Conclusion
Game speed doesn't just change the turn limit — it scales almost every cost. Quick makes production, research and culture costs 67%, Epic 150% and Marathon 300%, and the turn limit goes from 330 to 1,500.
Starting in a later era gives you more to begin with: from 1 Settler and 1 Warrior in the Ancient era up to 3 Settlers, 3 Workers and 5 Marines with size-5 cities in the Information era.
Game Speeds
| Speed | Growth & great people | Production | Research | Culture (policies) | Gold purchases | Faith purchases | Worker build time | Golden age length | Max turns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quick | 67% | 67% | 67% | 67% | 67% | 67% | 67% | 80% | 330 |
| Standard | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 500 |
| Epic | 150% | 150% | 150% | 150% | 150% | 150% | 150% | 125% | 750 |
| Marathon | 300% | 300% | 300% | 300% | 300% | 300% | 300% | 200% | 1500 |
“Growth & great people” is the general speed modifier the code uses for food to grow and great person thresholds.
Starting Eras
| Starting era | Settlers | Workers | Military units | Starting city size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ancient era | 1 | 0 | 1 × Warrior | 1 |
| Classical era | 1 | 0 | 2 × Spearman | 1 |
| Medieval era | 2 | 1 | 3 × Spearman | 1 |
| Renaissance era | 2 | 1 | 3 × Pikeman | 2 |
| Industrial era | 3 | 2 | 5 × Musketman | 3 |
| Modern era | 3 | 2 | 5 × Rifleman | 3 |
| Atomic era | 3 | 2 | 5 × Infantry | 4 |
| Information era | 3 | 3 | 5 × Marine | 5 |
| Future era | 3 | 3 | 5 × Marine | 5 |
Data from the game's own files (Civ V: Gods & Kings ruleset that ships with Unciv), read from the source at the commit of 2026-10-02. Updates and mods can change these numbers.
FAQ
Does Quick speed make the game easier?
Not by itself — costs shrink for everyone. It mostly shortens the game.
Do units move further on faster speeds?
No. Movement isn't scaled; production and research costs are.
What happens at the turn limit?
If no one has won, the highest score wins (Time victory).
Continue reading
More Unciv guides
Unciv guide home · All 34 Civilizations · City Growth and Happiness · City-States: Bonuses and Quests · Combat: Damage Formula and Calculator · Difficulty Levels Explained · Early Game: Key Numbers and Ancient Ruins · Every Building: Cost, Upkeep and Effects · Every Promotion and Effect · Every Religion Belief · Every Unit's Stats by Era · Every World and National Wonder · Great People: Points and the Shared Pool · Mods: Installing and Popular Picks · Multiplayer: Playing Online · Social Policies and Policy Cost · Tech Tree: Every Tech and Unlock · Terrain, Resources and Improvements · Unciv vs Civilization V · Victory Conditions