Civ 6 Console Commands: Enable the Debug Console, Reveal All

Civ 6 console commands are limited. The game ships with a hidden debug console, and the only command that guides agree on is Reveal All, which explores the entire map. There is no built-in command for gold, science, units or victory.

The steps and commands on this page were checked against the GamesRadar, KeenGamer, Gamepretty and DTGRE guides plus a Civilization fan forum thread. Everything here is for Civilization VI on Windows. Civilization VII uses a different setting and is not covered.

How to enable the Civilization 6 console on PC

The console is switched off by default, so you edit one line of a settings file. It takes about a minute.

1. Close the game. Open File Explorer and go to Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization VI. Epic Games Store installs use a folder named Sid Meier's Civilization VI (Epic).
2. Make a copy of AppOptions.txt as a backup.
3. Open AppOptions.txt in Notepad. Search for EnableDebugMenu; it sits in the [Debug] section.
4. Change EnableDebugMenu 0 to EnableDebugMenu 1 and save the file.
5. Start Civilization VI and load or begin a game.
6. Press the tilde key (~) to open the console. Some guides name the backtick key instead; they share a key on a US keyboard. Press it again to close the console.

Use a plain text editor that does not reformat the file. On other keyboard layouts the key sits in a different place, so try the key left of the 1 or below Escape.

Civilization 6 console commands list

These are the commands that the guides document. Type them in the console and press Enter.

That is the whole verified list. Guides that show long Civ 6 cheat tables are usually describing trainers or mods, not the built-in console.

How to reveal the whole map in Civ 6

Type Reveal All in the console. Every tile becomes explored, so you can see rivals, wonders and natural wonders at once.

The reveal shows terrain, not the future. Units and borders still move as normal, and the command does not give you any advantage in combat or diplomacy. Use it for planning a city site, finding a continent to settle or checking a map seed.

If you want a fair-play version, research Rocketry and finish the Launch Earth Satellite project. That reveals land and sea for the whole map without any file edit, though it does not show every unit or rival territory.

The Civ 6 debug menu and cog icon

Enabling EnableDebugMenu also adds a row of small buttons in the upper left of the screen. The middle one opens a debug view menu with performance statistics and a time-of-day slider.

The time-of-day slider is handy for screenshots because it changes the lighting. Most other entries only show game statistics and do not change armies, cities or yields.

Civ 6 cheats for gold, science, units and victory

The built-in console has no command to add gold, faith, science, culture, units or wonders. None of the guides checked documents such a typed command.

Players who want those options use the Cheat Menu Panel mod from the Steam Workshop. It adds buttons for:

• Adding faith and gold.
• Finishing city production instantly.
• Adding era points.
• Giving units extra movement.
• Completing all technologies and civics.

The mod is reported to be unreliable. One guide says it may need a game restart or may not work at all, and that it had not been updated since 2022 when that article was written. Check the mod page for the latest update date and comments before you subscribe.

Game trainers from third-party sites also exist. They patch game memory, can carry malware and may conflict with updates, so treat them as a last resort and use them only in single-player games.

Civ 6 console commands on Mac, Linux, Epic, Switch, Xbox and PlayStation

The documented console is a Windows PC feature. The guides that describe EnableDebugMenu all give the Windows Documents path, and one states that the debug console works on Windows PCs only.

• Steam on Windows: works with the steps above.
• Epic Games Store on Windows: use the folder with (Epic) in its name.
• Switch, PlayStation and Xbox: no console or debug menu is documented for these versions.
• Mac and Linux: no verified path is documented, so no instructions are given here.

Strategy fans who want a deeper cheat console elsewhere can browse all game cheat codes, or try the Warhammer 3 console commands, the Total War Rome 2 console commands and the Medieval 2 Total War console commands. For a space strategy title, see the Star Wars Empire at War console commands.

Civ 6 console commands not working

• Console does not open: confirm the line reads EnableDebugMenu 1 in the correct folder. An Epic install has its own folder, and editing the Steam copy changes nothing.
• Setting resets to 0: save the file while the game is closed, and check that nothing reverted it.
• Wrong key: on a non-US layout the tilde or backtick key is somewhere else. Try the key under Escape, left of the 1.
• Command does nothing: only Reveal All is documented. Other words will not change the game.
• Typing: enter the command as written, with the space between Reveal and All.
• Civilization VII guide used: VII uses EnableDebugPanels in an AppData folder. That does not apply to Civ 6.

Civilization 6 console commands FAQ

What are the civ 6 console commands?

The documented command is Reveal All, which explores the whole map. Hello world is a test input. Gold, science and unit cheats are not part of the built-in console.

How do I enable console commands in Civ 6?

Open AppOptions.txt in your My Games Civilization VI folder, change EnableDebugMenu 0 to EnableDebugMenu 1, save, then press the tilde key in a game.

What are the console commands for Civilization 6 gold?

No gold command exists in the built-in console. Players use the Cheat Menu Panel mod from the Steam Workshop, which has an add gold button, or a third-party trainer.

How do I reveal the map in Civ 6?

Enable the debug menu, press the tilde key and type Reveal All. The alternative is to launch the Earth Satellite project after researching Rocketry.

Where is AppOptions.txt for Civilization 6?

It sits in Documents\My Games\Sid Meier’s Civilization VI. Epic Games Store installs use a folder with (Epic) in the name.

Do Civ 6 console commands work on Xbox, PlayStation or Switch?

No console is documented for those versions. The debug menu is a Windows PC feature that needs a text file edit.

If you also play Terra Invicta, see Terra Invicta console commands.

More cheat guides

• Terra Invicta Console Commands: Enable and Command List
• Warhammer 3 Console Commands: Gold, Units and How to Enable
• XCOM 2 Console Commands: Enable, WOTC and LWOTC Cheats
• EU4 Console Commands: Money, Monarch Points, Tag, Events
• CK3 Console Commands: Debug Mode, Traits, AGOT
• Stellaris Console Commands: PC List and Xbox Answer
• All Strategy cheat codes
• All game cheat codes

Sources

• GamesRadar – Civ 6 cheats and debug menu
• KeenGamer – Reveal a Civilization 6 map with the debug console
• Gamepretty – Civilization VI console commands
• DTGRE – Civilization 6 trainers, cheats and console commands
• CivFanatics forum – In-game console thread