The game I'm reviewing for this issue is called History of the World, by Avalon Hill, a simple strategic-level game which can accommodate up to six players. The game covers several thousand years of military conquest, focusing on the expansion and contraction of historic empires which existed in various parts of the world, starting with the ancient Sumerians and ending with the European colonialism of the late 19th Century. there are only seven turns, or epochs in the game. Each epoch groups together six or seven empires of similar military/cultural capability, and each player, in turn, has the opportunity to spread his influence throughout his region of the world. Combat resolution is through die roll, and the game is won through the accumulation of points. Points are gained through the conquest of territory (naturally), controlling sea zones, and through building cities and cultural monuments. I like this game better than others using similar systems (Britannia, Maharaja), in that your empires are not predetermined. Empire selection in each epoch is through a unique combination of strategy and luck, and consequently battle plans for the empires that you control are situationally dependent. Another feature separating this game from others is the inclusion of special cards, when played, can temporarily enhance your combat capabilities, allow you to build extra armies, lay natural disasters on your enemies or give you control over one of several minor empires. Using the proper card at the proper time can have a great effect on the play and consequently, the outcome of the game. History of the World can easily be altered to equalize play between beginners and experienced players. All in all this is a great game and I highly recommend it! Back to Rebel Yell No. 7 Table of Contents Back to Rebel Yell List of Issues Back to Master Magazine List © Copyright 1997 by HMGS South This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com