From Civ to Sims we love playing games where we take all of the power in the universe and run things. Millennia is that in board game form.
We love games that let us control everything. From the big picture, hyper-competitive games like Civilization to the smaller, more personal games like The Sims, we seem to really enjoy setting people up and watching them go. What will their society look like? Which superpower would reign supreme? And will your gibberish speaking little character every find their way out of the pool?
Millennia follows the same concept in board game form. Only this time, we’ll take a few millennia to see whose civilization is the most famous and awe-inspiring.
Millennia
Like so many games right now, Millennia got its start on Kickstarter. Designed by Mike Georgiou, Juma Al-JouJou and Orestis Leontaritis, illustrated by Jelena Pjevic, and published by Karma Games, Millennia debuted on the crowd funding website with a goal of €29,000- or about $30,400- and ended up greatly surpassing that with €119,916 earned and 1,200 unique backers on just the first day. Pledge copies of the game were distributed and made available for purchase earlier this year. And we’re ready to start competing for the best millennia-long civilization.
Millennia is a competitive game for one to four players, and above all else, this is a game of strategy. Players have to balance collections, economic management, and planned obsolescence. Starting in ancient times and working forward to the near future, players invent new technology, advance trade, culture, politics, population and military concerns and generally lead their civilization into a future of prosperity.
But it’s all up to the player. Is there civilization one of democracy or tyranny? Do they focus on war or diplomacy? What and with whom will they cultivate trade relations?
Gameplay
Millennia is split into several phases as players work through the ages of antiquity. During these game stages players can:
- Draft new technology cards from that specific era. This will allow your civilization to develop the technology that will push them forward.
- Collect these technologies to use later, be sure to pick the most opportune moment.
- Build buildings and even a few wonders of the world. These cards will have different, unique effects that will help with strategy as the game progresses.
- Take actions, both to yield results across your own civilization, but potentially also show examples of your civilization’s military might.
- Above all else, make sure your civilization prospers.
Is Millennia Replayable?
Yes! As of the Kickstarter, the game was set to have more than three hundred cards, each featuring different illustrations, historic inventions, buildings, and world wonders. In any given game, players will see a relatively small percentage of these three hundred cards. Most games have decent replayability as a matter of course. But this is especially so in Millennia because it will take you a few games to get through the entire deck even once.
How Historically Accurate is Millennia?
Surprisingly so! Game producers boast that hundreds of hours of research went into this game with “about a dozen volunteers, including historians and scholars” assisting in making sure Millennia was as accurate as possible.
And by this we don’t necessarily mean ‘the various ages of human culture were decently represented.’ Because they were. But what we’re referring to is the absurd level of detail that can only come from somebody who really loves what they’re working on. One example of detail they mentioned was a card featuring donkeys pulling carriages during the Mesopotamian bronze age… Because donkeys were used instead of horses. Is it important? No. Is it a fun fact and a neat little detail to include? Yes, and we love to see it.
Is Millennia Hard to Play?
No, but there’s a lot to it. This is definitely a spreadsheet game, which won’t necessarily be everybody’s cup of tea. Millennia is a board game that can get a big complex, but I wouldn’t say that it’s necessarily difficult. There is a lot to keep track of, and players will need to be mindful of what their civilization is up to… As well as the competing civilizations around the table.
Can You Play By Yourself?
Yes! This is a game for one to four players—one player can absolutely play by themself. Juma Al-JouJou (designer of Clans of Caledonia) designed a solo mode for Millennia. This takes away the ‘competitive against other people’ aspect. But the goal of building your thriving and prosperous civilization is still just as prevalent on your own.
Is This Millennia Related to Any of the Other Millennia/Millennium Games?
There are quite a few other games with similar titles out there. A video game called Millennia came out earlier this year. Plus there are games focused on the ‘millennium,’ both of the board game and video game varieties. Karma Games’ Millennia is entirely its own, unique thing.
Is This Millennia Appropriate For Younger Players?
Officially the game is suggested for players ten and up. While nothing in this game is particularly inappropriate, it can be a bit involved and challenging for younger players. Ten seems about right for the younger end of Millennia players, but someone younger may very possibly also enjoy it.
If you want to learn more about Millennia or play for yourself, you can learn more on the Karma Games official website, here.
Happy adventuring!
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