- BGG rank
- BGG #2,146
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Age of Renaissance
1996
Rules assistance for Age of Renaissance
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–6 players
- 120–300 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.9/5
For 3 players
Rules assistant for Age of Renaissance
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Age of Renaissance is a board game released in 1996 for 3–6 players, 120–300 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Don Greenwood and Jared Scarborough and its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding, Area Movement, and Simulation.
About the game
A game that is often described as a semi-sequel to Civilization. Players attempt to build up their cultures during the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods. The game features a card deck that holds events, payout cards, and famous leaders of the particular eras. Although all cards will turn up somewhere during the game, the timing and position in which they will be played is crucial and will ensure a different game every time. The main goal of each city-state is to gain points in the form of technical advances, while keeping their culture's misery level as low as possible. The payout structure is similar to those of Civilization and Advanced Civilization in that more resources of the same type yield increasingly higher payouts. This time particular payouts are triggered by card play for every player at once. An ingenious and very smooth working “combat” system is implemented to determine province – and thus resource - control.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- The Avalon Hill Game Co
- Descartes Editeur
Questions and answers
Age of Renaissance supports 3–6 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Age of Renaissance is 120–300 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Age of Renaissance for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Age of Renaissance has a complexity rating of 3.9 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a heavy game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Age of Renaissance belongs to these categories: Economic, Medieval, and Civilization. Its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding, Area Movement, and Simulation. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Age of Renaissance are: Don Greenwood and Jared Scarborough. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Age of Renaissance as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.