Altay The Dawn of Civilization
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Four ancient peoples, a land to conquer, a deck to build turn after turn. The civilization you build will be your story.
What it's about
A civilization game that gets to the table in an hour
For centuries, four ancient peoples have lived in balance in a mysterious land — the Forest Elves, the Earth Folk, the Sea Dwellers, the Children of Fire. Then human settlers arrive, with new technologies, sharper weapons, and a completely different way of life. How will your civilization react?
Altay: The Dawn of Civilization blends deck-building, civilization development, and area control into a fluid and integrated system. Every card you play generates resources, expands your settlements, attacks neighbors, or powers up your deck. The board and the deck are not two separate things — they are the same machine.
Designed by Paolo Mori (Libertalia, Ethnos) and Ole Steiness, illustrated by Pauliina Hannuniemi. Published by Ares Games, Italian edition by MS Edizioni.
What they say abroad
"Fantastic theme, smooth deckbuilding, and simple combat make this the most tableable civ-building game I've played."
Fantastic theme, smooth deck-building, and simple combat: the most easily tableable civ-building game I've played.
— Geeks Under Grace
"I witnessed a variety of strategies end up in the winner's circle — a land grab, a technology focus, a balanced approach."
I saw different strategies lead to victory — land grab, technological development, balanced approach. Each one works.
— Meeple Mountain
Altay: The Dawn of Civilization
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews and play sessionsYour ancient people
What you manage in each game
Settlements to expand
Start with one region, build up to 15 settlements on the board. Each controlled territory amplifies the effect of your cards.
Unique deck per faction
Each people starts with a different deck. The settler cards you acquire integrate into your style, changing it turn after turn.
Permanent Progresses
Progresses are added to your faction forever. Special abilities, victory points, cascading synergies: build the engine that wins.
Territory-bound resources
Stone, metal, wood, knowledge. Cards produce more if you control the corresponding region. Territory and deck speak to each other.
In sixty minutes your civilization will have a story. Stories are worth more than victories.
🎲ComponentsBoard · 178 cards · 140 wooden tokens
🃏Recommended sleeves1 size · 178 cards total
A Game in Five Moments
What Happens at the Table
Not the rules. The experience.
Your Corner of the World
Take your deck, place your first settlement on the starting region. You look at the board — resource-rich areas are already contested, expansion routes seem open. Seem. You already know that in three turns someone will cut you off.
The Engine Starts Running
You play the first cards, produce resources, acquire your first settlers. Your deck slowly transforms. You choose your first Progress — a special ability that will permanently belong to your faction. That choice will define who you are at the table for the entire game.
The First Battle
Someone attacks. You count your forces, compare settlements, reveal defense cards. Win or lose — in both cases you receive valuable information about your opponent's deck. At the table, you quickly understand who is racing towards Progresses and who wants to control the territory.
The Deck Buzzes
Mid-game, your deck is flowing. You draw five cards and you already know what you can do — resources, attacks, constructions. Synergies between cards and territory multiply. Someone has a more efficient engine than yours, and you feel it. It's time to push forward or block them.
The Civilization You Built
Someone completes their fifteenth settlement, or a player is eliminated. Points are counted — territories, Progresses, conquered settlements. The winner has built something cohesive. The others are already planning their strategy for the next game.
How to Play
The Flow of Each Turn
A streamlined structure that can be learned in twenty minutes. The depth comes later.
Each turn you start with a five-card hand from your deck. You can play them in any order — unplayed cards are discarded along with the rest at the end of the turn.
Cards produce stone, metal, wood, or knowledge. Controlling the corresponding region doubles production. Unused resources become coins.
Build settlements in adjacent regions, attack opponents with available forces, or spend resources to acquire new cards or complete permanent Progresses.
Everything goes into the discard pile. When you run out of cards to draw, you reshuffle. The improved deck from the previous turn returns to play, stronger than before.
Why it's different from others
Six mechanics that make a difference
Board and deck communicate
They are not two separate systems. Cards produce more if you control the right territory. Each settlement affects the value of your deck.
Growing permanent Progresses
Progresses are added to your faction and are never lost. They build upon themselves — level one unlocks level two. You feel your people evolving.
Three paths to victory
You can win by dominating the territory, completing more Progresses than anyone else, or defeating more enemies in battle. In the same game, three players tried three different strategies, and each was right.
Four truly asymmetrical factions
It's not just cosmetic. Each people has a different starting deck with unique card compositions that push towards distinct playstyles. The same strategy works differently with different factions.
Fast and consequential combat
Battles are resolved in thirty seconds: settlements plus attack cards against defenders and defense cards. The winner takes an enemy settlement. The loser draws new cards. No one waits.
Civilization in one real hour
It's not a box promise. Altay is genuinely fast: it explains in twenty minutes, plays in sixty. For those who love civilization games but don't have entire evenings to dedicate to them.
How it Ends
How to Win, How to Lose
The game ends immediately when a player places their fifteenth settlement, or when a player has zero settlements remaining on the board.
Victory
- Be the first to place all 15 of your settlements on the board
- Or accumulate the highest score when the game ends (settlements + Progresses + defeated enemies)
- Victory recognizes who built the most balanced civilization — not necessarily who conquered the most
Elimination
- Lose all your settlements on the board — the game ends immediately
- Each settlement lost in battle is a point for your opponents — defending is as important as attacking
- Even those who are eliminated have often paved the way for someone else's victory — with who they blocked, with who they ignored
Altay: The Dawn of Civilization is one of those rare games that compresses the epic of civilization into an hour without losing depth. Designed by Paolo Mori, the father of Libertalia and Ethnos.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ about Altay: The Dawn of Civilization
How does it differ from other civilization games like Wingspan or Viticulture?
Altay is much more direct and conflict-driven. You don't build in parallel on your own board — you fight for control of territory on a shared board. Deck-building also makes it more reactive: in each game, your deck evolves differently depending on what you find in the market and how opponents move.
Can it really be played in an hour, or is that just a box promise?
With players who already know the rules, yes — an hour is realistic. The first game can reach 90 minutes with explanation included. The game has a very effective natural timer: the end-game condition visibly approaches each turn, and there are no dead moments.
Do I need experience with deck-builders to play?
No. The deck-building mechanics are simplified compared to classics like Dominion or Clank. Draw five cards, play them, discard, reshuffle. The real learning is understanding how to integrate deck and territory — and that is learned by playing, not by reading the rules.
With how many players does it work best?
With 3 or 4 players, the game reaches its full potential — the board is contested, battles are more frequent, strategies truly clash. With 2 players, it's more tactical and less chaotic, but it requires the Seafarers variant included in the box to work well on a reduced board.
Is there a solo mode?
No, Altay: The Dawn of Civilization does not include an official solo mode. The game is designed around direct interaction between players — territorial conflict and battles are a central part of the experience.
Is this edition in Italian?
Yes. This is the Italian edition published by MS Edizioni — the rulebook and all game texts are entirely in Italian. The components and illustrations are identical to the original Ares Games edition.
Altay: The Dawn of Civilization is a civilization board game with deck-building and area control for 2–4 players (ages 14+, duration 45–75 min). Designed by Paolo Mori and Ole Steiness, illustrated by Pauliina Hannuniemi, published by Ares Games. Italian edition by MS Edizioni. Each player controls one of four Ancient Peoples — Elves, Earth Folk, Little Folk, or Children of Fire — each with a unique starting deck. Cards produce resources (stone, metal, wood, knowledge) amplified by territorial control. Progresses are permanently added to the faction, offering special abilities and victory points. The game ends when a player places their fifteenth settlement or an opponent is eliminated. Available on FroGames.it.
Altay The Dawn of Civilization
Frequently Asked Questions
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