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Asmadi Games Innovation: Third Edition Card Game (4 Player) for 144 months to 9600 months
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Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges
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Purchase options and add-ons
Age Range (Description) | 144 months to 9600 months |
Number of Players | 4 |
Brand | Asmadi Games |
Theme | Games |
Material | Paper |
About this item
- For 2-4 Players
- Tons of replay value
- 30-75 minute playing time
- Skill level: All
Frequently bought together
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Product information
Product Dimensions | 4.13 x 0.75 x 5.63 inches |
---|---|
Item Weight | 1 pounds |
Country of Origin | China |
ASIN | B01MT5MYK4 |
Item model number | ASI-0150 |
Manufacturer recommended age | 14 years and up |
Best Sellers Rank | #142,654 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games) #1,635 in Dedicated Deck Card Games |
Customer Reviews |
4.8 out of 5 stars |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Release date | September 10, 2016 |
Manufacturer | Flat River Group |
Warranty & Support
Feedback
Product Description
Innovation is a civilization-building card game by the designer of Glory to Rome, Carl Chudyk. It contains 105 cards organized into 10 progressing ages, each representing a different idea, technology, or innovation throughout history. Every card has a unique ability, leading to interesting combos, interactions, and diversified play experiences across multiple games. It is built on simple base mechanics, with the complexity deriving from the wide variety of game text on the cards. It won the 2010 Golden Geek Award for Best Card Game, awarded by Board Game Geek.
Important information
Safety Information
Not for children under 3 yrs old
Legal Disclaimer
Contains small pieces that may be a choking hazard. Not intended for use with small children.
From the manufacturer
Innovation is a civilization-building card game by the designer of Glory to Rome, Carl Chudyk
This game by Carl Chudyk is a journey through innovations from the stone age through modern times. Each player builds a civilization based on various technologies, ideas, and cultural advancements, all represented by cards. Each of these cards has a unique power which will allow further advancement, point scoring, or even attacking other civilizations. Be careful though, as other civilizations may be able to benefit from your ideas as well!
To win, you must score achievements, which you can attain by amassing points or by meeting certain criteria with the innovations you have built. Plan your civilization well, and outmaneuver your opponents, and with some luck you will achieve victory!
- 2-4 players
- 40-60 minute play time
- Ages: 12+
- Tons of replay value
What's in the box
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Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the quality, replayability, and ideas of the game. For example, they mention it's a great game, fun to play with the family, and one of the best games for 2 players. That said, they appreciate the play time, and variety. Opinions are mixed on ease of use and appearance.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the game to be a great, fun, and versatile game. They say it makes casually playing with friends enjoyable. Customers also say it's one of the best games for 2 players and the innovation is just plain fun. They mention that the game is remarkably balanced despite having so much variability. Customers say it is 100% worth the effort and worth the time to learn.
"...The game is remarkably balanced despite having so much variability (the same is not true for its expansions) and even when you seem out of the race,..." Read more
"Fun game. Just what I was looking for...." Read more
"...Go online watch it played, this game is 100% worth the effort. This is by far and away my most played game...." Read more
"...This makes playing casually with friends enjoyable...." Read more
Customers find the game extremely replayable, with a new dynamic every time they play. They also say the game has a lot of complexity for replay ability. Customers also say that the mechanics of the game are so strong that you could play the game completely ignoring the rules.
"...I cannot think of another game this fantastically varied and re-playable that scales well down to two people, but also plays well with three or four...." Read more
"This is a great card game that offers endless replay abilities...." Read more
"...One of my favorite card/board games. Extremely replayable, new dynamic every time I play it." Read more
"Really good and fun game. Lots of replay value and very affordable." Read more
Customers find the ideas in the game interesting, unique, and thought-provoking. They also say the theme and mechanics are great, quick to learn and teach, and have tons of strategy and replay value. Customers also say it's a shockingly deep game with tons of fun.
"...And we all agree that both the mechanics and the theme are interesting, even thought we are rarely paying attention to the themes of games." Read more
"This is a shockingly deep game, with tons of strategy and replay value. The amount of game you get here per dollar is amazing." Read more
"Enjoyable and thought provoking..." Read more
"interesting and unique game..." Read more
Customers find the game fun, with a reasonable play time. They say the game doesn't drag on, and it can get newbies started quickly.
"...Also, the games don't drag on with the play time being 30 to 45 minutes.Physical Product:Pretty standard cards...." Read more
"...of the game consisting of the same couple of actions, it’s not quickly mastered...." Read more
"...it's very small and yet has a reasonable play time...." Read more
"Fun game that plays in under an hour, yet has a lot of complexity for replay ability in it." Read more
Customers find the variety in the game to be different every match. They also say the game is fantastically varied and re-playable.
"...I cannot think of another game this fantastically varied and re-playable that scales well down to two people, but also plays well with three or four...." Read more
"So different every match...." Read more
"Amazing game. Different every time. Worth much more than you'll pay for it." Read more
"Such a great game, different every time. Strategic but also affected by time passing and how you react. Love it!" Read more
Customers are mixed about the ease of use of the game. Some mention it's not complicated to explain and you can get newbies started quickly. They also say the mechanics of the games are actually very simple and the cards are well-designed to optimize clarity. However, others say it'd be a little bit on the complicated side, overwhelming, and frustrating to teach people. They mention that the game lacks consistency in how information is presented on the cards.
"...The mechanics of the game are actually very simple and the cards are well-designed to optimize clarity, so, after a couple rounds, it's easy to get..." Read more
"...This may be the perfect combination of skill and luck, with actions that get stronger as the game progresses...." Read more
"Love this stupid addictive game." Read more
"...I really enjoy the mechanics and the feeling of progression through time...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the appearance of the game. Some mention that it's much better looking than the newer cheesy-looking versions, with well-designed cards. However, others say that it has a dramatically different aesthetic, with extraneous visual elements and distracting changes to the visual layout of the cards.
"...The mechanics of the game are actually very simple and the cards are well-designed to optimize clarity, so, after a couple rounds, it's easy to get..." Read more
"We enjoy this game so much, but the updated artwork isn't as sharp as the old and some of the new terms of play are odd. Still, I recommend it." Read more
"...Physical Product:Pretty standard cards. This version has new art compared to the original version, and I prefer the new art...." Read more
"...symbols that have useable values; the font is now bigger, but it is garish and ugly; the Innovation checkered background is added to the background..." Read more
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Theme
Innovation is a game about technological advancement. There are ten stacks of cards representing ages of technological advancement starting at Pre-History (with innovations like the Wheel and Pottery) to the Information Age (with Stem Cells and the Internet). Each card provides a unique ability, called a Dogma action, which ties into the theme and the function of the technology surprisingly well.
The mechanics of the game are so strong that you could play the game completely ignoring the theme, but there is just something especially fun about using Domestication (an Age 1 card) to domesticate Electricity (Age 7) or to be a modern day Robin Hood and use Archery (again Age 1) to steal somebody's Computers (Age 9).
Easy to Learn, (Initially) Hard to Keep Track Of
Innovation, like other games by Carl Chudyk, has cards that serve many potential functions. Cards can be used as score or can be returned to do some Dogma action. They can also be played (Melded) to your board, so that you can use their unique ability. Each card is one of five colors (also marked with symbols, for the relatively colorblind), which loosely ties it into a technological theme (e.g. Red for military, Purple for civics) and determines where it is played on the board, effectively limiting you to one usable card of each type (a Yellow card must be melded on top of another Yellow card, if you have one on your board).
Each card's Dogma is tied to a particular symbol (Leaves, Castles, Lightbulbs, etc.) and also has three such symbols on it, which are thematically tied into the function of the technology (e.g. the Steam Engine card has two factories and a coin on it). More importantly, if you have more of a symbol than other players you can make demands of them and play Dogmas based on that symbol independently, but if they have more than you, they get to (or have to, in some cases!) do the Dogma as well.
Between score, age, unique Dogmas, and symbol dominance, there is a LOT to keep track of, not just on your board but also on your opponents'. This information overload can turn off new players (which is probably why some reviewers say they didn't make it through a game), but you will be handsomely rewarded if you get past this initial hurdle.
The mechanics of the game are actually very simple and the cards are well-designed to optimize clarity, so, after a couple rounds, it's easy to get a handle on the symbols needed to do what you want to do. This opens up interesting decisions about what cards to meld, based not just on what ability they provide, but also how they play into the constant jockeying for symbol dominance (or, sometimes, trying not to be dominant).
Replayability
The primary way to win the game is to score points and use those points to get achievements (one is available for ages 1-9), but there are so many ways to reach this objective. Do you latch onto a particular card's score mechanism and ride it as long as you can, at the expense of technological advancement, or do you race for higher ages, symbol dominance and more powerful technologies? There are also special achievements and even win conditions unrelated to achievements that are tied to particular cards, so you could win without scoring at all!
With each card being unique, I have never played two games of Innovation that were very similar (and I have played the game A LOT). At times, it may seem like a particular card or strategy is OP, but eventually your opponent will almost certainly prove it has a weakness that can be exploited (sometimes not until a later playthrough).
The game is remarkably balanced despite having so much variability (the same is not true for its expansions) and even when you seem out of the race, there are strategies you can employ to sneak in a victory from behind. Even in games that I have lost badly (it happens sometimes), I've always felt like there is something I could do and that victory might be in my grasp.
Edition
This is the 3rd Asmadi Edition of the game, which has updated its art since the 2nd Edition, which I have spent most of my time playing. Having not spent much time with the 3rd Edition yet, my initial reaction is that some of the clarity of the cards has been lost in the pursuit of aesthetics. The 2nd edition cards were pretty spartan, but also very easy to read. Perhaps with more time with the 3rd edition, I will find the flourishes aren't distracting. The general layout of the cards are still very logical and consistent.
This game is also published by IELLO, but with a dramatically different aesthetic. To my understanding, IELLO favored theme/art over playability, lacking consistency in how information is presented on the cards. To me, that is an absolute deal-breaker.
It is worth noting that the upcoming expansions are being published by Asmadi (at least to begin with) and will be consistent with the 3rd edition card design, which is yet another argument for picking up this particular version of the game.
TL;DR:
BUY THIS GAME! It is easily the best $20 I have ever spent on a game (it's currently even cheaper). Innovation is just plain fun!
Don't let the initially overwhelming amount of information turn you off. Play through a couple of rounds and you may find, as I have, that several years later, you're still drawing cards that nudge you to explore new strategies.
Go online watch it played, this game is 100% worth the effort. This is by far and away my most played game. This may be the perfect combination of skill and luck, with actions that get stronger as the game progresses. The combinations of strategies that can work is amazing.
This is a game that is worth the effort to learn.
I love this game, recommend to anyone who plays other board games. If you have played a few other games, I think it is very easy to learn. If you are showing this to people who aren't as much into games, it will take a little time. I really enjoy the mechanics and the feeling of progression through time. The cards get more powerful as time goes on, so someone who is behind can really shoot up if things go right. This makes playing casually with friends enjoyable. I've playable games that really make you feel like if you are a little behind in the beginning, you will usually get more and more behind. Also, the games don't drag on with the play time being 30 to 45 minutes.
Physical Product:
Pretty standard cards. This version has new art compared to the original version, and I prefer the new art. I sleeved my cards, but this only because I planned to play this game a lot.
"a settled opinion, a principle held as being firmly established," c. 1600 (in plural dogmata), from Latin dogma "philosophical tenet"
Dogma is used as verb in Innovation.
You shuffle each Age 1-10 cards, then arrange them in a circle. There are 15 (fifteen) Age 1 cards, then Ages 2 to 10 are just 10 (ten) cards. Equals 105 cards in all.
plus 5 special Achievement cards which you lay out separately.
Once you have your circle from Age 1-10, you take the top card from Age 9, lay it in the center of the circle,
then top of Age 8, then 7, then 6 ... to 1. and that's your regular Achievement cards. don't look at these cards, this is so no one knows which cards are NOT in play.
if 1 vs. 1, then take 4 cards from Age 1, and deal each player 2 cards. then you both lay down a card (melding) to figure out who is going first.
Once the game starts just read and follow the instructions of the cards, there will be some instructions that wont be clear either consult the rule book right then and there, or just skip it or play said instruction with best interpretation, but its better to just keep plowing thru
and learn as you go, consult rule book after the game.
After like playing 3 to 5 games, you'll get the hang of it , its pretty simple really.
In time you'll know which cards to anticipate for and prepare, have a plan sure, but the cards will not always end up on your board, so you gotta adapt and overcome bob and weave go with the flow be like water, thats why
this game is soooooooooooooo so good.
I'd buy the base game of INNOVATION with the Cities of Destiny expansion, not too complicated adds more variety for when you're ready for more variety.
Then if you still love the game, get the other two expansions for it.
Echoes of the Past
and
Figures in the Sand.
These two you can play together with the base ( i think it was designed so ), but I'd play the base with just the Cities of Destiny separate.
Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2023
"a settled opinion, a principle held as being firmly established," c. 1600 (in plural dogmata), from Latin dogma "philosophical tenet"
Dogma is used as verb in Innovation.
You shuffle each Age 1-10 cards, then arrange them in a circle. There are 15 (fifteen) Age 1 cards, then Ages 2 to 10 are just 10 (ten) cards. Equals 105 cards in all.
plus 5 special Achievement cards which you lay out separately.
Once you have your circle from Age 1-10, you take the top card from Age 9, lay it in the center of the circle,
then top of Age 8, then 7, then 6 ... to 1. and that's your regular Achievement cards. don't look at these cards, this is so no one knows which cards are NOT in play.
if 1 vs. 1, then take 4 cards from Age 1, and deal each player 2 cards. then you both lay down a card (melding) to figure out who is going first.
Once the game starts just read and follow the instructions of the cards, there will be some instructions that wont be clear either consult the rule book right then and there, or just skip it or play said instruction with best interpretation, but its better to just keep plowing thru
and learn as you go, consult rule book after the game.
After like playing 3 to 5 games, you'll get the hang of it , its pretty simple really.
In time you'll know which cards to anticipate for and prepare, have a plan sure, but the cards will not always end up on your board, so you gotta adapt and overcome bob and weave go with the flow be like water, thats why
this game is soooooooooooooo so good.
I'd buy the base game of INNOVATION with the Cities of Destiny expansion, not too complicated adds more variety for when you're ready for more variety.
Then if you still love the game, get the other two expansions for it.
Echoes of the Past
and
Figures in the Sand.
These two you can play together with the base ( i think it was designed so ), but I'd play the base with just the Cities of Destiny separate.