
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,847
- BGG rating
- 8.1
Mega Civilization
- 5–18 players
- 360–720 min
- Complexity 3.7/5
- 2015

Rules assistance for Civilization: Expansion Trade Cards Set
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Civilization: Expansion Trade Cards Set is an expansion for Civilization released in 1982 for 2–7 players and 360 minutes per game. It was designed by Francis Tresham and its main mechanics are Set Collection, Trading, and Area Movement.
This Civilization expansion was offered by mail order directly from Avalon Hill to General subscribers (volume 19 #4) and in the company games/parts catalog. Seven new commodities were introduced to add to the trade card piles of the base game. There were no calamities included in this expansion. The commodities introduced were carried over into the new trade deck used in Advanced Civilization but the number of cards of each of the commodities were changed.
Civilization: Expansion Trade Cards Set supports 2–7 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 Civilization: Expansion Trade Cards Set is 360 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.
Civilization: Expansion Trade Cards Set has a complexity rating of 3.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
Civilization: Expansion Trade Cards Set belongs to these categories: Economic, Ancient, and Negotiation. Its main mechanics are Set Collection, Trading, and Area Movement. 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 Civilization: Expansion Trade Cards Set are: Francis Tresham. 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 Civilization: Expansion Trade Cards Set as an expansion for Civilization. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Civilization to use it. Check that your edition of Civilization is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.