Turn-based games tend to take longer to play than regular strategy games, and Civilization 6 is no exception. If anything, it can last almost indefinitely depending on if you’re playing Marathon mode or not. What’s really interesting about this game is that more and more options and features become available the longer the duration of the game — which only makes sense considering the timeline in Civilization is based on historical years. The further the player is in the future, the more options become available.

It can be easy to achieve an early victory in Civ 6, especially if the player is going for a religious or domination style win. But the late game is worth the time it takes to get there. Most players who end up in the late game are striving for a science or cultural victory. Playing the late game opens up a world of strategic possibilities that simply aren’t available in the first 250 turns of a standard game (which is 500 turns). Cool military units, cultural perks, and future ingenuities are all included and can be unlocked in the late game and it’s totally worth it.

10 National Parks

National Parks are a tile improvement that are created by the Naturalist unit, which is available starting in the Modern Era. These are a nifty little improvement in that they provide valuable bonuses to the player’s tourism output and total amenities. They require tiles with an appeal rating of Charming or better and the Naturalist unit must be able to walk onto any of the tiles in order to create the park.

It can require planning in advance so that the player doesn’t build districts where a future National Park can go, but the rewards from having these are fantastic, especially if the player is after a cultural victory.

9 Antiquity Sites

After discovering Natural History, which is an Industrial Era civic, these little tiles start to pop up all over the map. These are Antiquity Sites and they are a valuable resource to have in the late game. When an Archaeologist works the tile they extract an Artifact, which can be housed within the player’s civilization. First and foremost these artifacts boost tourism, which is essential for a cultural victory. But the tile must be worked by an archaeologist before it can be worked by a builder unit, otherwise, these Antiquity Sites remain there indefinitely. While they are kind of cool to see, it is much more useful to have the artifact removed and then further develop that tile.

8 Giant Death Robot

Arguably one of the coolest additions to Civ 6 is the Giant Death Robot, which becomes available in the Information Era. Classified as a Super Unit, these robots come equipped with a melee strength of 130 and a ranged strength of 120, plus anti-aircraft capabilities. It is an absolute asset to have, whether the goal is military victory or not.

Not only does it look super cool, but it also lets the other civilization’s know that the player isn’t messing around. One of these bad boys can decimate an entire cavalry. And if that wasn’t awesome enough, these robots can operate on coastal and ocean tiles as if they were land. Spend the turns, spend the money, spend the production — the Giant Death Robot is worth it.

7 World Climate

A brand new game mechanic was introduced in Civ 6 called Climate. In the late game, as cities become powered either by coal or oil (initially) they start to produce CO2 emissions. Meanwhile, throughout the early and mid-game, natural disasters occur randomly throughout the map. As CO2 emissions grow the natural disasters become worse and worse, directly affected by civilizations’ pollution output. It’s a very interesting and relevant mechanic that forces the player to weigh the odds — higher production but greater risk of disasters that could come at any time. It’s a dicey choice to make.

6 Powered Cities

Power is another new mechanic introduced in this game. In the late game, power is required for most buildings and developments and is therefore necessary to continue a long game. It is also what causes CO2 emissions in the air. It’s produced through utilizing either a coal power plant, an oil power plant, or a nuclear power plant, all with different levels of CO2 emission. In order to power one or all of the player’s cities, these strategic resources need to be on hand and in abundance. While it’s absolutely essential for the late game, just keep in mind that the resources to utilize this mechanic will be needed.

5 Seaside Resorts

Unlocked in the mid-to-late game, Seaside Resorts are excellent resources for tourism and amenities. The city requires coastal tiles in order to build this improvement so be sure to plan ahead if a cultural victory is the end goal.

In addition to the cultural bonuses, the Seaside Resorts also generate gold equal to the tile’s appeal, per turn. It’s also super easy to construct with a simple builder unit. So it’s a win-win development for both the empire’s wallet and its ability to generate tourism.

4 Operation Ivy

Nothing says “the future” better than thermonuclear devices. Operation Ivy is a project that a city can work on in order to develop and create these devices and can only be completed after finishing The Manhattan Project. Nuclear Fusion must be researched in order to have this option available. This is a very late game project that is beneficial if the player intends on decimating the nearby empires for total world dominance. In that case, Operation Ivy is perfect for that, allowing for a very quick and effective military victory.

3 Spaceports

Cultivating a science victory requires a commitment to a very long game, close to the 400-500 turn mark. One component to this victory is the building of Spaceports, a district that allows the player to complete the Space Missions necessary to secure the victory. There are five components to this win and every step along the way requires the spaceport to be up and operational. If short Civ games are more to the player’s style, spaceports will never be seen in the game as it requires the Rocketry technology, an extremely late-game technology.

2 Nuclear Accidents

Reaching the Atomic Age in Civ 6 takes a great number of turns and comes with many new aspects and mechanics. One of these is Nuclear Power Plants, which provide a more efficient and less polluting way to provide power to cities. But like with real-world nuclear items, this comes at a cost. Nuclear power plants can have accidents, such as Radioactive Steam Venting and Nuclear Meltdowns. These can be catastrophic to any empire, regardless of their status in the game. So while these are awesome late-game features, be wary of how to use them.

1 Rock Bands

Who doesn’t love a good concert? Even Civ 6 has introduced Rock Bands to their lineup of game mechanics. The Rock Band civilian unit is available in the Atomic era or later and cannot be used within your own civilization. The unit must be sent to a competing empire and once they have performed they provide a huge burst of tourism towards that specific empire. They can also be promoted which provides additional bonuses. It’s a super cool new game mechanic that is easy to use and is incredibly beneficial.

NEXT: Civ 6: 10 Tips To Dominate On Deity Difficulty