Sid Meier's Civilization: The Boardgame

The 2002 Eagle Games take on Civilization: explore, settle, research and build wonders across six hours of empire building.

Designer: Glenn Drover
Published by: Eagle-Gryphon Games
Editions by: PS-Games, Pro Ludo

Start in 4000 BC with two little villages and a lot of ambition. This is the 2002 Eagle Games board game of Sid Meier's Civilization, not the 2010 Fantasy Flight game with a similar title, and it follows the computer classic closely. You explore the world, meet native peoples who guard resources, send settlers to found new cities, research technologies, build Wonders and grow your cities from villages to metropolises. Armies fight over land with dice, and you can trade with neighbors when it suits you. A full game is a very long afternoon, around six hours, built for four to six players who like a sprawling empire builder and have the table space and patience for it. It is big, loud and unapologetically epic.

From two villages in 4000 BC to a metropolisTech tree, Wonders of the World and tradingDice combat over territory with armies

Who it's for

You loved the computer game and want a giant empire builder for four to six friends with a free afternoon and plenty of table space.

Not for you if…

You want a short game or tight rules. It runs around six hours, and critics rate it lower than similar games for a reason. Also check the year: this is the 2002 game, not the 2010 one.

Vibe's take

Sprawling, slow-burning and epic. You manage expansion, research and armies at once, and the table gradually fills with the story of your civilization.