Civilization

Oasis

You are the head of a Mongolian family, intent on becoming the most powerful in the land. Use your resources wisely to take control of fertile steppe lands to raise horses, build sacred temples, develop caravans of camels, and control the beautiful oases. The player with the most points at the end of the game will be anointed the Noble of the Oasis.

7 Wonders

You are the leader of one of the 7 great cities of the Ancient World. Gather resources, develop commercial routes and affirm your military supremacy. Build your city and erect an architectural wonder which will transcend future times.

7 Wonders lasts three ages. In each age, players receive seven cards from a particular deck, choose one of those cards, then pass the remainder to an adjacent player. Players reveal their cards simultaneously, paying resources if needed or collecting resources or interacting with other players in various ways. (Players have individual boards with special powers on which to organize their cards, and the boards are double-sided). Each player then chooses another card from the deck they were passed, and the process repeats until players have six cards in play from that age. After three ages, the game ends.

In essence 7 Wonders is a card development game. Some cards have immediate effects, while others provide bonuses or upgrades later in the game. Some cards provide discounts on future purchases. Some provide military strength to overpower your neighbors and others give nothing but victory points. Each card is played immediately after being drafted, so you'll know which cards your neighbor is receiving and how his choices might affect what you've already built up. Cards are passed left-right-left over the three ages, so you need to keep an eye on the neighbors in both directions.

Though the box of earlier editions is listed as being for 3-7 players, there is an official 2-player variant included in the instructions.

Hegemonic

It is a momentous time for the Post-Human Assembly. Having fully populated the Milky Way Galaxy, the Great Houses turn their eyes towards a neighboring galaxy – endeavoring to venture across the inter-galactic void to stake claim among uncharted stars. Each Great House seeks to dominate this new galaxy, for in the race to achieve hegemony, only one can be victorious.

Hegemonic is a fast-paced game of galactic expansion, empire-building, conflict, and intrigue. As the leader of a Great House, you must expand your control over the sectors of the galaxy, build up your industrial, political, and martial capability, develop awe-inspiring technologies, and carefully time your actions to outmaneuver the other empires.

Deep Strategy
The players are in control, shaping the unexplored galaxy to support their strategic plans instead of having choices dictated by chance.

Rich Tactics
Card-driven conflict mechanics and technology development focus on tough, tactical choices and timing, minimizing luck-based gameplay.

Multilateral Conflict
A player’s industrial, political, and martial systems can all be used offensively and to control regions of the galaxy.

The stars await: can you lead your Great House to victory?

Terra Mystica

In the land of Terra Mystica dwell 14 different peoples in seven landscapes, and each group is bound to its own home environment, so to develop and grow, they must terraform neighboring landscapes into their home environments in competition with the other groups.

Terra Mystica is a game with very little luck that rewards strategic planning. Each player governs one of the 14 groups. With subtlety and craft, the player must attempt to rule as great an area as possible and to develop that group's skills. There are also four religious cults in which you can progress. To do all that, each group has special skills and abilities.

Taking turns, the players execute their actions on the resources they have at their disposal. Different buildings allow players to develop different resources. Dwellings allow for more workers. Trading houses allow players to make money. Strongholds unlock a group's special ability, and temples allow you to develop religion and your terraforming and seafaring skills. Buildings can be upgraded: Dwellings can be developed into trading houses; trading houses can be developed into strongholds or temples; one temple can be upgraded to become a sanctuary. Each group must also develop its terraforming skill and its skill with boats to use the rivers. The groups in question, along with their home landscape, are:

Desert (Fakirs, Nomads)
Plains (Halflings, Cultists)
Swamp (Alchemists, Darklings)
Lake (Mermaids, Swarmlings)
Forest (Witches, Auren)
Mountain (Dwarves, Engineers)
Wasteland (Giants, Chaos Magicians)

Proximity to other groups is a double-edged sword in Terra Mystica. Being close to other groups gives you extra power, but it also means that expanding is more difficult...

Age of Empires: The Age of Discovery

Designed by Glenn Drover, this boardgame allows you to revisit the age of exploration and discovery. Take on the role of a colonial power seeking fame, glory, and riches in the New World. As you proceed through three ages, you can launch expeditions of discovery, colonize regions, expand your merchant fleet, build capitol buildings that give your nation distinct advantages, develop your economy, and, if necessary, declare war.

Though originally published for 5 players, the game is playable by 6 with the original components and board configuration with addition of a set of figures in another color. This was originally offered as an "expansion" and an incentive to pre-order the game. The 6 player expansion will be included in the New expansion Glenn Drover's Empires: Builder Expansion as well as new buildings, and National Advantage tiles.

Not to be confused with Age of Discovery.