Meeple Pug, an indie board game studio, brings us “Age of Inventors” – their debut board game, set the time of innovation – the second half of the 19th century. The game’s designers – Aiollus, Iskios (Vasileios Tsirkinidis) and VantoN – are all from Greece, and have worked together (more specifically VantoN and Aiollus) on “U.S.S. Freedom”.“Age of Inventors” features the popular steampunk art style and color theme – from the cards to the board itself. Fans of the genre will definitely be pleased by the game’s aesthetic touch.
Manage Your Very Own Science Laboratory
Before the game begins, you must select one of the four laboratory types – a Government Lab, a Corporation Lab, a University Lab, or an Innovator Lab. Each one offers a different “power” that must be used in order to gain an advantage.
There are also the Breaking News cards, which alter the rules slightly. This spices up the game, adding some unpredictability and alternative ways to gain an advantage each round, which just might end up winning you the game.
Every round, a new line of laboratory equipment is developed, each carrying a different ability. You will have the chance to purchase it at the beginning of each round. Use caution – the equipment will affect the order of play each round. You have the option to also use your funds to hire renowned inventors to work for their laboratories – like Nicola Tesla, Ferdinand von Zeppelin, or Albert Einstein himself! Each investor has a unique ability that just might give you an edge over your opponents.
Then, you need to create the right invention (from the inventions offered in the game) by spending the most valuable game resource – ideas.
Create Inventions, Advance Humanity, and Win the Science Race
To complete an invention, you need to gather and spend scientific resources – physics, chemistry, and engineering. Each invention requires a different set of resources. You must use your laboratory assistants to gather them, by placing them in specific locations on the game board. Each invention requires a different type of inventor to be completed. For example, an engineer is needed to complete an engineering invention, a chemist for a chemistry invention, and so on.
Completing an invention will grant you a unique instant ability and will advance humanity’s progress on one of three different tracks – Industrial, Economic, and Academic. The laboratory that contributes the most to society wins the game.
Overall, the game seems very replayable. There are a lot of inventors and inventions to choose from, and each game will bring a new flavor – you might have to play a new type of lab, use different inventions in each game, or try to bend the rules in your favor with the Breaking News mechanics.
The game is set to release in 2023, but no further details have yet been released. Nevertheless, we will bring you more news as they come along, so stay tuned!