Welcome, new settlers! In this article, we’re going to guide you through the wonderful world of map types and map selection. As Civ veterans know, before you establish your first Settlement, your journey in Civilization begins in the setup screen.
It’s easy to treat map selection as just another menu on the way to turn one, but the map you choose shapes the entire personality of your campaign. Map choice will influence whether your empire needs a dominant navy or a heavy wall of cavalry, how fast you will meet rival empires, and how easygoing (or contested) exploration feels.
In Civ VII, we use two different world-generation styles, each tailored to different playstyles and strategic preferences: Voronoi and Legacy maps. We’ll discuss how these differ, and which map type is right for your next playthrough.
Voronoi Map Types
Best for Randomness & Replayability
Voronoi Maps use procedural generation to prioritize high terrain variety, organic coastlines, and unscripted geographic surprises. They’re built for players who love exploration and adapting to unpredictable landscapes from turn to turn. For a technical deep dive into how our dev team designed this system, check out this From the Devs article.
Continents & Islands
Two natural landmasses accompanied by islands of varying size.
Pangaea & Islands
A single natural landmass accompanied by islands of varying size.
Fractal Continents
A highly varied world of continents, islands, and distant lands.
Shattered Seas
A map split into many small continents which connect by coast.
Archipelago
A map featuring two primary island groups of varying shape and size, with smaller islands and island chains scattered across the oceans.
Legacy Map Types
Best for Multiplayer & Balanced Games
Legacy maps rely on classic generation algorithms focused on structured, reliable layouts. They deliver an experience where strategic balance and familiar geography take the stage – giving everyone predictable land distribution and equal opportunities for expansion. Multiplayer-minded players may prefer these more balanced map types.
[Legacy] Continents
Large continuous landmasses offering balanced gameplay.
[Legacy] Pangea Plus
All players start on a single large homeland surrounded by Distant Lands islands.
[Legacy] Continents Plus
An expanded version of Continents with additional islands.
[Legacy] Archipelago Hemispheres
Legacy Archipelago map with fixed eastern and western island clusters, providing a more structured experience.
[Legacy] Fractal
Unpredictable map that can result in unusually shaped landmasses.
[Legacy] Shuffle
Uses different map types for different areas of the map.
[Legacy] Terra Incognita
A classic homeland map with unpredictable distant lands.
Which Generation Style Should You Choose?
For new players jumping into single-player games, Voronoi Maps are our recommendation. Because landmasses are generated organically, you can never fully predict what lies beyond the fog of war. You might discover a Navigable River cutting across a large continent, an island chain ready for settling, or even a super-continent full of Discoveries! Exploration stays exciting beyond the early game.
On the flip side, Legacy maps are designed for structure. If you’re setting up a multiplayer match with friends or prefer competitive games where fairness takes precedence over unpredictability, Legacy generation provides symmetric landmasses and reliable distance between Capitals and other continents. It reduces the chance of spawning in with a quirky start, so that everyone has an equal foundation for victory.
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Sizing Up Your World
Map size doesn't just change the physical hex-by-hex scale of the world, it has tangible impacts on game pacing, turn length, and the way you’ll interact with other empires. On Tiny and Small maps, civilizations are packed closely together, forcing early territorial friction and potentially aggressive military expansion. On Large and Huge maps, you have more room to expand peacefully, build out your economy, and scout deep into uncharted lands before your borders ever touch a neighbor's.
- Tiny: A compact map ideal for quick, close-quarters gameplay.
- Small: A small map that promotes earlier contact with other empires.
- Standard*: A balanced size for moderate expansion and conflict.
- Large*: A spacious map designed for extensive exploration and strategy.
- Huge*: An expansive map for massive, far-reaching campaigns.
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Now, you’re up to speed on the updated list of map types in Civilization VII. Whether you’re navigating the uncharted oceans of Shattered Seas or battling it out on Pangea Plus, understanding your map options is an important first step toward building an empire that stands the test of time. Pick your world, send out that first scout (and scout dog, of course), and see what history you create.
* Civilization VII on the original Nintendo Switch version only supports the Tiny and Small map sizes; it does not support map sizes of Standard and above. For cross-play multiplayer games with players on Nintendo Switch, these map size restrictions will apply. Civilization VII - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition on Nintendo Switch 2 supports all map sizes & up to 8 players in multiplayer in the Modern Age.
