Dive into a game of conquest, technology and accomplishment. Sid Meier's Civilization the Board Game is based on the series of PC games, and closely resembles the games, but instead of being behind a computer, players sit at an expansive board with cards, gold pieces and armies. But the game is much more than a computer game turned board game; really it could stand on its own and still be a wildly popular game, and it requires no knowledge of the computer game. For the Risk lovers and Settlers of Catan fanatics, Civilization is a game of settlement and battling, managing resources and strategically moving armies that is far beyond normal game play.
Civilization takes players through a progression of development and wealth. As players build wealth, there becomes available bigger, better technologies, and the first player to develop those technologies reaps the benefits. Game play involves buying, building, trading, discovering, attacking and defending. Brutal battles will pit single armies against large forces, fighting to the death, and no prisoners are taken. While armies venture out into the world and conquer everything in their path, home towns grow and prosper, producing more and more wealth.
Players can upgrade their cities, invest in technologies, or build up their armies, and have to manage these choices wisely, or be conquered and defeated. Players may trade goods temporarily, and can strategically optimize the features of their cities, to optimize the payout and increase wealth and buying power.
When certain developments are purchased, all other players will pay the owner a small fee every time they purchase a product of that development until it becomes obsolete and is replaced with something new. It is the developments that further the game into new eras, forcing all expenses to increase in cost, but players are motivated to buy the developments for the generous payouts that can result. So the resistance to force a new era is countered by the motivation to be the first to purchase the new developments. This is just one aspect of the game that requires strategy.
The game can end in a few different ways, making it very difficult to predict how and when the game will actually end. Additionally, final scores are dependent on how the game ends, forcing players to strive for success in all areas of the game, not just one aspect. Of course, if a player is exceedingly strong in one area, there are actions that can be taken to influence how the game ends, thus increasing the chances of victory through the strongest positions.
Because of the many complexities of the game, it will take quite a bit of time to learn, and the first few games will take several hours each. So invite your friends over, and learn the game together so everyone is on a level playing field. The adventure you will embark on is well worth it.
For being a long, complex game that requires some brain power and strategy, I give Civilization a 5 out of 5 rating.