When players first settle in Civilization 6, they'll have to take a series of elements into consideration. One of the many factors that greatly influences how the player's city will develop is Housing, which determines a city's capacity to continue to grow according to its population number. The more Housing a city has, the longer it'll be able to sustain its citizens without slowing down population growth.

build order civ 6 guide
Civilization 6: Best Build Order For The Early Game

This guide provides players with tips and tricks on how to handle the start of a Civilization 6 game.

To start a city with more Housing in Civilization 6, gamers will want to settle near fresh water. This guide shows gamers how they can determine if a location has a fresh water source nearby or not and how much Housing it will provide.

How to Find Fresh Water in Civ 6

civ 6 start game

Even though this might not always be the case because it really depends on the overall area, gamers will usually want to settle their city near fresh water to make sure that they found a city in Civ 6 with as much Housing as possible.

Rivers, lakes, and oases are the only fresh water sources in Civ 6. While rivers and lakes can spawn just about anywhere on the map, an oasis tile will only appear in the desert.

settler lense civ 6

Gamers who aren't able to identify these tiles can activate the Settler Lense, which can be found in the "Lenses" menu, located above the mini-map on the left bottom corner.

Water Sources in Civ 6

fresh water civ 6

The closer a city is to a water source, the more housing it'll start off with. Fresh water is the best type of water sources in Civilization 6, and settling next to it grants the city 5 Housing. Settling a city on other tiles won't provide as much Housing, but some tiles can still provide a decent amount of Housing. Here is how Housing the tiles adjacent to a water source will receive upon creating a city in Civilization 6:

Housing Upon Settling City

Water Source

5
  • River
  • Lake
  • Oasis

3
  • Coast

2

None

If there is no water source adjacent to the player's settling tile, they'll start off with 2 Housing. Thankfully, there are various ways to increase Housing in Civilization 6. For example, players can build Aqueducts and farms, pick Policy Cards that grants them more Housing, research technology that increases Housing.

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Sid Meier's Civilization 6 Tag Page Cover Art
Sid Meier's Civilization 6
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Released
October 21, 2016
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

ESRB
E10+ for Everyone 10+: Drug Reference, Language, Mild Violence, Suggestive Themes
Developer(s)
Firaxis Games
Publisher(s)
2K Games
Engine
Unity
Multiplayer
Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
Franchise
Civilization
Number of Players
1-6
Platform(s)
PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, Android, iOS
Genre(s)
Strategy
How Long To Beat
23 Hours
PS Plus Availability
N/A