Simple, powerful Civilization 7 mod fixes one of the worst problems with its UI

One of my biggest annoyances with the Civilization 7 UI is its lack of quick feedback. The new 4X game hasn't landed the way developer Firaxis would have wanted, with low Steam review scores four months on from launch. Big fixes are in the works, however, and the most recent update feels like the start of a climb in the right direction. But there are some problems that can be more immediately fixed, and modders have done exactly that with the introduction of a tool to easily see exactly the effect of new policies.

In Civilization 7, Firaxis has made some very bold changes to a series that has long reigned as one of the best 4X games around, and it's left the community divided. In our Civilization 7 review, Ed found merit in the spirit of its radical overhauls, but the Ages system ends up causing too dramatic a disruption in the flow of the core empire building. But there's another big roadblock, with UI that doesn't give you the information in the clear manner you need. Now, however, one of the most requested changes has arrived on the Steam Workshop.

'Leonardfactory's Policy Yield Previews' is simple, but a lot of the most impactful changes often are, and the same is true when it comes to the best Civilization 7 mods. Inspired by Civ 6's 'Better Report Screen,' it introduces estimated yield previews for social policy and crisis policy cards on the Government screen, giving you a much more clear and immediate way to measure the potential impact on your current empire.

As the base game stands, policy cards do tell you what benefit a given bonus will provide. Humanism, for example, awards "+2 culture from specialists, but +50% specialist happiness maintenance." However, without digging through more menus, there's no way to tell what that actually looks like for you. With 'Policy Yield Previews' enabled, you can quickly see an estimation of the effect as it will actually play out; in the example below, you can expect to earn 16 more culture at the cost of an additional eight points of happiness requirement.

Ultimately, Civilization 7, for all its differences from its predecessors, is fundamentally a game about making dozens upon dozens of decisions in quick succession based on the information at your disposal. Having those details presented right before your face makes that far easier to do, and allows you to more rapidly compare the options you have to hand. With over 69,000 downloads from the Civ Fanatics forum, this must-have tool is now easier than ever to get your hands on, directly through Steam.

The Civilization 7 'Policy Yield Previews' mod created by 'Leonardfactory' is available now via the Steam Workshop. Simply subscribe to it and it'll be added to your game. Note that it's in an early stage, meaning that there may be a few instances where a yield preview is unable to be calculated in situations where one could hypothetically exist, but for the most part you'll find your life much smoother.

If that's tempted you to give the newest entry a fresh try, our Civ 7 Leaders tier list will ensure you start out on the best footing possible. For anyone who'd rather wait a bit longer for more updates to roll out, we've rounded up the best games like Civilization in 2025 to keep the fire burning.

You can follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides. We've also got a vibrant community Discord server, where you can chat about this story with members of the team and fellow readers.