It isn’t always sunshine and rainbows in Civilization 7. When things start to get chaotic in your cities and towns, you may end up being warned about a Crisis emerging—and if things get bad enough, you’ll need to start picking out Crisis Policies.
Crisis Policies tend to come with debuffs or taxes that you’ll need to work around while trying to make progress. They can be frustrating, but by picking mindfully, it’s easy to mitigate them. Here’s what Crisis Policy actually means and how to pick the best options in Civ 7.
Crisis Policies in Civilization 7, explained

You’ll unlock the ability to see your Policies in Civ 7 around your tenth turn, right when you select your Government type and begin setting up for the start of the Antiquity Age. Aside from an ominous progress bar filling up, the Crisis Policy tab will be empty.
Crises are negative events that only take place towards the end of an Age, and they can only happen in an Age that has an Age following it. This means you won’t need to deal with them in the Modern Age or in a single-Age match. A Crisis can also not be stopped; you can only manage it.
When a Crisis officially begins—don’t worry, the game will prompt you when this happens—you’ll need to fill up your Crisis Policy slots. Much like the regular Policies tab, there’ll be cards over on the left side and slots on the right to fill up. Filling up the slots is mandatory.
Each of the Crisis Policies has an effect that links to whichever Crisis you’re dealing with. If you have an uprising on your hands or a nasty plague sweeping the area, the cards will be tied to this theme, telling the overall story of your Civ.

They’ll all look off-putting at first, ranging from -10 Happiness debuffs on the Capital to a -1 to your Settlement cap, but don’t pick them at random.
When you get presented with the option to choose your Crisis Policies—or when you notice the bar filling up quickly—it’s worth reviewing your Religion tab and your Policies tab. See which other bonuses and enhancements are currently affecting your Settlements or any towns you aren’t the founder of, for example, to see if a -4 Happiness cut could be manageable.
Then, consider your available resources. You may have city resources to hand that can help boost Happiness or Production, and these can soften the blow of a Crisis Policy.
It’s unlikely that they’ll remove the issue entirely, but it’s possible that they could take the issue from -10 Happiness to -3 Happiness, making it a little easier.
Have a quick scan of your Settlements if any architecture or Wonder-based Crisis Policies appear. In our playthrough, we picked up the Zhuhou debuff, as we hadn’t built walls on many of our Settlements when the Crisis hit, making it a non-issue for the time being.
Picking your Crisis Policies based on your available resources and leaning towards the more niche options like the Zhuhou example mentioned above will help you keep your head above water while the Crisis unfolds.
Crisis Policies can change everything from how religion is handled in your cities to your military might. Make sure to read them thoroughly and think about your desired win condition before selecting your picks to avoid causing yourself any issues down the line.
Crises can also leave a lasting impression on your Civ 7 run with Legacies. The way that you choose to handle a plague or political uprising will likely have an impact on the next Age.
Published: Feb 3, 2025 09:05 am