Sid Meier's Civilization VII is a massive step up from the previous game which set quite a high standard for the genre. As with the previous game Sid Meier's Civilization VII is another massive graphical undertaking that requires some serious hardware to run. So if you are having some crashing issues, particularly crashing to a black screen or freezing. This article will guide you through quite a few proven steps that will solve this problem for you.

Takeaways:

  1. Learn how to fix the issues that are causing CIV 7 to crash to a black screen on Windows.
  2. Why is Civ 7 crashing all the time on PC?

Sid Meier's Civilization VII Black Screen Crash on PC

As with the previous Kingdom Come: Deliverance game KCDII also has some pretty steep system requirements so make sure that your computer meets those before you start trying to troubleshoot things. If your computer doesn't meet the minimum spec you might as well give up here and refund the game.

MINIMUM

Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system

OS: Win 10 64 Bit

Processor: Intel i5-4690 / Intel i3-10100 / AMD Ryzen 3 1200

Memory: 8 GB RAM

Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 1050 / AMD RX 460 / Intel Arc A380

DirectX: Version 12

Storage: 20 GB available space

RECOMMENDED

Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system

OS: Win 10 64 Bit

Processor: Intel Core i5-10400 / AMD Ryzen 5 3600X

Memory: 16 GB RAM

Graphics: NVIDIA RTX 2060 / AMD RX 6600 / Intel Arc A750

DirectX: Version 12

Storage: 20 GB available space

How to Fix Sid Meier's Civilization VII Black Screen Crash on PC

If your PC has enough grunt to run the game and you still have issues you'll need to clean install your GPU drivers. But not with Control Panel, you'll need to use Display Driver Uninstaller. It's the best tool on the market and works great!

  • Download Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) from the official website.

  • Run the program and choose to remove GeForce Experience (GFE) if prompted.

  • Restart your PC after the process is complete.

  • Reinstall the latest GPU drivers, ensuring a stable internet connection to prevent Windows from installing generic drivers.

  • Reinstall GeForce Experience (if applicable) and update your drivers as needed.

  • If issues persist, repeat the steps.

Optimize In-Game Graphics Settings

Don't try to overdo it with your graphics settings. Start low and increase them slowly.

  • Start with the lowest graphics settings while keeping your preferred resolution.

  • Gradually increase settings while testing for stability after each adjustment.

  • Enable DLSS 3, DLAA, and Reflex (if supported by your hardware) to enhance performance.

Disable and Readjust Overclocking Settings

Overclocking your GPU, CPU, or RAM can cause instability:

  • Disable all overclocking settings.

  • Launch Sid Meier's Civilization VII to check if the black screen issue is resolved.

  • If disabling overclocking works, gradually reapply settings while monitoring for stability.

Verify Game Files on Steam

If you're still having issues you'll need to clean up your game files with the Verify Game Files on Steam.

  • Open Steam and navigate to your Library.

  • Right-click Sid Meier's Civilization VII and select Properties.

  • Go to the Local Files tab and click Verify integrity of game files.

  • Allow Steam to complete the process, which may take some time for larger games.

How to Fix Sid Meier's Civilization VII Black Screen Crash on PC