: The Civics Tree uses Culture to unlock new forms of government and "Policy Cards," which provide modular bonuses to an empire's economy, military, or diplomacy.

: Both trees are dynamic; performing certain in-game actions (like founding a city on the coast) triggers a "Eureka" moment, instantly providing a 40% boost to a related technology. New Layers of Strategy: Loyalty and Eras

: Players must choose where to place a Campus for science or a Holy Site for religion based on terrain bonuses—placing a Campus next to mountains, for instance, provides a science boost.

The game introduces a "dual-tree" system, separating progress into and Civics .

: Even iconic World Wonders now occupy their own hexes, requiring specific terrain and blocking other potential improvements. Dual Trees: Science and Civics

The most significant departure from its predecessors is the "unstacking" of cities. In previous iterations, cities occupied a single tile with all improvements contained within. In Civilization VI , cities physically expand across the map through specialized .