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History of the World
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from 15 customer reviews
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Deutscher Spiele Preis
9th place, 1993
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History of the World is a 3 to 6 player game that recreates the major empires of the world through seven Epochs (rounds), starting with ancient Sumeria and ending with World War I. During an Epoch, each player plays an empire trying to assert its might. Empires expand, then slowly fade during later Epochs.
History of the World was one of the most popular games published by Monarch Avalon Hill and one of the most requested remakes for us. We have worked with the original inventors to shorter gameplay, balance Epochs, and provide a more challenging game to new and old players alike. We have also added plastic armies (seven different types), plus plastic monuments, capitals, and forts for a visually stunning game.
I bought this game after bad expirience with Lord of the Rings, so, because the price isn't low, I thought about it for a long time. So decided to buy it, and I can say, I'm not dissapointed.
The concept of the game is great. I won't forget the first game we played; at the first epoch, we were all confused and didn't know what to do, but later on, we all understood everything. So, it isn't very hard to learn. In the same game, I was on last place for long time, but then I got 20 armies in one of the epoches, and I took the lead. This is the second good side of the game: everybody can win.
The monuments, cities, capitals and forts make the game more interesting, so I don't have anything to say against this game. If every game would be so perfect, I would buy more board games.
One of my all -time favorites. Educational too, as you learn about tons of major and minor powers throughout the course of history, and see which dominated their epochs and to what extent. What's particularly fun is to see how the players rewrite history inside the mechanics of the game-- like Portugal conquering Europe instead of colonizing the New World. Lots of options, lots of fun, lots of rivalry and treachery, and constant interaction among all involved. A must-have for anyone with the time to play.
Read the other reviews, you know that this game is very fun, but what to do to make it better?
The only things that bothered me about it were:
Why spend an army point on a fort in a game with less than 5 players when it is more advantageous to just expand?...
Instead of building a monument, I have made a house rule that one may build a fort instead. Since we count monuments as 2 points instead of one, this is a great trade off.
Why, in the advanced rules, would I triple-up or even double-up the army count in a territory when those troops are better used expanding your epoch's empire?...
Instead of making it a straight two or three armies in a land that ablate through attack by enemies, count each additional army past the first as a +1 to defense rolls. Maximum armies in a land are still three. BUT... if your multiple armies are defeated, you lose all three, (or two).
Now this rule works well with my last house rule...
To give the defender more of a role in the game, you may decide as a defender to retreat instead of rolling. If you have an adjacent army to the defender from the same empire and epoch, and the space it occupies does not yet have three armies in it, you may move into it and relinquish the contested land to the aggressor. This bolsters a defensive postion without affecting your own score for the Epoch. I find that this gives the players who aren't playing out their Empires something strategic to do on an enemy's turn.
This game is great, have fun.
