unique. As such, mods that further variety to the cultures are highly recommended.

The Sui Generis – Regional Groups & Bonuses mod assigns each civilization a cultural group. For instance, the Roman civilization is assigned to the Classical culture group, which comes with its own distinct set of bonuses. The mod adds a further dynamic to how a civilization plays, which is always a good thing.

Quality Of Life Mod

Cheating in a video game may not be the most sporting tactic. Nevertheless, every now and then, unleashing a cheat code just feels right. If players don’t want to sacrifice hours of hard work due to a freak accident, this mod will be of considerable interest.

The Cheat Menu Panel implements some nifty UI adjustments that make implementing a player’s most valuable cheats a breeze. With the ability to keybind the game’s most helpful cheats, players can utilize them seamlessly without much hassle. Cutting corners never felt so easy!

17 Better Report Screen

Quality Of Life & UI Mod

Running a civilization is no laughing matter, nor is it always easy to keep track of everything. Players have a lot to manage in Civilization 6. Mods that allow fans to sort all this information logically is a quality-of-life improvement that shouldn’t be ignored.

The Better Report Screen mod is a great place to start in this regard. One of many useful Civ 6 mods, it organizes a civilization’s most important information, including policies, city-state bonuses, yields, unit placements, resources, and much more. Now, players can spend less time searching for what they need and focus more time on enacting their long-term plans.

18 Civilizations Expanded

Complete Overhaul Mod For Every Civilization.

Civilization 6 has so much to witness that it will take a long time before the experience starts to become stale. For expert players, however, that time will inevitably come. To help keep things fresh, comprehensive overhaul mods tend to be just the ticket.

Civilizations Expanded does exactly what its title suggests. The mod, in one manner or another, reworks each civilization’s abilities and bonuses. This includes Leader abilities, Civilization abilities, districts, buildings, and other improvements. Civilizations Expanded is also compatible with many of the other mods on this list, so it can be implemented alongside the rest almost seamlessly.

19 CIVITAS: City-States Expanded

Complete Overhaul Mod For City-States

Overhaul mods aren’t limited to just the main civilizations themselves. City-States play a prominent role in Civilization 6, particularly when fans are in the process of expanding. Nevertheless, it won’t take players too long to figure out how to deal with them.

When looking to overhaul these small nations, consider CIVITAS: City-States Expanded. This mod adds over 40 new City-States to the game along with additional “types” that give each one more distinct characteristics. City-States will also adhere to more historical geographic locations for players who appreciate those sorts of details.

20 Warfare Expanded

Gameplay & Aesthetic Mod

For games that can be played for hours on end, looking at the same visuals over and over again can become tiresome. Mods that are able to inject some variety into the proceedings are well worth the player’s attention. Throwing in some new abilities to boot is also a plus.

Warfare Expanded is actually a collection of mods. It incorporates new global land, sea, and air units. Best of all, each civilization has its own cultural variation for these units, which guarantees some differentiation in terms of aesthetics on the game map.