Civilization: A New Dawn board game review – channel your inner Napoleon for old-school empire building at its best
Classic video game of clashing cultures gets stylish board-game makeover, giving you the chance to play an armchair dictator on your living room table
Now, the empire-building game has had a board-game makeover, bringing its sweeping strategy to your living room table.
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Like its digital predecessors, Civilization: A New Dawn casts players as rulers attempting to turn their small, scattered tribes into globe-spanning empires. But it’s striking how boldly the game departs from almost everything long-time fans might expect.
There’s no painstaking city management or early-game exploration of uncharted territory. There aren’t even any military units to manoeuvre around the map. Instead, there is an ingenious system of cards representing different actions such as expanding your borders, conducting scientific research and trading with foreign powers.
Other elements will be more familiar to video-game veterans. There are natural resources to exploit and barbarian hordes to confront, as well as a selection of factions for players to lead, each with their own strengths, making for a subtly different experience every time you play.