When building an empire, how you spend your civic points is one of the most important decisions you will ever make.

Knowing how to spend your civic points in Stellaris can greatly impact your play style, the way your empire functions, and how other empires perceive you. This guide will provide you with all the necessary information to make informed decisions and optimize your empire’s potential.

What is a Civic Point?

A civic point is a valuable resource that you can use to select civics for your empire. Civics are a combination of laws, policies, and values that shape the way your empire operates. The available civics depend on various factors such as your ethics, government authority, origin, and species type. Each civic provides unique bonuses, alters gameplay mechanics, and influences interactions with other empires.

How to Spend Civic Points During Empire Creation in Stellaris

The first opportunity to spend your civic points arises during empire creation. The Government & Ethics tab is where you’ll find the menu screen to select your civics. This screen is crucial as it determines your empire’s ethics and government authority, which have lasting consequences throughout the game.

Before delving into civic selection, it is advisable to finalize other empire creation choices such as species traits, origin, and home world. These decisions may unlock or restrict certain civic options. Additionally, reading the tooltips for each civic is paramount as it enhances your understanding of the game mechanics.

Once you’re ready to spend your civic points, navigate to the civics section on the far right of the Government & Ethics menu. You’ll be able to see how many points you have left to spend. The selected civics will be displayed at the top of the menu for quick reference. To select a civic, simply left-click on it. If you change your mind or select the wrong civic, clicking on the highlighted selection at the top of the menu will deselect it.

How to Spend Civic Points by Reforming Government

There may come a time when you wish to change your selected civics due to various reasons. In such cases, you’ll need to know how to reform your government. Government reforms allow you to adjust ethics, spend unspent points, and change government authority.

Reforming your government comes at a cost of ten unity per empire size, regardless of the magnitude of the changes you make. For instance, an empire with a size of 1198 will require 11980 unity to undergo reform. However, keep in mind that government reform can only occur once every 20 in-game years.

To initiate a government reform, access your empire menu by clicking on the empire emblem in the top left-hand corner of the screen. Within the menu, you’ll find a prominent button labeled “Reform Government.” Clicking this button will open a menu similar to the one used for empire creation. The process of selecting and deselecting civics remains the same. Once you’re satisfied with your choices, click the reform button at the bottom to confirm the changes, paying the displayed cost. The changes will take immediate effect.

The Best Civics to Select For Your Empire in Stellaris

Selecting the ideal civics for your empire can be a daunting task. For an in-depth analysis, consider referring to our comprehensive guide on the best civics in Stellaris. However, if you prefer a condensed version, follow these sound recommendations that apply to most empire types:

• Aim for civics that boost research, enhance resource output, increase ship damage, and expedite population growth.
• Avoid civics that focus on leader experience, empire size, or edict size, as these bonuses tend to be underwhelming.
• Consider genocidal empire civics only if your play-through revolves around annihilating other civilizations, as these civics are permanent and cannot be changed through government reforms.
• If a desired civic appears grayed out and unselectable, read the tooltip to understand the prerequisites. Make the necessary changes if possible, and then proceed to select the civic.

Now that you’re equipped with the knowledge of how to spend your civic points in Stellaris, feel free to experiment and tailor your empire to your strategic preferences. If you have any additional insights or questions regarding this guide, please share them in the comments section below. And above all, enjoy the process of shaping your empire with your civic choices in Stellaris!