Civilization: The Board Game Review

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(More customer reviews)After 4 games, I would like to share my impressions and rules details.
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...Read more›

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Bring the experience of the best-selling computer game series to your tabletop!2-4 Players explore the world, research new technologies and build an empire.Will you conquer your enemies on the battlefield or use diplomacy to win over your neighbors?Begin with a single city, and spread your influence across the world.Four distinct paths to victory and a modular game board ensure that each game is a new experience.

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