The first time I loaded up Civilization VII, I felt that familiar thrill—the promise of building an empire from a single settler. But within a few turns, I realized this wasn't the same old Civ. The new era-transition mechanic, where you shift from one civilization to the next as the ages roll by, completely flipped my strategic approach on its head. It reminded me instantly of that 2021 title, Humankind from Amplitude Studios and Sega. You remember that one, right? The concept of changing from one civ to the next in each era isn't completely new—it's akin to Humankind. But here's the thing: where Humankind sometimes felt like I was just slapping random culture cards together, Civ VII makes every transition feel momentous, like a genuine evolution of my people's destiny. It's the difference between assembling a patchwork quilt and weaving a grand tapestry.

I've spent about 80 hours across three campaigns now, and this system fundamentally changes how you think about the long game. In my first playthrough, I made the classic rookie mistake—I focused too much on immediate bonuses rather than planning my civilization's entire arc. The result? A medieval collapse when my early military civ couldn't transition smoothly into a scientific powerhouse. This is where what I call the "Bingoplus Crazy Time: 10 Proven Strategies to Maximize Your Gaming Wins" approach saved my second campaign. Seriously, adopting a mindset of flexible long-term planning is strategy number one on that list. Instead of fixating on dominating every single era, I learned to sometimes play for positioning, setting up my civilization for a powerhouse combo two eras down the line.

What Civilization VII nails that Humankind struggled with is maintaining distinct identity throughout these transformations. I distinctly remember in Humankind, despite having theoretically thousands of combinations, my cultures started feeling samey by the industrial era. That pitfall of cultures lacking distinct properties? Not nearly as pronounced here. When I played as the Normans led by Benjamin Franklin—yes, that does sound weird initially—his scientific curiosity still shone through in unique policy options and dialogue, even while the civilization maintained its Norman military traditions. Similarly, Himiko as High Shaman of Aksum brought such a unique religious and diplomatic flavor that persisted through multiple era transitions. These leaders aren't just stat bundles; they have personality that shapes how you approach each transition.

The rhythm of gameplay changes dramatically with this system. You're constantly making decisions with future eras in mind—do I secure this luxury resource now to enable a specific civ choice in the Renaissance? Should I push for this technology a few turns earlier to unlock a crucial era transition bonus? I found myself thinking in broader arcs rather than just reacting to immediate threats. During my most successful campaign, I deliberately chose a scientific civ in the classical era specifically to enable a cultural victory push in the modern era—a strategic layer that simply didn't exist in previous Civilization titles. It creates what I can only describe as "narrative momentum"—your civilization feels like it's actually developing a unique history rather than just accumulating bonuses.

Where the system truly shines is in multiplayer. I played several sessions with friends, and the meta-game around era transitions became incredibly engaging. We'd try to guess each other's long-game strategies based on their early civ choices. When my friend Mike unexpectedly shifted from a militaristic Rome to scientific Korea, it completely upended our diplomatic landscape. These moments of surprise and adaptation create stories you remember long after the game ends. The strategic depth here is substantial—I'd estimate there are at least 40 viable civilization paths across the eras, each with distinct feel and victory conditions.

That's not to say the system is perfect. I did have a game where some of the later-era combinations felt slightly unbalanced—the Industrial Zulu with artillery bonuses seemed to snowball out of control in one match. But these are balance issues that can be patched, whereas the core design is genuinely innovative while still feeling like Civilization. It manages to revitalize the old formula without discarding what made it great in the first place.

After multiple complete campaigns, I'm convinced this era-transition system represents the most significant evolution to the Civilization formula since the series began. It demands more from the player strategically while providing richer narrative payoff. You're not just building an empire—you're guiding a people through the entire sweep of human history, making pivotal decisions about their identity at each crossroads. And when everything clicks, when your carefully planned civilization arc culminates in that satisfying victory screen, you understand why we keep coming back to this series after all these years. It's not just about winning—it's about the story you create along the way.