Ten Unused Civs Perfect for Civilization VII

With Sid Meier’s Civilization series celebrating 30 years of strategic gameplay, I thought it would be a perfect time to look at some of the civilizations of our past that haven’t been used yet. Some of these civilizations are rather obscure while others are prominent in our universal culture today. So, let’s dive into the history books and see what gems we dig up! Also, it is important to note that I have only ruled out civilizations that are playable within the main games and their corresponding DLCs. So there will be one or two of these that might’ve shown up in previous unnumbered Civilization games or as unplayable City-States.

1: Numidia (Led by Masinissa)

While not exactly a civilization that is well known to history, due to its short lifespan, it is well known to players of Rome: Total War. It isn’t a very powerful civilization in that game, but it has an interesting history that separates it from the other civilizations during its time period like Carthage and Rome. At its greatest extent, Numidia controlled territory over most of the north-western coast of Africa.

The leader Masinissa was Numidia’s first king who reigned from 202 BCE to 148 BCE. The major conflict that brought him to the world stage was the unification of Numidia during the Second Punic War, which ultimately led them to take huge swaths of territory. I believe that this could fit perfectly as an Agricultural Expansionist type Civilization due to its quick expansion. Additionally, the area that they lived in was eventually coined “the breadbasket of Rome.”

2: Mamluk Sultanate (Led by Shajar al-Durr)

The Mamluk Sultanate is one of the prominent Islamic civilizations that exist within the game Europa Universalis IV. This civilization lasted for almost 300 years, controlling most of modern-day Egypt during the Medieval Period. The word Mamluk means “owned slave”, and was a class of people that eventually became elevated to governmental positions along with the ascension of the Egyptian Sultan As-Salih in 1240. Over time, these elevated Mamluks ended up being the dominant governmental force in the Sultanate.

The leader that I chose from their history is Shajar al-Durr, the first Sultan of the Mamluk Sultanate. She ended up being a massive help to the Islamic world as she helped to fight off the Seventh Crusade led by Louis IX of France after the death of her husband. After that war, she was officially given the title of Sultan after the assassination of her husband’s son. Playing a savvy leader who was bestowed so much trust would only add more interest to the Mamluk Sultanate. Such a civilization would probably specialize in both religion and cavalry due to those two things being vital in how they governed.

3: Mexico (Led by Benito Juarez)

Everyone on Earth knows about Mexico, which makes it strange how it has never been included in a Civilization game before. We have had the Aztecs, which at one point controlled most of the southern territory of modern Mexico. However, the Aztecs only represent one portion of the rich culture that has developed in that region over the years.

Picking the right leader for Mexico is a bit tricky because they have had so many through the various governments that have resided over the country. The one that stuck out to me the most was Benito Juarez. Juarez was the first Mexican leader who was of indigenous origin and was one of the longest serving leaders in their history. He is heavily revered in Mexico for fighting off the French-backed Second Mexican Empire, which was put into power during the French Invasion between 1861 and 1867. This marked him as a true man of the people who thwarted foreign intervention. With this leader and their history, I could easily see Mexico becoming a civilization with a heavy emphasis on defending the homeland.

4: Switzerland (Led by Jonas Furrer)

As the Neutral Bulwark of Europe, the Swiss are famous worldwide for their neutrality and fantastic knives. They have maintained a policy of armed neutrality that has kept them out of wars since the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815. While this has worked to allow them to have significant international weight with brokering peace treaties and negotiating trade with almost every corner of the globe, Switzerland still has yet to be implemented into a Sid Meier’s Civilization game as a playable civ.

While picking Switzerland seems to be a no-brainer, picking a leader for them is rather difficult. Sifting through their long history and their multiple governments, it is hard to find one that truly seems to have left a lasting impact on the Swiss people. However, there is one soldier that stands out amongst all of them and helped maintain Swiss Independence throughout the Second World War. This soldier is General Henri Guisan, the fourth person in Swiss history to be appointed to the rank of General. He was the brain behind the various fortifications that defended Switzerland during the Second World War. Those fortifications continue to protect them to this day. Having him as a leader, I could see them being a civilization that has a focus on Defense and Cultural Strength.

5: Indus Valley (Led by Priest-King)

The Indus Valley civilization goes by a few different names due to the various historians and archeologists that have tried to make heads-or-tails of the people that created the cities and towns that have been unearthed. While it would definitely be a challenge for the developers to implement this question mark on history into their game, I think it would be a great chance for the writers and researchers there to flex their creative muscles and make the best complete image of these people.

Since information is scarce on this civilization, it is still hard to determine what kind of government or leadership they had. The only thing that I found in my research that could be used is a carved figure that has been named Priest-King. This could end up being used as a potential leader, despite the fact that it is rather vague. Regardless, this could end up making the Indus Valley into a civilization that could have a focus on faith and happiness.

6: Vatican City (Led by Pope Innocent III)

The Vatican City is in my opinion the strangest one that I can see being put into the next Civilization game. However, since they had Venice in Civilization V, it is not much of a stretch to see this happening. The Vatican City has throughout its history wielded great influence over nations and their people almost entirely since their creation in 756 as the Papal States. From calling Crusades to radically altering dozens of cultures, the Papal State seems to be a unique opportunity.

When it comes to leaders for the Vatican City, it is hard to choose. There have been so many Popes of varying degrees of competency that it is sometimes hard to figure out who would be the proper fit. My personal choice is that of Pope Innocent III. He was instrumental in purging corruption from within the church and was able to reassert the power and authority of the Papacy at a time when it was on the decline. The Vatican City would obviously be focused on Faith in Civilization VII, but it could go in different directions on what its other focus might be.

7: Seleucid Empire (Led by Seleucus)

If you need a new juggernaut of a militaristic civilization to come to the next game, then the Seleucid Empire seems like the perfect choice! As one of the civilizations that sprung up from the fracturing of the Macedonian Empire following the death of Alexander the Great, it was to be one of two successful offsprings of that grand empire. The Seleucid Empire survived for about 250 years by promoting Hellenistic culture and being accepting of local traditions that existed within its borders. Holding huge swaths of territory in what we some call today the Middle East, the Seleucids had dealings with many of the big powers of the time such as the Egyptians, Romans, and the Mauryans.

For a leader, we need not look further than Seleucus himself. Otherwise known as Seleucus I Nicator, he was the infantry general for Alexander the Great before becoming the sovereign of his self-named empire, carved from the territory that Alexander’s generals fought over after his sudden death without a designated heir. His intelligence of both the battlefield and political landscapes helped to ensure his dominance over a large swath of territory. Considering all of this, I could see them being a dominating military power with some kind of ability to become more powerful with different religions being in the civilization.

8: Kingdom of Ndongo (Led by Queen Nzinga)

The Kingdom of Ndongo was one of the African Kingdoms that played the Europeans in order to gain leverage over their rival African Kingdoms. However, it also spent a long period of early colonialism resisting the Portuguese from establishing certain ventures into Africa. While it was not particularly successful at this, these tactics did allow the Kingdom to retain its autonomy for longer than most other African Kingdoms who went to war with European powers.

The height of leadership within the Kingdom of Ndongo can be found in Queen Nzinga. She was one of the final rulers of a fully independent Ndongo and eventually became the queen of the Matamban Kingdom. Queen Nzinga was both ruthless and caring, which allowed her to keep the Portuguese shocked early on and eventually kept them on their toes whenever they had dealings with her. Considering her ability to loosen Portugal’s control over Africa, I believe that the Kingdom of Ndongo under the leadership of Queen Nzinga would be a civilization that focuses on taking back cities previously owned by them and a special ax-wielding unit since axes were the symbol of Ndongo nobility.

9: Cuba (Led by Fidel Castro)

Cuba is a nation that has had one of the most dynamic histories of those that exist in the Americas. It has gone from a Spanish colony to an American protectorate, then to a Republic, and finally a Communist government. As a result, the Cuban people and civilization have taken many different forms. All of these forms would allow for some interesting ideas for unique units, buildings, and abilities for this civilization.

The leader that I have chosen to lead Cuba is none other than Fidel Castro. While he is one of the most controversial figures in world history due to his questionable record of administering Cuba and his handling of international affairs, there is no doubt that Fidel casts a long shadow over this nation. Due to his leadership and the history of Cuba, I could see them having units and buildings that focus on both defense and espionage.

10: Costa Rica (Led by Oscar Arias Sanchez)

While it is not a nation that everyone thinks about in today’s global politics, Costa Rica has a fascinating culture and history that deserves a place within the list of civilizations in the Sid Meier’s Civilization series. Having a heavily-educated population and diversified economy in recent years has allowed the Costa Rican people to move up within the overall standing of the world. The Costa Ricans also have a great sense of pride in who they are and the country that they live in.

Adding to all of this, they have had quite a few charismatic and successful leaders throughout their history. The most notable that I ran across was Oscar Arias Sanchez, the 40th and 45th President of Costa Rica. He was instrumental in stopping the series of civil wars that plagued Central America through a peace plan that was signed in 1987 by Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. This led him to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987. He is still alive as of 2021, which is not common for the leaders added to Civilization games. However, I believe that he is still the best choice.

These are just a few civilizations that could be added to the rich catalog of those within Sid Meier’s Civilization series! Make sure to check out the video that the developers put together to celebrate 30 years of this amazing franchise right here: