Age of Innovation, Terra Mystica game.
Image credit: Capstone Games

Terra Mystica Age of Innovation is finally available for pre-order from Capstone Games’ website, giving fans hope that they will finally have the opportunity to get their hands on the much-ballyhooed expansion.

A New Streamlined Experience in the Terra Mystica Universe 

The game’s fastest release will naturally be during GenCon in August, Twitter sources have suggested, with national versions, launching through September as well. Age of Innovation is a standalone version of Terra Mystica, an arguably more streamlined and enticing title to enjoy as well, with the game drawing on the Terra Mystica universe and the somewhat more advanced gameplay found in Gaia Project.

The new game comes with fresh combinations of Factions, Homelands and Abilities which will combine in exciting ways and give players even more paths to victory. Players will be able to upgrade buildings and obtain resources, such as ToolsScholarsMoney, and Power, and build schools to advance scientific trees and collect books that can be put towards even further innovations. 

Each faction will seek to advance work on their palace and gain a new ability, creating workshops, guilds, and universities. The game comes with 7 double-layered planning displays12 factions, and 17 palace abilities. There are also 18 innovations, all of which will add to what the creators hope would be an inexhaustible variety. 

Timeless Classic Returns in Fresh Wrapping

The original game was released in 2012 and has amassed a loyalist following from all over the world, with the game ranking as one of the best on BoardGameGeek. It sports a rating of 8.1/10 with more than 45,000 votes. A spiritual successor of the game was released in 2017 with the arrival of Gaia Project which introduced newer aspects to the core system and quickly became an equally loved hit, although Terra Mystica loyalists did not readily fall for the new game.

Since then, though, some have been pointing to certain design optimizations that make the game – that is Gaia Project – feel a little tighter compared to the original. This is ending now, it seems with Age of Innovation bringing an even more polished feel to the classic experience. Age of Innovation is already available for preorder and will go for $99.95

It takes 40 minutes per player to complete, and it will support 1-5 players, bringing the fantasy epic back to the tabletop. To be perfectly honest, though, it doesn’t seem like Terra Mystica ever left!

Stoyan Todorov

Stoyan entered the hobby over seven years ago and his collection has been growing at a pace his spouse has described as “concerning.” Willing to push the boundaries of the connubial bliss to its extremes, Stoyan is here to bring you the latest updates and developments from the world of board games.

Stoyan entered the hobby over seven years ago and his collection has been growing at a pace his spouse has described as “concerning.” Willing to push the boundaries of the connubial bliss to its extremes, Stoyan is here to bring you the latest updates and developments from the world of board games.