With this board game, you get a very good board game approximation of the Civilization games on the computer and console (Civ Rev on the consoles).If you do not already know what the Civ games are, then you should consider whether you want to invest the time learning and playing the game.If you are an old-school Risk or Axis and Allies player, then you might have what it takes.(Risk is simplistic compared to this.)I have played several games and have taught several players.Many players into lighter board games have not liked it because it is too long (or too "heavy").I recommend that new players play through until the whole map is displayed, then consider whether they want to re-start (with a new random map).Getting that far will take at least 4 hours if it is their first time to play, especially if you are reading the rules for the first time.Add in another hour if you haven't opened the box and punched out all the pieces.The best reason to approach the game in this way, is that if some players have a tendency to consider their move too much, you can always goad them to do something by reminding them that it is just a practice game.If you like Civ on the computer already, get it, provided you can find 1 to 3 more players.The game scales well with 2, 3 or 4 players, so don't feel that you need a full 4.(I prefer it with 2, since there is less down-time.)
Head over to the Board Game Geek website and check out some of the video reviews of this board game.That website is the best source of information for all board games.(I am not affiliated with them in any way other than being a long time member and fan.)Here is a link to the page for this game.
We are are 2 player household and I think it will be very seldom we play this game with more players.
I think the most important I have to mention is, that both players simultaneously said that this game is more Civ than any other Civ boardgame before. It definitely feels more Civ-like and it plays more Civ-like. It is very difficult to assure my friend playing games with 3 or more hours, but this time it is easier than ever.
For us there is only one minor contra I have to mention: there are a lot technologies, but while playing you can figure out what you need next. If you follow a special strategy you will pick up the techs you need quickly and set back those you don't need. We do not feel upset by small figures or cards. Just the loading space for every game component is laughable. It is not possible to save any components well until you buy pleno boxes. You will need them definitely.
The Pro's: the game mechanics are amazing. The culture with its cultural action cards is my favorite. At one moment I was surrounded by 2 armies and I choose to go 2 steps forward at the cultural line, getting 2 cultural action cards, both the same (what a luck) and both allowed to be used in the next movement phase. It was "defection", meaning that I can kill a figure (so the army flag on the board is a figure) within 4 squares of my position. Since I was surrounded by 2 armies, I could kill both figures (not the armies) and my opponent was really not amused.
So my conclusion: my top game for a while I think. We love it, you should get it as soon as possible.
The Rules
I am always the one who reads the rules and than has to explain them. So I did here, too. The rules are clear written, easy to understand (even for me as a non-native speaker) and easy to explain. The only part I had to read more than once was combat, because it's better to play an example than to read it. In one case I could not find the meaning of a "2" on the barrack building, but after a short search I found it. 14 pages of the rules are explanations of tiles and how to setup start. Once you have done it, you know it. Perfect!!
The Civilizations and the Map
We played the luck of the draw as Bismarck und Catherine of Russia. While playing I saw that there is no single strategy for a civilization, even if the capital is always on the same tile (if you wish to do so in future games). It definitely depends on the map you discover. Discovering a new map means you flip over the map. Every map has a white arrow on it. The map is arranged in the way that the arrow shows away from the figure which entered the new map part (If the figure comes from South, the arrow shows to North.). It's funny to see that the opponent is surrounded by water without having invented navigation or sailing yet.
Every civilization has a starting government (most are Despotism with no affect at the beginning) and 2 special abilities. Russia's starting government is communism, gaining one culture at the start of every turn, so I decided to go the way of the culture first (later I switched to tech, unfortunately). Russias special ability is 2 more hammer in its capital and a second army figure right from the beginning of the game.
Bismarck for example has 2 infantries extra at start which is horrible for an early fight against him. All other Civs will be played next.
Here is the summary of all Civs:
The Egyptians: start with a free ancient wonder drawn at random in their capital. Once per turn, during City Management, the Egyptians may build an unlocked building for free by using an action. Starting Gov: Despotism, Starting Tech: Construction (level 2 Tech).
The Romans: the Romans advance one space on the culture track for free each time they build a wonder or a city, and each time they conquer a city or village. Starting Gov: Republic (Your armies may build cities as though they were scouts. Your scouts may explore huts, but not villages.), Starting Tech: Code of Law (level 1 Tech)
The Americans: The Americans start with a free random great person in their capital. Each time the Americans convert 3 trade into production, they receive 2 production (hammer) instead of 1. Starting Gov: Despotism, Starting Tech: Currency(level 1 Tech).
The Chinese: The Chinese start with city walls in their capital. The Chinese gain 3 culture each time they explore a hut or conquer a village. The Chinese may save one of their killed units after each battle, returning it to their standing forces. Starting Gov: Despotism, Starting Tech: Writing (level 1 Tech).
The Germans: The Germans start with 2 extra infantry units. After setup, each time the Germans research a tech that upgrades or unlocks a unit, they build one of that unit for free and gain one resource of their choice from the market. Starting Gov: Despotism, Starting Tech: Metal Working (level 1 Tech).
The Russians: the Russians start with 2 armies, and their stacking limit is increased by 1. Once per turn, the Russians may move an army or scout into an enemy city and sacrifice that figure to research a tech known by that civilization for free. Armies sacrificed this way cannot also attack. Starting Gov: Communism (Each of your cities generates 2 extra hammer/production. Your capital produces 1 less culture when devoted to the arts.), Starting Tech: Communism (level 3 Tech).
Gameplay
There are 5 turns in every round.
I. Start Turn
BUILDING NEW CITIES
If you have fewer built cities than your maximum number of cities (at start: 2, with Irrigation 3, more cities do not exist) you can build one or more new cities on the map. Use your scout figure in a square, press B remove the scout and found a new city by placing a city marker unwalled side up. There are several requirements for settling (I don't want to got into details). The city center never generates anything as long as there is a city on that square. Never! Only the outskirt squares provide icons and resources.
CHANGING GOVERNMENT
Governments get unlocked through tech cards. At the start of the game players have only unlocked the Despotism government (exception: Rome and Russia).
Once a player unlocks a new form of government during Research Phase (learning a new tech), they may change to that government during the Start of Turn Phase of the following turn. In that case place the goverment card at your civilization sheet.
A player can only change directly to the new found government next turn without Anarchy. If you want to change to another (also available) government, you will have Anarchy. After being in Anarchy for a complete turn cyclus, you can change to any other government during the Start of Turn Phase of the next turn.
GOVERNMENTS
Anarchy: Your capital loses its action this turn. Next turn you may change to a different government you've unlocked.
Fundamentalism: Your battle hand size is increased by +1. You collect 2 less trade than normal each turn.
Communism: Each of your cities generates 2 extra production/hammer. Your capital produces 1 less culture when devoted to arts.
Democracy: You collect 2 extra trade each turn. Your armies cannot attack cities.
Republic: Your armies may build as though they were scouts. Your scouts may explore huts (but not villages).
Despotism: no effects
Monarchy: Your capital generates 1 extra culture when devoted to arts. Your culture hand size is increased by 1.
Feudalism: Each of your cities may harvest resources found in your other cities. Put one coin token on the card as income as long as you are in Feudalism.
II. Trade
COLLECTING TRADE
Count all your trade symbols in all your cities and increase your trade dial on the civilization (maximum is 27 trade). Unlike production, trade is saved from turn to turn if you don't spent it.
SCOUTS AND BLOCKADES
If a scout is somewhere outside your city outskirts and there is a trade symbol on it, the scout also gathers that trade. Scouts have other gathering functions, which are mentioned later.
If there is an enemy figure in your city's outskirt, your city does not produce trade on that square.
NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN PLAYERS
After trade is collected, players may negotiate among themselves. Objects of negotiating are:
non-binding promises
points of trade
unspent culture tokens
resource tokens (from the market or from hut/village tokens)
culture event cards (attention to the culture hand size!)
Other objects may not be traded.
III. City Management
You can do one of the following 3 turns this phase in each of your cities.
(A) PRODUCING A FIGURE, UNIT, BUILDING OR WONDER
Count the total production of one city which is displayed as hammers in a cities outskirt. You cannot combine the hammers of 2 or more cities, but you can change 3 trade into 1 hammer (as often as you want) on your civilization sheet.
You have to decide between producing a figure OR a unit OR a building OR a wonder.
After producing a FIGURE(army flag or scout) the figure is set in the cities outskirt, not on the city or water tile (until you can enter water tiles). There can be only as much figures in a quare as your stacking limit allows to you (2 at the beginning).
UNITS represent your standing force, which is always only one pool of cards regardless how many flag figures you have on the map. At the beginning of the game there is a small colored unit marker for every player under the unit pile for infantry, artillery, mounted units and aircrafts, showing a rank 1 symbol. Every time you research a technology allowing you to upgrade a unit sort, you switch the marker to the level you just reseached. You can only buy units of the current rank, so if you reseached rank 2 infantry you can no longer build rank 1 infantry, which would of cause cheaper for you. The higher the rank the more expensive a unit. Every unit has a strenght value which is random since you draw a bought unit at random. The higher the rank the higher the strenght value can be.
There are standard BUILDINGS, upgraded and limited ones. Every building can only be placed in a specific terrain. The buildings are (the "-->" means "upgrades to"; the "*" means limited building):
Harbor (water)
trading post (desert)
workshop --> iron mine (mountain)
library --> university / granary --> aqueduct (grassland)
market* --> bank* / temple* --> cathedral* / barracks* ---> academy* (any terrain except water)
There can be only one limited building in one city, but as many stadard buildings you like. Limited buildings can me removed by overbuild them with a new (standard/limited or wonder building). By placing a building the original resources from a square are completely gone and replaced by the resources the building is producing.
Producing a Wonder is the same as a building. You pay the hammer and put the wonder tile in your city's outskirt, placing the wonder card in front of you. Wonders can get obsolete by technologies, if so, the square tile remains and produces culture (ancient wonders produce 1 culture, medieval 2 and modern 3 if the city devotes to the art). Wonder may be replaced (and made obsolete) by a player placing another building (standard, limited or wonder) on it.
(B) DEVOTE A CITY TO THE ARTS
Choosing that option, a city gathers all culture a city owe. The city itself produces 1 culture (can be changed by cultural action, techs or goverments), for every culture symbol you get one extra culture.
At any point duirng the City Management phase you can spent the culture on the cultural track at the market boad. There are 3 cultural levels, getting one space forward on the track in level 1 costs 3 cultural token, level 2 costs 5 cultural token and 3 trade, level 3 costs 7 cultural token and 6 trade for every space you want to go forward. For every space you enter you are getting a cultural action card, containing a wide range of actions. Entering a Great People Space gets you a free Great People to be placed immediately in a city's outskirt. Entering the last space, you win by Cultural Victory.
(C) HAREVST RESOURCES
A city may harvest one resource in its city's outskirt. If a scout is on a map tile with a resource, it provides the resource to a city if you want to.
IV. Movement
Your moving range by start is 2, so every single unit can move 2 space (not diagonal) in the movement phase. If a unit enters a hut or a village, movement ends immediately. Scouts can enter huts only under Republic Government. Moving range is increased by technologies (e.g. Horseback Riding). If a unit enters a new map tile which is unexplored, your unit stops at the square of the old map tile, flipping the unexplored map tile and placing it with the with arrow away from the figure which explored the new map.
V. Research
Research costs are shown on the trade dial. Technologies level 1 cost 6 trade, level 2 cost 11 trade, level 3 cost 16 trade, level 4 cost 21 trade and level 5 (technology victory) cost 26 trade. If you buy a technology, your trade dial is set to "0" trade, irrespective how much trade you would have left buy a technology. So if you owe 22 trade and you have to buy a level 1 technology because of the technology pyramid, you have 0 trade after buying it. The only way saving trade is having gold on the coin dial. For every coin you have on your coin dial, you can save 1 trade when buying a technology, and only when buying a technology. Coins are not used for something else except Economic Victory.
After buying a technology, you place it in a line. Level 1 techs are placed like the base line of a pyramid. For 2 level 1 techs you can buy a level 2 tech, placing it like a triangle over the level 1 techs. You would need to buy another level 1 tech in this example for buying another level 2 tech.
Buy Civilization: The Board Game Now
Civilization is not for lazy readers who refuse to invest a few hours in learning how to play a new game.
That said, this is an awesome experience.Already my roommates and other friends have played several games, and now that many of us know the rules thoroughly each game will take less and less time to complete.
Yes, the rule book is sometimes ambiguous, yes it takes nearly a half hour to set up, and yes the games can take up a lot of daylight.Our first 4-player game took about 7 hours, but it was intense and exciting and ultimately we friends had an excellent time in each other's company.Having learned how to play and gotten used to the pace, we've completed more recent games in as little as 3 hours.
The depth that was put into this game is incredible; for every action there is a proportional counter-move.Think chess and Risk combined, but far more complicated.You can really tell that the makers spent countless hours testing and retesting to make sure everything about the game meshes together.
I'll say it again, if you have time (several hours) to learn how to play this board game, access to 4 patient people who are willing to play, then absolutely buy this game.
If, on the other hand, you doubt you will have the time or patience to learn how to play and actually get a game in, forget it, this is not for you.Don't expect it to be exactly like the PC game.You will find that many of the strategies used there will not help you in the board game.Another important thing to note is that you will need a LOT of space to play, especially when playing with 4 people.Probably the entire dining room table.
If this sounds like something you'd enjoy, and you have some free time to invest, go for it; you won't regret it.
Read Best Reviews of Civilization: The Board Game Here
Let us be clear here. This is not a quick family game in the vein of Settlers of Catan. This is a large, complex game that will take the better part of a day to complete. The box estimates 3-4 hours for a game. I would say that would be true for 2 players, but with 3 you're looking at 5 hours easily, and a 4 player game would be close to 6 hours.
Setup alone takes a good 20 minutes, and if you're playing for the first time, block off an hour to pop out all the little pieces. And maybe a couple of hours to read the long, in-depth instruction manual. And be prepared to get some rules wrong on the first few tries. It takes a while to understand everything about the game, particularly the combat system.
Having said all of thisthe game is excellent. Truly excellent. But you shouldn't buy it making the mistake of thinking it is anything other than a time consuming, immersive experience. Otherwise you will be disappointed.
The game allows for four different way to win, giving the player the opportunity to decide if they want to be a military civilization, one full of culture, or a bit of both. Having played Civ II on PC for a looooong time when it came out, I can say there are close similarities to the video game it is based on, but this stands on its own.
I love this game. The thought that went into it is outstanding. But it is not for everyone.
Want Civilization: The Board Game Discount?
The game has a steep learning curve. Be prepared to have a few discussions into the rules with other players. Once you've mastered the general rules, be ready to have hours of fun. No game is ever the same, although some tecniques to win it will become apparent.Save 29% Off
