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Near: Echoes of Civilizations
2026
Rules assistance for Near: Echoes of Civilizations
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with saved question history.
Rules assistant for Near: Echoes of Civilizations
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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Near: Echoes of Civilizations is a board game released in 2026 for 2–4 players, 60–120 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Matthieu Podevin and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Grid Movement.
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About the game
Near: L'écho des Civilisations ("Near - Echoes of Civilizations") invites you to write 3,000 years of history... Or rather, to rewrite it, drawing inspiration from real-world civilizations, discoveries, and landmark events. All of this in just 3 Ages of 4 turns! What if the Mayans had built the Roman Amphitheater, or the Huns had created the Hanging Gardens? The game’s mechanics are based on its cards. Play 2 per turn and gain the following effects: Develop 5 Domains (Transport, Trade, Military, Religion, Production). Make history with an event or a discovery (card effect). Build your structures on the World board and maximize their effects. In the end of each of the 3 Ages, points will be earned according to particular objectives (different from one game to another), and for the players that will mark History the most during this phase. Then, different endgame scorings will happen, depending on the civilization you play, the wonder you built (asymetrical start), the cards you played, the strategy you chose to follow... It’s up to you to make history, and to reshape Antiquity according to your own choices! —description from the publisher
Editions
- Near: Echoes of CivilizationsenLa Boîte de Jeu2026
- Near: L'Écho des civilisationsfrLa Boîte de Jeu2026
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- La Boîte de Jeu
Questions and answers
Near: Echoes of Civilizations supports 2–4 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 Near: Echoes of Civilizations is 60–120 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 Near: Echoes of Civilizations 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.
Near: Echoes of Civilizations has a complexity rating of 3.3 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.
Near: Echoes of Civilizations belongs to these categories: Card Game, Ancient, and Civilization. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Grid 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 Near: Echoes of Civilizations are: Matthieu Podevin. 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 Near: Echoes of Civilizations 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.