Skip to main content
This guide will help you set up your environment for Civilization VII modding and understand the basic concepts.

​
Prerequisites

Before you begin modding Civilization VII, make sure you have:
  • Civilization VII game installed
  • Basic knowledge of programming concepts
  • A text editor or IDE (Visual Studio Code is recommended)
  • Node.js installed (version 14 or later) for TypeScript-based modding

​
Setting Up Your Environment

  1. Install Required Tools
  2. Set Up a Modding Project 
    # Create a new directory for your mod
mkdir my-civ7-mod
cd my-civ7-mod

# Initialize a Git repository
git init

# Create a basic structure
mkdir -p src assets
touch README.md
  3. Install TypeScript Modding Tools 
    pnpm init
pnpm add civ7-modding-tools typescript ts-node

​
Understanding Mod Structure

A typical Civilization VII mod consists of:
  • XML files: Define game entities like units, buildings, civilizations
  • SQL files: Modify database entries
  • Lua scripts: Add custom functionality
  • Assets: Graphics, sounds, and other media files
Using the TypeScript tools, you can define these in a more structured way.

​
Creating Your First Mod

Create a basic mod with the TypeScript tools: 
import { Mod } from 'civ7-modding-tools';

// Create a new mod
const mod = new Mod({
    id: 'my-first-mod',
    version: '1.0',
});

// Add components to the mod (we'll do this in later sections)
// mod.add([...]);

// Build the mod
mod.build('./dist');
Run this with: 
pnpm ts-node src/index.ts

​
Where to Go Next

After completing this guide, you should explore:

​
Further Learning

Once you’ve completed this guide, consider exploring these resources: