The Religion system in Civilization 7 is vastly different from previous games in the series. Once you hit the Exploration Age, you’ll need to start hunting down Relics if you’re hoping to complete the Culture Legacy Path and achieve a Golden Age of Culture.
Here, we’ve detailed how to get Relics fast in Civ 7, looking at every key Civic you’ll need to study and the potential Reliquary and Enhancer beliefs on offer in the Religion tab.
How to get Relics in Civilization 7

Relics are special religious items that can be displayed in locations like Temples, similar to Codices that you encounter in the Scientific branch of Civ 7. Relics are tied to the Culture Legacy Path in the Exploration Age and are crucial to securing a strong foothold for a Culture-based win.
To find them, the aim is to explore the Religion tree and build a Religion with Reliquary and Enhancer beliefs that synergize well. Reliquary beliefs dictate how your people can find Relics, while Enhancer beliefs make it easier to do so.
Before you can do this, you need to study Piety in the Civics track. It’s in the first section of the Exploration Civics tree and will let you build Temples. Alongside their Happiness yield, Temples have a Relic slot to let you display your findings and reap the rewards.
When you have Piety unlocked, build a Temple and establish your Religion. You can pick from real religious groups or make your own for flavor. Here, you will get to pick your Reliquary belief, affecting how you earn Relics.

Some prioritize converting Settlements with large Rural populations or Capital Cities, while others focus on City-States.
We’d suggest looking at Icons (awarding two Relics for every first-time City-State conversion) and Evangelism (awarding one Relic for converting another player’s Distant Lands Settlement that is not a City-State), as these hold the most potential for efficient wins.
Make sure to look at which Reliquary beliefs match your playstyle and goals, though. If you’re aiming for a Military win, for example, Brahmanism (awarding two Relics for a first-time conversion of another player’s Capital) could be the best bet for you. Synergy is the name of the game here.
If there’s a Reliquary Belief you want, move quickly. Just like the Pantheon beliefs, if another player claims it, you won’t be able to choose it.
When you’ve picked your Reliquary belief, the next step is to study the Theology Civic and train up a Missionary or two in your City.

Theology will allow you to unlock the Evangelism buff, which affects Civilian movement and Missionary charges. Additionally, you’ll get your first Relic for free, alongside an additional belief for the Religion tree to flesh out the system further.
Missionaries are the Civilian unit that can convert followers to your religion. If a location doesn’t have a religion, the Missionary will only need to interact with it once, but if a religion is present, they’ll need to interact with an Urban tile and a Rural tile. Consider this while planning movement.
Alongside standard conversion, you can earn Relics by becoming Suzerain of a City-State and by partaking in narrative events that pop up throughout the game. To quickly add to your Relic haul, keep an eye on City-States nearby and use your Influence wisely.
The eventual aim of the Culture Legacy Path in the Exploration Age is to have 12 Relics on display. Pick your beliefs wisely, train up a couple of Missionaries, and don’t forget to build new Temples and eligible Wonders to house your discoveries.
With this, you’ll be on track to secure a win and make it easier to get to the ultimate Culture win condition of building the World’s Fair Wonder. It’s one of the main win conditions in Civ 7, and if you prefer resource-based victories over Military wins, it’s a lot of fun to go after.
Published: Feb 3, 2025 09:10 am