Sid Meier’s Civilization V: Gods & Kings is a massive expansion to the famous turn-based strategy from Firaxis Games, released in June 2012. The game includes new rulers and heroes, three intriguing scenarios, as well as unique units, buildings, and wonders of the world. However, this is far from the most important feature that Gods & Kings offers. Religion and espionage are the two central innovations that, in essence, underpin the entire expansion. New units, wonders, and scenarios are a pleasant addition, but not as crucial, while espionage and religion significantly diversify the gameplay.
In the early stages of development, the player can establish one of several dozen pantheons, each offering interesting bonuses (increase in resources, gold, etc.). Depending on the player's preferences, people begin to worship various pagan gods and deities or even pay homage to nature, stumps, and spirits. The bonuses gained from founding a pantheon remain with the player even after establishing a world religion.
After accumulating a certain amount of faith points (a new resource introduced in the expansion), a prophet appears in the capital of the state, through whom a religion can be spread to the masses. One only needs to choose a symbol, come up with a new or retain the old name for the religion, as well as select another batch of bonuses from the list. The player can then send prophets and missionaries (purchased with faith points) to the cities and villages of their own or neighboring state, encouraging the locals to embrace the faith in one god. If neighbors are reluctant to accept the worldview of the prophets and missionaries, inquisitors, special game units, can be utilized. Activating the abilities of these heretics leads to a gradual decrease in faith levels in rebellious cities, allowing missionaries, messiahs, and prophets to complete their mission. Countries that adopt your faith become reliable allies with whom trade and friendly diplomatic relations can be established.
Espionage is presented in a separate tab, but the ability to manipulate agents only appears in the Renaissance Era. There are no spy units on the strategic map, but their actions can be directed through the control panel. The tasks for concealed agents are varied, but all their actions are strictly controlled by the player – by themselves, they will do nothing. A spy can be transformed into a counter-spy and sent to border cities to identify enemy "agents". If the situation demands, the "mole" can be redirected to neutral or enemy cities, where it begins to operate actively. Through an agent, one can manipulate election results, create conditions for a nationwide rebellion, and scout the state's plans regarding your country or any other. Additionally, spies can steal technologies. The higher the agent's rank, the greater the chances of completing the mission, but even a professional is not immune to falling into a trap. In case of failure, serious problems can arise with neighbors, up to military aggression.