A single game of Civilization VI can run for hours, sometimes across several days. Yet the moments you want to show a friend usually cluster within a few turns: the turn you beat rivals to a wonder, the turn you took a neighbor's capital, or the final turn that locks in a Culture or Science victory. This guide covers recording a long Sid Meier's Civilization VI session, then finding just those few turns, trimming them, and sending them as a link.
What Long Turn-Based Recording Looks Like
When you launch Civilization VI, DOR detects it automatically and saves everything until you quit as one video. Play for hours at a stretch and the recording grows just as long, and if you save, quit, and continue the next day, a new video is created. There are no automatic highlights, but because it is turn-based, the turn number on screen makes an excellent landmark. For general tips on keeping long recordings stable, see How to Record Long Gameplay Sessions.
From a Deciding Civ 6 Turn to a Link
- 1Install DOR and launch Civilization VIWith DOR installed on your Windows PC, it detects Civilization VI the moment you launch it and starts recording. Whether you start a new game or load a save, there is no need to turn recording on yourself.
- 2Write down important turn numbersWhen something you will want to show later happens, like finishing a wonder or a war breaking out, write down the turn number on screen along with the real clock time. Even in a multi-hour recording, that one note narrows the search quickly.
- 3Remember that each session is its own videoWhen you save and quit, that session's recording ends as one video, and continuing later starts a new one. Add the session to your notes, something like day two session, so you know which video to open in the library.
- 4Trim generously around a single turnIn a turn-based game, a single cut-out moment rarely explains what happened. Take one section from the start of the deciding turn until the result shows on screen, and for moments with a cinematic, like a wonder completion, keep it until the cinematic ends.
- 5Trim in the library and get a linkUse trim in the library to set the start and end and choose a ratio. With so much map and interface on screen, 16:9 is usually easiest to read. When it finishes, you get a dor.gg link.
- 6Send multiplayer rivals the turning pointIf you played a friend in multiplayer, it is fun to trim the preparation on your side that they never saw. After the game ends, send a link to the few turns before the win, and your friend can rewatch them in a browser without launching the game.
Turns to Keep by Victory Type or Event
| Victory Type or Event | Turn to Show | How to Trim It |
|---|---|---|
| Culture victory | The final turn that locks it in, plus the results screen | From the end of the previous turn through the results screen |
| Science victory | The turn you finish the last science project | From just before the completion notice appears |
| Domination victory | The turn you capture the last capital | From your units reaching the walls to the capture |
| Religious victory | The turn the last civilization converts to your religion | From when your religious units start moving |
| Wonder completion | The turn you finish it ahead of rivals | From the start of the completion cinematic to its end |
| War declaration or alliance twist | The diplomacy moment that changed the game | From the diplomacy screen opening to the first battle |
Pre-Share Checklist
- I noted the turn number and session of the scene I want to show.
- I opened that session's video in the library.
- I took one section from the start of the deciding turn to the result.
- For a wonder completion, I kept the clip until the cinematic ended.
- I gave 16:9 priority so the map stays readable.
- Before starting a long game, I confirmed I have comfortably more than 20GB free.
Recording Civilization VI With DOR
DOR is a free Windows desktop app, and Civilization VI was added as a full-play recording game in the October 2026 app update. It detects the launch automatically, saves everything until you quit as one mp4, and you open recordings right in the app library. To bring the turning points of a game played over several days into one video, take the sections you trimmed from each session's video into DOR Studio, which opens in your browser with no install, merge them, add turn numbers as text, and lay background music underneath. Download the finished video as an mp4 or share it as a link. If you talk with friends on a call during multiplayer, your voice is recorded along with the game sound, and How to Record Game Sound and Mic Together explains how to balance the two. For games you don't need recorded, turn off just Civilization VI under Full-play recording in settings; a confirmation prompt appears when you do.
