Box cover of Sid Meier's Civilization: A New Dawn board game featuring juxtaposed images of a classical statue and a moai Easter Island statue with a modern futuristic cityscape in the background, indicating a blend of ancient and modern civilizations.
| | | | | | | |

Civilization: A New Dawn (2017)

ByMichail

Civilization: A New Dawn

“Clans” is a German-style board game designed by Leo Colovini. The game focuses on the creation of villages and is intended for 2-4 players. It has a setup time of 5 minutes and a playing time of 30 minutes. The game is suitable for players aged 10 and up.

Why is Civilization: A New Dawn Popular?

“Clans” is a popular game due to its simple yet strategic gameplay and its appeal to a wide range of players. The game’s design by Leo Colovini, a well-known board game designer, contributes to its popularity.

Game Components of Civilization: A New Dawn

  • Map Tiles: 16 tiles to construct the game map.
  • Water Tokens: 8 tokens.
  • Event Dial: 1 dial with a pointer.
  • Control Tokens: 124 tokens (31 per player).
  • World Wonder Tokens: 24 tokens.
  • Focus Bars: 4 bars (1 per player).
  • Leader Sheets: 8 sheets.
  • Barbarian Tokens: 9 tokens.
  • Civilizations: 8 base civilizations (with 10 additional in the Terra Incognita expansion).

    How To Setup Civilization: A New Dawn

    To set up the game, players start by selecting their leaders and player colors. Each player takes a random leader sheet, chooses a player color, and gathers the corresponding game components such as cities, caravans, control tokens, and focus cards. Players then construct their focus bars and place their caravans on the “Foreign Trade” card. The map is constructed using randomly drawn core tiles, with each player placing their capital tile next to these core tiles. Victory cards are drawn, detailing the agendas for the game.

    Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

  • Players: 2-4 players take on the roles of historical civilizations.
  • Objective: The goal is to fulfill various historically-inspired victory conditions by advancing culture, technology, and military capabilities.
  • Gameplay: Players expand their domains, gain new technologies, build wonders, and interact with other players through trade, diplomacy, or warfare.
  • Victory Conditions: Players aim to complete one of the two agendas on each of the three victory cards drawn at the start of the game.

    Player Experience

    Players experience a dynamic and engaging game where each session is unique due to randomized objectives and map setups. The game requires strategic planning, as players must balance their resources, technologies, and military to achieve their goals. The addition of focus cards and the exploration mechanic adds a layer of depth, allowing for different strategies and replayability.

    Pros

  • Engaging and Streamlined Gameplay: The game simplifies the complexity of its video game counterpart while maintaining depth and interest.
  • High Replayability: Randomized map setups and victory conditions ensure no two games are the same.
  • Strategic Depth: Players can pursue various strategies, including scientific advancements, cultural developments, and military expansion.
  • Beautiful Components: The game features high-quality components, including beautifully illustrated map tiles.

    Cons

  • Complex Rulebook: The rulebook can be more complex than necessary.
  • Setup Time: The game setup can take around 15 minutes.
  • Limited Player Capacity: The game supports only 2-4 players (though the Terra Incognita expansion allows for up to 5 players).
  • Storage Issues: The game box does not come with storage solutions for the numerous tokens and pieces.

    Personal Thoughts on Civilization: A New Dawn

    **Civilization: A New Dawn** is ideal for fans of strategy board games and the Civilization video game series. It offers a balanced and engaging experience that is both accessible and challenging. The game is perfect for those who enjoy turn-based strategy, world-building, and competitive gameplay. While it may not fully replicate the complexity of the video game, it captures the essence of the series in a condensed and enjoyable format. If you’re looking for a game that combines historical depth with strategic gameplay, **Civilization: A New Dawn** is an excellent choice.

    We are supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, at no extra cost for you. Learn more. 

    • Michail, a seasoned tabletop enthusiast, dives headfirst into worlds of fantasy and strategy. Whether commanding a party of adventurers through perilous dungeons or engaging in tactical showdowns on the board, Michail is the maestro of the tabletop realm. Michail's gaming table is a realm where the clatter of dice and the shuffle of cards create a symphony of strategic chaos.

    Hobby: Miniature painting guru, turning pewter into masterpieces
    Preferred Game: Dungeons & Dragons, but always up for a board game brawl