In Humankind, players can only govern a select number of cities at once unless they want to suffer Influence penalties. Increasing City Capacity will raise the number of cities a player’s culture in Humankind can operate, so those looking to build a vast empire will want to know the ways to increase Capacity.
Humankind is a fresh new IP standing amongst the other 4x strategy game titans like Civilization, and with a new IP comes new ideas. Forming cities is handled very differently in Humankind, as they must first be settled as outposts. Then, after spending a specified amount of Influence, the outpost can evolve into a city that is able to build more infrastructure and districts. However, there’s a limit to how many cities a culture can govern at once, which is called City Capacity. Having more than the designated amount will lead to drops in Influence, and having negative Influence can create stability issues throughout the empire. That’s why, to stay ahead, expansionist players will need to find ways to increase their City Capacity in Humankind.
To begin settling cities in Humankind, players must first establish an outpost in the territory they wish to claim. To do this, they should determine their desired location, preferably one with high yields and resources. Then, they should select a military unit to send and press the Create Outpost button. It will take a few turns for the outpost form, but after that, it can instantly grow into a city if the player has enough Influence. Players should be wary, as the more cities they have, the more Influence they will need to spend.
Raise City Capacity by Reaching the Ancient Era in Humankind
The moment players progress from the Neolithic Era to the Ancient Era, they’ll unlock two City Capacity immediately. One of these two will be dedicated to the capital, leaving only one more city at the start.
Leaders should think carefully about where they want to create their second city and consider what resources are there, the strength of the adjacent tile yields, and strategic proximity to other cultures. If players found a second pick for their capital while exploring during the Neolithic Era, that would make an excellent second city.
Raise City Capacity by Unlocking Technologies in Humankind
At this point forward, the primary method to increase the City Capacity limit is by researching specific technologies. This means that science-oriented cultures in Humankind, like the Babylonians or Zhou, will be able to create cities sooner than other players.
The technologies that increase City Capacity include Foreign Outposts, Mercantilism, Philosophy, Space Orbital Technology, Supply Lines, Theology, Three-Masted Ship, and Urban Planning. Players should keep an eye out for those on the tech tree and prioritize researching them if a new city is ever needed.
Raise City Capacity by Choosing Specific Civics in Humankind
Every so often in Humankind, a player’s culture will be asked how they wish to govern their people. These are called Civics, and three of the options can lead to increased City Capacity.
While some Civics are triggered by certain in-game events, others occur at random. Choosing to lead with a Small Council will raise City Capacity by one. Additionally, the Leadership Civic and the Materials Procurement Civic increase the cap. Hovering over each option will show the benefits of the Civic, allowing players to determine what works best for their society.
Raise City Capacity by Choosing Specific Cultures in Humankind
Every Humankind culture players can choose to incorporate during each new era comes with a unique Legacy Trait that provides a permanent passive ability. The Achaemenid Persian Legacy Trait, Cyrus’ Shadow, permanently boosts the culture’s City Cap by two Those looking to become expansionists will want to pick this culture, provided no other player has chosen them.
Humankind is available for PC, Macintosh OS, and Stadia.
