GAME CONCEPTS

Empire Size: Tall or Wide

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How many cities you hold sets your empire size: a named tier that pays a bonus or charges a penalty in every city you own. A small realm thinks clearly; a sprawling one is harder to run. The tier is a step. It changes only when a city takes you across a threshold.

Your tier is the badge in the corner of your leader's portrait at the top of the screen. Hover it to see what your tier does and what the next one would change. Click it to see every tier. Growing into a bigger tier opens the same list, ticking the new tier and striking out what you gave up.

The tiers

  • City-State (1 city): +3 Happiness Happiness in the city; +1 Science Science per citizen.
  • Territory (2-5 cities): +20% Science Science in every city.
  • Realm (6-9 cities): No bonus, no penalty.
  • Country (10-15 cities): -10% Science Science in every city.
  • Kingdom (16-25 cities): -20% Science Science in every city.
  • Empire (26+ cities): -30% Science Science in every city.

Tall or wide

  • A City-State's bonus is counted in its one city. +3Happiness and +1Science per citizen. Libraries and other science buildings multiply it.
  • The science percentages apply to each city's science alongside its buildings' own.
  • Separately, empire-size unhappiness still grows with every city you add. 0.2Unhappiness per citizen for each city. That charge is smooth rather than stepped, and it is the only part of empire size a government relieves.
  • Losing cities moves you back down. A Country cut back to nine cities is a Realm again.