Age of Renaissance

Overview

A strategic board game of trade, exploration, and cultural development set in Renaissance Europe. Players represent major European powers competing to advance their civilizations through trade, expansion, and acquiring advances (civilization cards). The game builds on the mechanics of the original Civilization game, with commodity trading, calamity management, and technological advancement as core systems. Players must balance military expansion, economic development, and cultural progress.

Components

• Game board (map of Renaissance Europe and Mediterranean)
• Player tokens and cities
• History card deck (commodity and calamity cards)
• Advance cards (civilization improvements)
• Money/Treasury markers
• Province markers
• Rules booklet

Setup

Players choose nations and place starting tokens in their home provinces. Distribute starting resources and history card decks. Place advance cards by category where accessible.

Turn Structure

Each turn (epoch) follows this sequence:

1. Revenue Collection: Earn income from controlled provinces and cities.
2. Expansion: Grow population and expand into new territories.
3. Trade Card Collection: Draw commodity cards based on cities.
4. Trade Session: Exchange commodity cards with other players.
5. Calamity Resolution: Resolve any calamity cards.
6. Purchase Advances: Spend commodity sets and cash for advance cards.
7. End of Turn: Check victory conditions and advance the epoch marker.

Actions

Trade

• Players collect commodity cards from their cities
• Commodities are traded between players to build valuable sets
• Commodity sets increase in value exponentially (e.g., 3 of a kind worth much more than 3 singles)
• Calamity cards may be hidden among traded cards
• All diplomacy and negotiation is open

Expansion

• Population grows through token placement
• New territories claimed by moving tokens
• Cities built in areas with sufficient population
• Conflict resolved when multiple players occupy the same territory

Advances

• 24+ advance cards representing cultural/technological achievements
• Cards cost commodity sets and/or treasury
• Advances provide special abilities, immunities, and victory points
• Credit system: owning prerequisite advances reduces costs of advanced ones

Scoring / Victory Conditions

The game runs for a set number of epochs. Victory is determined by total advancement score, combining:

• Advance card point values
• Territory control
• Economic standing
• Position on the progress track

Highest total wins.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• The credit system for advance cards is crucial – planning your technology path several turns ahead is essential
• Calamities can devastate unprepared players but immunity from advance cards provides protection
• Some advance cards have special rules that only apply under certain conditions
• Map changes may be applied per designer recommendations available on BGG
• Turn order can be modified by certain advance card effects

Player Reference

Turn Sequence

1. Revenue Collection
2. Expansion
3. Trade Card Collection
4. Trade Session
5. Calamity Resolution
6. Purchase Advances
7. End of Turn

Advance Card Types

Three categories of advances, each providing different types of benefits and contributing to different aspects of civilization progress.