Ancient Realm

Button Shy, Frosted Games · Board game · 2023
6.0 Ludopedia 7.2 BGG 1 · best 1 Solo 15 min Weight 2.2/5
Buy · from US$ 12.00
6.0 rating Ludopedia
7.2 rating BGG
Our Verdict
RECOMMENDED

Love the idea of building an entire civilization in the palm of your hand? Ancient Realm is a solo game that challenges you to think strategically with just a few cards.

Highlights
  • Clever and quick puzzle
  • Satisfying optimization play
  • Engaging civilization theme
  • Portable and easy to learn
Keep in mind
  • Purely solo experience
  • Focus on pure optimization
  • Relies on card draw luck
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About the game

What you do in a play session

Get ready to build your own civilization from scratch in Ancient Realm! This solo game is a true puzzle where you decide your people's fate. Starting from humble beginnings, your goal is to achieve greatness by wisely managing resources and planning every move. Each turn, you have four cards at your disposal: districts, which form the foundation of your realm, and wonders, powerful but costly constructions that bring many points and special effects, but cannot be covered. Gameplay revolves around placing these cards, whether adjacent, overlapping, or covering others. Covering cards activates their effects, releasing resources like gold from mines, which in turn allow you to activate production sites and citizens. Citizens can even influence the value of your wonders! Keep an eye on the events on the back of the district cards, which affect your civilization's growth, and the active round event. In the end, you score your wonders, mines, remaining gold, and resources to see how well your civilization fared. It's a quick and strategic experience, perfect for those who enjoy thinking and planning.

Rules videos

Learn by watching before you open the box

3 videos

Best player count

BGG community vote

Solo · 1 player
1 BEST

Where to Buy

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Game details

Mechanics, categories, families and credits

Families

Containers: Wallets Crowdfunding: Kickstarter Game: Ancient Realm Mechanism: Partially overlapping cards Players: Solitaire Only Card Games Players: Solitaire Only Games Series: Wallet & Box Micro Games (Button Shy)
Publisher Button Shy, Frosted Games
Designer Steven Aramini
Artist Startraphell Talbot

Community

Data from BoardGameGeek

2,942owners
497wishlist
70want to play

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers before you buy

6 questions
How many players can play?
Ancient Realm is strictly a 1-player game.
How long does a game take?
Games are quite fast, typically lasting around 15 minutes.
Is the game difficult to learn?
No, the rules are simple and straightforward, focusing more on optimization strategy.
Do I need any extra materials to play?
Yes, as it's a 'Print & Play' game, you'll need to print the cards and ideally have a wallet to store them, like those from Button Shy.
What is the main objective of the game?
The goal is to maximize your score by building your civilization, deciding which cards to cover and which effects to activate to accumulate points from wonders, mines, and resources.
Is there any interaction or is it just a solo pastime?
It's a completely solo game, focused on your own strategy and optimization.

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