The Ancient World (2014) Board Game

The Ancient World is a board game designed by Ryan Laukat and published by Red Raven Games in in 2014. It is set in a fantasy ancient world where players take on the roles of leaders of different civilizations competing for dominance and control over resources.

Game Components of The Ancient World

Player boards: Double-sided with unique asymmetric player powers.

Workers: Represented by wooden or cardboard tokens.

Titans: Large monster cards that threaten players’ progress.

Resource tokens: Coins, ambrosia, and knowledge scrolls.

Dice: Custom, high-quality dice for resolving titan attacks.

Empire cards: Used for building structures and earning banners.

Banner tokens: Colored banners that players collect for points.

How To Setup The Ancient World

To set up the game, each player selects a player board and places it within reach. Each player board has a unique asymmetric power on one side. Players start with a set of initial workers and resources. The board is populated with empire cards, titan cards, and other resources. At the beginning of each round, players are assigned a titan card to their player board, which they must address by the end of the round.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Worker Placement: Players place workers to collect resources, build structures, and attack titans.

Set Collection: Players collect colored banners from empire cards and defeated titans to earn points.

Resource Management: Manage coins, ambrosia, and knowledge to sustain workers, build structures, and defeat titans.

Titan Combat: Defeat titans using soldiers; failure results in damage to players’ buildings and resources.

Empire Expansion: Expand empire size to accommodate more structures and workers.

Game Objective: Collect the most points by collecting sets of colored banners and completing other card objectives by the end of the sixth round.

Player Experience

The Ancient World offers a dynamic and challenging experience where players must balance resource collection, worker management, and titan combat. The game requires strategic decisions on when to invest in army upgrades, when to build new structures, and how to manage the ever-present threat of titans. The addition of ambrosia in the second edition provides a bit of flexibility and relief, allowing players to mitigate some of the risks and challenges.

Pros

Engaging Mechanics: Combines worker placement, set collection, and resource management in a cohesive way.

Thematic Integration: The threat of titans adds a unique layer of complexity and urgency to the game.

Asymmetric Player Powers: Double-sided player boards offer unique abilities, enhancing replayability.

High-Quality Components: Custom dice, wooden tokens, and colorful artwork enhance the game’s aesthetic and feel.

Cons

Scoring System: The banner scoring system can be slightly confusing, especially for new players.

Random Damage: Titan attacks involve random dice rolls, which can lead to unpredictable outcomes.

Component Management: Managing multiple resources and workers can be complex and overwhelming at times.

Personal Thoughts on The Ancient World

The Ancient World is ideal for players who enjoy mid-weight games with a mix of strategic depth and thematic engagement. It suits those who appreciate the challenge of balancing multiple tasks and managing resources under pressure. While it may not appeal to fans of extremely light or extremely heavy games, it offers a satisfying experience for those who enjoy worker placement and set collection mechanisms with an added layer of complexity from the titan threats. The second edition’s improvements, such as the inclusion of ambrosia, make it a more polished and enjoyable experience compared to the original.

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