Timespan
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Five eras at the table, each with its own civilization. In the end, someone will have colonized Mars, someone will have built the Pyramids at the wrong time, and everyone will look at their timeline wondering where the Renaissance went wrong.
WHAT IT IS ABOUT
A civilization from the Stone Age to the Space Age in 90 minutes
Timespan is the new civilization game by Kenneth Minde and Kristian Amundsen Østby, the authors of Automania and Bad Company. Published by Alion, it brings to the table a streamlined system combining deep asymmetry (6 unique civilizations, 6 variable technology boards) with a pool of 175 characters, buildings, technologies, and historical wonders. Art by Nilanjan Malakar.
Build your civilization by drawing cards from five successive eras, placing workers on your personal timeline to activate them, exploring new luxury resources, and advancing on cultural, scientific, and space tracks. Most of the game plays simultaneously: no downtime, no war. Just peaceful exploration, economic engine, and the race to space.
What they say abroad
Timespan promises infinite variety and a pace that doesn't make you wait for others' turns.
— FroGames
Combining asymmetric civilizations with variable technology boards creates a game you never play the same way twice.
— FroGames
Timespan
The game supports solo play in the basic rules. There's no automa to manage: you play against yourself, optimizing your civilization. The experience is complete (exploration, tracks, wonders), but it lacks the tension of competitive drafting and visiting other players' wonders.
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews, and play sessionsThe pieces of your civilization
What you actually build
Personal timeline
Up to 4 active cards. When you play a fifth, the oldest one goes into your legacy. Older cards become passive, but luxuries continue to give you resources forever.
Workers
You place them to activate cards, wonders, or actions of your civilization. You gain them by advancing on the culture track. The further you advance, the more actions you can take each turn.
Wonders
Iconic buildings you construct by advancing on the culture track. They grant permanent powers and can be visited by other players (you can also visit theirs).
Luxury resources
Coffee, spices, silk, gold. You unlock them by exploring (ship, flight, space). You use them to power up cards. When they go into your legacy, they become passive income each turn.
At the end of the fifth era, you will have built a civilization that no one else at the table will have ever seen. And you'll want to rebuild it immediately, differently.
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
Asymmetrical Civilizations
Each player combines a civilization with a technology board. Six different combinations at the table, six strategies that immediately emerge. Some start strong in culture, some in science, some in seafaring. Everyone knows that in 90 minutes they will be incomparable.
The first draft
You draw cards and discovery tiles from the Stone Age. Choose what to keep, what to leave for others. Every card that passes to the left is an opportunity you give away. The timeline starts to fill up, the first workers go onto the cards.
Wonders emerge
Mid-game: those who rushed culture build Stonehenge, the Pyramids, the Colosseum. Wonders grant powerful abilities and can be visited. Camels move, someone visits another's wonder for a rare bonus. The race to space begins.
Luxuries in the legacy
You've accumulated silk, gold, spices. You use them to enhance active cards. Then old cards slide into your legacy, and luxuries become passive income. Each turn they give you free resources. The engine hums, the civilization produces on its own.
The Space Age
Fifth epoch: someone has reached Mars, someone has unlocked the final technologies. Count points from tracks, wonders, cards in your legacy, accumulated luxuries. The player who built the most balanced engine wins. Or the one who bet everything on a crazy strategy.
How to play
The flow of each round
Five rounds, each divided into exploration (turn-based) and action (simultaneous).
In turns (harmony track order), you draw cards and discovery tiles from the current era. Choose what to keep, what to discard. Cards go into your hand, discovery tiles onto your board.
Everyone moves their camels along the wonder path. You can visit other players' wonders for bonuses and rewards. The first to arrive gets the best effect.
Everyone plays together. You play cards on your timeline (maximum 4 active, old ones go into your legacy). You place workers to activate cards, wonders, civilization actions. You collect resources, advance on tracks (culture, science, seafaring, flight, space).
After the second and fourth rounds, a new era begins. New cards, new discoveries, new technologies to unlock. The game accelerates. At the end of the fifth round, the game ends and scoring occurs.
Why it's different from others
Six mechanics that make a difference
Simultaneous action phase
Most of the game is played together. No waiting. Everyone manages their civilization in parallel. This allows a 1-5 player game to be completed in a clean 90 minutes, with no downtime.
4-slot timeline
You can have a maximum of 4 active cards. When you play a fifth, the oldest one is removed and goes into your legacy. Choose what to keep active and what to let slide into the past. Cards in your legacy no longer activate, but the luxuries on them provide passive income.
Civilization x Technology
6 asymmetrical civilizations, 6 variable technology boards. Each combination is a different strategy. 36 possible setups, plus 175 unique cards. You never play the same game twice.
Visitable wonders
You build wonders by advancing on the culture track. They grant permanent powers, but other players can visit them with camels to gain bonuses. The only direct interaction in the game, peaceful and interesting.
Luxuries as an engine
Coffee, spices, silk, gold, gems. You unlock them by exploring (seafaring, flight, space). You use them to enhance cards. When they go into your legacy, they become passive income. The more luxuries you accumulate, the more free resources you get each turn.
No war
Timespan is a civilization game without military conflict. No attacks, no conquests, no eliminations. Only exploration, construction, technological advancement. Perfect for those looking for a pure civilization game, without Amerithrash.
How it ends
How to win
At the end of the fifth round, count the points. The player who built the most advanced civilization wins.
Victory points from
- Advancement tracks (culture, science, seafaring, flight, space): each step is worth points
- Cards in your legacy: each is worth points based on the era and luxuries on it
- Wonders built, technologies unlocked, civilization objectives completed
You don't lose, but you can fall behind
- Timeline too static: if you don't move cards, you don't accumulate legacy and passive income
- Ignored tracks: if you don't advance in culture, science, and seafaring, you lose key points and powers
- No luxuries: without luxury resources, the engine won't start. You need to explore to unlock them
Timespan gives you an asymmetrical civilization, 175 historical cards, and no downtime. All in 90 minutes. It's here.
Frequently asked questions
Timespan FAQ
Is it a civilization game like Through the Ages or Nations?
Yes and no. It's a civilization game, but much more streamlined and without war. The action phase is simultaneous (zero downtime), the 4-slot timeline is simpler than TtA's card management, and there are no attacks or conquests. If you're looking for a peaceful, fast, and asymmetrical civ game, Timespan is perfect. If you want military conflict, look elsewhere.
How long does it really last with 5 players?
A clean 90 minutes. The action phase is simultaneous: everyone plays together. The only bottleneck is the initial draft of each round, but even then, turns are quick. With experienced players, 75 minutes. It's one of the few civilization games that scales really well up to 5 players.
Are the 6 civilizations really different?
Yes. Each civilization has asymmetrical powers and a unique board. You then combine the civilization with one of the 6 technology boards (which are also variable). Result: 36 possible combinations, each with a different strategy. Plus 175 unique cards in the deck. Replayability is very high.
Is it suitable for someone who has never played a civilization game?
Depends. Timespan is simpler than Through the Ages or Sid Meier's Civilization, but it's still a management game with many tracks to follow. If you have experience with medium-heavy Eurogames (Wingspan, Viticulture, Ark Nova), you'll manage. If you're a beginner, a lighter gateway game might be better.
Is it available in Italian?
The edition sold on FroGames is in English. The game has text on the cards (historical figures, buildings, technologies), so knowledge of the language is required. There are no Italian editions announced at the moment.
Timespan is a strategic civilization game for 1-5 players, lasting 90 minutes, recommended age 12+. Designed by Kenneth Minde and Kristian Amundsen Østby (Automania, Bad Company), it combines worker placement, tech trees, and asymmetrical powers in a system that eliminates downtime thanks to the simultaneous action phase. Each player leads one of 6 unique civilizations from the Stone Age to the Space Age, building a timeline of historical cards (175 characters, buildings, technologies, wonders) and accumulating luxury resources that become passive income. No war: only peaceful exploration, construction of visitable wonders, and the race to space. Published by Alion – by Dr Ø. Available on FroGames.it.
Timespan
Frequently Asked Questions
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