Welcome to the Game of Through the Ages

Hey there! Are you ready to embark on an epic journey through time? Well, buckle up, because Through the Ages is here to take you on a thrilling adventure! In this game, you’ll get to experience the rise and fall of civilizations, make tough decisions, and strive for greatness.

So, what is Through the Ages all about? Simply put, it’s a strategy board game where you’ll create and manage your own civilization. From the humble beginnings of the ancient world to the technological marvels of the future, you’ll guide your civilization through the ages. And let me tell you, it’s no easy task!

As the leader of your civilization, you’ll be faced with numerous challenges and decisions to make. Do you focus on building a strong military to defend your lands? Or do you prioritize science and technological advancement to stay ahead of the curve? The choice is yours, but remember that every decision has consequences!

Throughout the game, you’ll need to gather resources, manage your population, and construct buildings to strengthen your civilization. You’ll also have the opportunity to develop powerful technologies, recruit great leaders, and wage wars against rival civilizations. It’s a delicate balancing act that requires careful planning and strategic thinking.

One of the key elements of Through the Ages is the card system. You’ll have a hand of cards representing different aspects of your civilization, such as leaders, buildings, and events. Each card has its own unique abilities and effects, which you can use to your advantage. But beware, your opponents will also be playing cards of their own, so it’s important to stay one step ahead!

Throughout the game, you’ll face various challenges and obstacles that will test your skills as a leader. Can you rise above adversity and lead your civilization to victory? It won’t be easy, but with careful planning and a bit of luck, anything is possible!

So, what are you waiting for? Grab your friends, gather around the table, and let the journey through the ages begin! Through the Ages is the perfect game for anyone who loves strategy, history, and a good challenge. Get ready to rewrite history and shape the destiny of your civilization!

Are you ready to embark on a thrilling journey to build a civilization that will prosper throughout history?

In this exciting game, I will guide you to develop a civilization that spans from ancient times to the modern era. Together, we’ll strive to create a civilization that leaves a lasting impact on the world. Along the way, you’ll earn culture points for your civilization’s contributions in literature, drama, religion, monumental constructions, and great leaders.

At the beginning of the game, all civilizations are equal. However, the choices you make will quickly set your civilization apart from the rest. It’s entirely up to you to decide whether you’ll leave a mark through the arts, by conquering weaker opponents, or even by establishing fast food franchises. When the game concludes, the player with the most culture points will emerge as the victorious leader.

Are you ready to shape the story of your civilization throughout the ages?

What’s inside the box?

Let me break down the contents of the box for you:

– 1 Card Row

– 1 Culture Board

– 1 Science Board

– 1 Military Board

– 1 Current Age Board

– 4 Player Boards

– 179 Civil Cards

– 150 Military Cards

– 250 Plastic Cubes in 4 Colors

– 28 Wooden Tokens in 4 Colors

– 1 Sticker Sheet

– 4 Quick Reference Sheets

– 1 Rulebook

– 1 Guidebook

Now, let’s move on to setting up the game.

When you play Through the Ages, you don’t need a map. Instead, you’ll create your civilization right on the table in front of you. This area is referred to as your player area. It’s where the magic happens and your empire starts to take shape.

Setting up the Game

First, I’ll explain how to set up the game boards. It’s important to arrange them in a way that everyone can easily see. Find a configuration that works best for all of us.

Choosing the First Player

Let’s start by randomly picking the first player. Remember, the starting player doesn’t have any special advantages or responsibilities. It’s just a way to keep track of turns, so everyone has an equal chance to play.

If you want, you can mark the starting player by slightly tucking one of the unused Age A military cards under their board.

How to Play

Now that we’re ready for our first game, let’s go over the steps:

The First Round

The Second Round

Following Rounds

The End of an Age

(Moving on to the next era)

The End

A, B, and C: The Game Rounds

Learning as We Go

1. We’ll start by reading about and playing the first round.
2. Next, we’ll move on to the second round.

D. Time for Change

The old era is coming to a close, making way for the dawn of a new era. This transition brings boundless possibilities for your magnificent civilization.

End of Era A

The first era comes to an end as soon as the starting player refills the card row for the first time.

New Decks in Rotation

At the end of Era I, a new set of symbol cards will be introduced into the game.

End of Era I

When the Era I civilization deck runs out, Era I concludes. This can happen on any player’s turn while they are refilling the card row. The game board will reveal an illustration reminding you of the steps to be taken at the end of an era. These steps apply to all players. Consequently, if the Era I deck depletes, the Era A cards become outdated.

I’ll bet you didn’t know this, but when it comes to playing the game, one of the first things you need to do is get rid of any old-fashioned cards you have in your hand. Yep, those antique cards are outta here! We don’t want ’em cluttering up the place.

Now, onto the next step: removing any outdated leaders and unfinished wonders. These things just don’t belong in the game anymore. We gotta keep things fresh and exciting, right?

Alright, now you’re all set to play! By getting rid of those old cards and leaders, you’re ready to dive into a game that’s full of new possibilities. Have fun and good luck!

If you still have an Age A leader, you have to take them out of the game. And if you have an unfinished Age A wonder, you have to remove it from the game too. If there are any blue tokens on that wonder, you have to put them back in your blue bank. Oh, and the illustration tells you to get rid of old agreements, but don’t worry about that in your first game. All the other cards and completed wonders stay in the game, no matter which age they belong to.

Saying Goodbye to Yellow Tokens

Hey there! I wanted to talk to you about something really interesting. You know how, as we progress through time and civilization advances, things become more demanding? Well, in the game, we represent that by having all players return two yellow tokens from their yellow banks back to the box. It’s like saying our population becomes pickier as we move forward.

Here’s a tip for you: it’s always a good idea to plan ahead and prepare for the end of an age. You see, advanced civilizations start expecting more “bread and circuses,” which basically means they want more food and entertainment. If you’re not careful and neglect food production or the happiness of your people, you might find yourself in serious trouble!

Check Out the New Current Decks

Find Out What’s Happening at the End of Age II

In the game, Age II comes to a close when there are no more cards left in the Age II civil deck. This happens in a way similar to the end of Age I, but with a twist: the Age I cards become outdated.

• I discard all my Age I cards from my hand.
• I remove any Age I leaders and unfinished wonders.
• I lose 2 yellow tokens.

Now, let’s talk about what happens when there are no more current decks. Age II comes to an end, and Age III begins. However, in your first game, there are no Age III cards available, so you remove the Age II military deck and leave the current age board empty. From this point on, no new cards will be dealt to the card row. We’ll still remove cards and slide the remaining ones to the left, but there will be empty spaces on the right. It’s important to remember that no one can draw any more military cards.

The Last Round

When Age II comes to an end, each player gets to take at least one more turn. The order of the turns depends on who was the first player at the start of the game.

• If Age II ends during the first player’s turn, then this round is the last round of the game.
• If Age II ends during another player’s turn, you finish that round and then there is one more round to go.

In either case, the player to the right of the starting player will have the last turn of the game, so everyone will finish after the same number of turns.

Summary – Yellow Bank

• The yellow bank is where you keep your yellow tokens.
• There may be cards and effects that change the number of yellow tokens you have. In these special cases, you take yellow tokens from the box or return them to the box.
• At the end of Ages I and II (and Age III in the full game), you return two yellow tokens to the box.

Below is the rewritten text:

When you see a yellow token outside your yellow bank, that means it represents a worker. You can find more information about workers on page 14 under the “Summary – Workers” section.

If you want to convert a yellow token in your yellow bank into a worker, you will need to perform the “increase population” action. The cost of this action is shown by the white number located underneath the section where you take the worker. Once you perform this action, the worker goes into your worker pool.

There are times when workers return to your yellow bank. This can happen when you sacrifice units for colonization, or when an effect requires you to decrease your population.

It’s important to note that yellow tokens in your yellow bank are not workers themselves. They serve as part of a bookkeeping system. The yellow bank is emptied starting from the right side. When a section is completely emptied, a red negative number is revealed. This number represents the consumption of your civilization.

During the Production Phase, the effect of consumption is null. You only need to pay for the food during the consumption step. If you don’t have enough food, you’ll have to pay 4 Igj for each missing A.

Above each subsection, you’ll see a number with a happy face. This number represents the number of happy faces your civilization needs. If you have fewer happy faces, count the number of empty subsections to the left of the happiness marker. This will give you the number of discontent workers in your civilization.

Now, let’s talk about discarding cards.

When you discard civil cards, make sure to place them face up. These discarded cards will not be used again in the game. You can safely return them to the box.

On the other hand, military cards should be discarded face down.

Remember, consumption and discarding are important aspects of the game. It’s essential to pay attention to your resources and make strategic decisions about which cards to discard. By managing your civilization effectively, you can thrive and succeed in the game.

• When I play military cards, I put them aside without looking at them. Once the military deck for the current age runs out, I shuffle the discarded cards from that age to create a new deck.
• After I evaluate non-territory events, I place them in the past events pile. They won’t come back into the game.

The Game Ends

The game comes to an end when the last player, who is sitting to the right of the starting player, completes their final turn. Then, it’s time to calculate the final score.

Calculating the Final Score

In your first game, you gain additional culture points for achieving various civilization milestones:

• For each of my Age I technologies, I earn 1 culture point. For each of my Age II technologies, I earn 2 culture points. My government counts double.
• I earn culture points equal to my science rating.

In this game, there are several ways that I can earn culture points. Let me break it down for you:

First, I can earn culture points based on my strength rating. If my strength is high, I’ll get more culture points.

Next, my happiness rating also affects the number of culture points I earn. The happier I am, the more culture points I get.

My food and resource production also matters. I can count up the amount of food and resources my workers produce during the production phase, and that will determine how many culture points I receive. Just remember to ignore corruption and consumption in this calculation.

Having colonies is also a way to earn culture points. For each colony I own, I’ll receive 3 culture points.

Completing Age II wonders is another way to boost my culture points. For each completed wonder, I’ll receive 6 culture points.

Now, let’s go through the scoring list step by step. Take your time and count up the corresponding number of culture points you’ve earned.

It’s important to note that this scoring list only applies to your first game. The full game has a different end-of-game scoring system.

Finally, let’s talk about the winner. The player with the most culture points wins the game. If there’s a tie, all tied players share the victory. So keep earning those culture points and aim for the top!

Hey, congratulations on completing your first game of Through the Ages! You did it!��

Now, let’s talk about what’s coming next. Are you ready to take on the full game? I know I am, and I think you’ll be too!

What to Expect in the Full Game

The full game is a lot like your first game, but with some exciting twists. In Age III, you’ll get to discover new cards that will add even more depth and strategy to your gameplay. Plus, you’ll have plenty of chances to interact with other civilizations and show off your skills.

Ready to dive in? Great! Click here to get all the juicy details about the full game. Trust me, you won’t want to miss it!