- BGG rank
- BGG #3,965
- BGG rating
- 6.9
A Brief History of the World
- 3–6 players
- 90–180 min
- Complexity 2.9/5
- 2009
- BGG rank
- BGG #20,181
- BGG rating
- 7.0
History of the World
2025
Rules assistance for History of the World
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 60–180 min
- 14+
- Complexity 3.0/5
Rules assistant for History of the World
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
History of the World is a board game released in 2025 for 2–6 players, 60–180 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Gary Dicken, Steve Kendall, and Phil Kendall and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling and Area Majority / Influence.
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About the game
History of the World retells the story of humanity, starting from ancient Sumeria and ending with modern day USA. The map emphasizes those lands where civilizations flourished, with over sixty peoples featured on empire and event cards. Capitals, cities, monuments, and forts are brought into play and then, just as quickly, are reduced by the armies of rivals. Control of buildings and lands enables players to collect gold. Whosoever has the most gold at game's end wins. Compared to earlier editions of History of the World, this edition: • Allows you to play with or without dice rules. • Has a different distribution of empire cards and event cards • Features new event cards and gold collection mechanisms • Allows for a new "area tokens" strategy • Includes new "honor tokens" that provide benefits • Has a new player array In general, the spirit of the game has been left intact, while incorporating elements from the earliest editions of the game as well as later developments. "Catastrophe", for example, has now become an honor, and "Weaponry", which was always too strong an event, has been removed. —description from the publisher
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Hobby Japan
- Rio Grande Games
Questions and answers
History of the World supports 2–6 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 History of the World is 60–180 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 History of the World for ages 14 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.
History of the World 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.
History of the World belongs to these categories: Wargame, Napoleonic, and Medieval. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling and Area Majority / Influence. 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 History of the World are: Gary Dicken, Steve Kendall, and Phil Kendall. 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 History of the World 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.