Civilization 5was a landmark release for the series, expanding on the series' patented gameplay in many ways and giving players a wealth of paths they could embark on to attain victory. The game’s focus on strategy is quite intense without being too overbearing, making it quite accessible at lower difficulties before players decide to up the ante. There aren’t many 4X strategy games that are accessible to beginners, making it clear whyCivilizationhas such a loyal fanbase that loves every title in this illustrious series.
Players cantake on the role of many leadersas they form massive countries and help their residents achieve happiness while researching new technologies, training their army, and either engaging in diplomacy or taking over territories by force.Civilization 5has a captivating gameplay loop that can be further enhanced with a wealth of mods, most of which can help players enjoy this excellent title in a new light all over again. Ideally, first-timers should play through a few games first before thinking about messing around withCiv 5mods.
Updated on June 08, 2025, by Ritwik Mitra:Civilization 5 is a classic 4X turn-based strategy game that many fans still play religiously to this day, even with the latest title in the series being quite popular for fans of the genre. There’s something about the alluring charm of the game that makes players come back for more strategic goodness, and it helps that the wealth of mods available for this title means that players will have a great time going through this title while checking out the many ways fans have freshened up the experience to help veterans enjoy this game even more without getting too fatigued.
16Play The World Extended
Downloads: 113,455
There’s something alluring about going throughCivilization 5on a map that replicates what the world looks like. It makes the session feel more authentic, and fans of the game would love this simple yet effective mod that facilitates the same.
The interesting manner in which kingdoms can evolve on an established map of the realm world is going to be fascinating to witness firsthand. With world leaders actively seeking to expand and become more powerful, this map is bound to offer hours of enjoyment to veteranCivilizationplayers.
15Tamriel
Downloads: 85,146
The world ofThe Elder Scrollsis a detailed and fascinating one. The amount of work Bethesda has put into developing the massive lore of this series should be commended extensively, and any mod that allowsCiv 5players to check out a version of this map they can play on is bound to be a treat.
So, it’s easy to see why Tamriel is one of the most popular custom maps players can download for their game. Sure, the idea of using modern weapons in a fantasy map may seem odd, but most players will get over this minor issue in no time flat once they establish a massive and respected kingdom in this world.
14The Goths
Downloads: 167,892
A custom civilization that is pretty fun to get used to, the Goths are certainly a fascinating culture to witness inCivilization 5. A lot of work has been put into making this civilization feel as vanilla-friendly as possible, letting it merge seamlessly with the gameplay of this title.
Mods like these show just how passionate fans are about their favorite 4X strategy title. Players wanting to start a fresh playthrough inCivilization 5will find it pretty engaging to get used to Gothic culture and how it can fit into the ever-evolving world ofCivilization 5.
13Really Advanced Setup
Downloads: 312,363
Players who are tired of playing through the same campaigns over and over again inCivilization 5can use a mod that lets them configure the setup of a game in a more complex and nuanced manner. The Really Advanced Setup mod lets players lets players configure pretty much anything they want to make for a customized and engaging playthrough.
It’s a great way to build some custom scenarios that are a blast to play through. The suite of changes is vast and only recommended for veterans to handle. Beginners should get some experience and victories under their belt before even thinking about fiddling with these complex metrics.
12Ingame Editor
Downloads: 693,811
There’s nothing wrong with playing god in a game. In fact,Civilization 5wants players to enjoy the high of a power trip as they form massive settlements, strike alliances that are more beneficial to them than others, and wage war against any leader who’s dumb enough to take on their massive might. So, it’s easy to see why the Ingame Editor is such a popular mod for the game.
As the name suggests, this mod allows players to change any metric they want during a playthrough, ranging from changing terrain to attaining a ton of resources in no time at all. Suffice it to say,this mod isn’t recommended for new players, but veterans who don’t mind spicing things up in their playthrough and tweaking things to their liking will love what this editor brings to the table.
11InfoAddict
Downloads: 444,975
Given how important it is totrack one’s progress inCivilization 5, it’s rather odd that there isn’t a clear way to facilitate the same in this game. Thankfully, with the advent of mods, players can add graphs that map a civilization’s progress across multiple departments.
InfoAddict is a simple mod, but the function it accomplishes is invaluable. Players who love tracking the many metrics calculated in this game to measure the progress of their civilization and that of others will love what InfoAddict brings to the table.
10The Elder Scrolls Civilization V Pack
Downloads: 179,170
The Elder Scrollsis one of the most unique and brilliant fantasy worlds that fans can easily get lost in. So, the idea of roleplaying as one of its leaders inCivilization 5is pretty much a dream come true for many fans.
The Elder Scrolls Civilization V Pack serves as a total conversion mod that allows players to interact with the many elements of this unique fantasy world to make for an immersive fantasy playthrough of this title. It’s surprising just how fleshed out this mod is, allowing players to experience the world ofCivilization 5for hours on end.
9Faster Turn Processing
Downloads: 2,564
Every time a turn passes inCivilization 5, players have to wait for the rest of the AI leaders to carry out their moves that take into account the situation and their personalities. While this adds to the authenticity of the experience, it can come at the cost of players having to wait for a while until all this data is computed.
This changes with the advent of the Faster Turn Processing mod, which accomplishes what the title states. It hastens this process without compromising their decision-making, which is a great quality-of-life upgrade that everyCiv 5player should check out.
8Great Prophet Historical Names
Downloads: 18,040
There aremany Great People units that players can use in the game to great effect. The fact that these units have real historical names adds to the charm of theCivilizationseries that so many people adore.
That being said, one unit of this type doesn’t follow this naming criterion — the Great Prophet. This mod aims to fix that by adding real names to these units, adding to the immersion of the game.
7Community Balance Patch
Downloads: 1,062,914
Games that have mods are bound to have players who want to fix every small issue that may be present in the game. Such is the case with the Community Patch, which is exactly what most people would expect.
It fixes several bugs inCivilization 5and improves the AI to make them less brain-dead and more engaging to deal with. With this mod, players can enjoy a nigh-perfect playthrough of the game with little to no issues plaguing their enjoyment.
