Wonder Construction

Construct Wonders to unlock empire-wide or local bonuses, but beware: rivals may capture your capital to halt your progress before completion.

In Civilization Revolution, Wonders represent a distinct category of buildings designed to provide major advantages to the civilization that constructs them. These benefits can apply either across an entire empire or remain localized within the specific city where they are built. The game features several key wonders essential for certain victory paths: the United Nations wonder is required for a Culture victory once 20 great persons, wonders, or converted cities are acquired, while the World Bank wonder must be built after acquiring 20,000 gold to secure an Economic victory. Additionally, downloadable content introduced new structures such as the Tower of Babel and the Leaning Tower of Pisa, which function like any other wonder within the game mechanics.

Quick Facts

Core concept: Unique Building Construction

Lore & Background

The race for these unique structures defines much of the mid-to-late game tension. Unlike standard buildings, only one civilization can claim each Wonder; once built by a rival, all other players are denied access immediately. This exclusivity creates a high-stakes environment where leaders must balance internal productivity with external threats. If a player nears victory conditions tied to specific wonders—such as launching the spaceship for a Technological Victory or building the United Nations for Culture—all other civilizations will declare war in an attempt to stop them. The most direct method of sabotage is capturing the enemy's capital and palace, which halts the construction of these critical structures entirely.

Reader's Guide

Players must strategically allocate production points to build Wonders early enough to secure their bonuses but not so early that they leave themselves vulnerable to barbarian or rival attacks. Since later-era units and buildings cost more in production, efficient city management is crucial. The game begins with settlers founding cities that harvest food, production, and trade; these resources fuel Wonder construction. However, the threat of war escalates as you approach victory conditions.

To succeed, players should prioritize defense when a rival declares war to stop their wonder progress. Utilizing the specific bonuses of your chosen civilization—such as unique technologies or Great Persons given at the start—can accelerate production. Remember that while many wonders are available in the base game, others like the Tower of Babel require downloadable content, adding variety to the strategic options.

Did You Know?

The construction of the World Bank, United Nations, and Alpha Centauri spaceship can all be stopped by capturing the enemy's capital and palace.
If a player nears a victory condition other than Domination, all other civilizations will automatically declare war on them to delay or stop the win.