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Strategy games harp on giving players a bevy of ways to dominate their opponents, ranging from the typical brute territory conquering to the finer arts of advancing through other skill trees. In the past, legendary titles in the genre scarcely offered more than two different methods to win a playthrough. However, theCivilizationfranchise has changed the category’s landscape, withCivilization 6featuring five unique victory conditions since diplomacy’s addition in the Gathering Storm DLC, excluding Score, which serves as a turn limit. Some of the victory conditions inCivilization 6are harder to achieve compared to others based on the player’s chosen civilization and difficulty setting.
As always, some skill sets translate better towards specific paths to victory than others. Although every victory condition inCivilization 6is achievable by any chosen set of people, a civilization geared towards military efficiency will generally have a tougher time achieving paths that require more finesse in leader relationships. This dynamic usually influences fan opinion on how difficult it is to achieve victory conditions. With this in mind,Civilization 6’s victory conditionscan be ranked based on their entertainment factor and general perception of their execution.
S-Tier - Civilization 6 Victory Types
Culture Victory
When looking for quick, efficient playthroughs, theculture victory condition often stands apart from others inCivilization 6. It is a tad easier to achieve dominion over opponents with a cultural focus, whether the difficulty level is pegged on Settler or Deity. At its heart, the cultural victory is a popularity contest for tourists.
Civilizations set out to build seaside resorts, national parks, and rock bands; as well as foster globalism to gain an edge over competitors. Its emphasis on trade routes isn’t that tedious to master, and although the cultural condition still requires a bit of simultaneous maneuvering with other forms of victory, its relative efficiency at winning games puts it at the top ofCivilization 6’s victory conditions.
A-Tier - Civilization 6 Victory Types
Domination Victory
Every strategy game needs its fair share of skirmishes and large-scale conflict, andCivilization 6is no different. Its art lies in building an army superior to others and a healthy dose of warmongering. As such, domination, by name, should be one of the more challenging modes. However, the AI tends to make some questionable decisions that can lower the quality of the experience. Nonetheless, in terms of sheer entertainment value, no mode beats out domination, especially in the late-game when most civilizations are at their zenith in military strength.
Religion Victory
One of the more polarizing modes inCivilization 6, achieving a religious victorycomes relatively easy to some while posing a steep learning curve to others. The condition has its basis in the faith currency, and spreading the gospel of a custom religion is one of the fastest ways to win a playthrough ofCivilization 6, especially when using certain countries like Japan. Created as a blend of the Diplomacy and Domination types, the Religious condition encourages converting opponents to players' religions, either through peaceful alliances or by the sword.
B-Tier - Civilization 6 Victory Types
Science Victory
The whole point of strategy games might be to win, but players don’t want to get bored while doing it. That’s the problem the Scientific victory condition faces; it’s considered too easy and repetitive, and too many things pass the player by while waiting for the next advancement in the technological tree to become available. Although theBabylon DLC did wonders to revolutionize the science game, it’s still in need of reform in the next installment.
C-Tier - Civilization 6 Victory Types
Diplomacy Victory
Many expected Firaxis to build on the widely enjoyed version of diplomacy seen inCivilization 5, where players worked to gather votes to gain the coveted status of a world leader. However,Civilization 6’s implementation didn’t meet expectations, as this victory condition is often met by accident. Just like Science, the Diplomatic victory is more of a waiting game, with the World Congress only called every 30 turns. Combined with the random selection of diplomatic policies, Diplomacy is regarded as one of theworst victories inCivilization 6.
