Innovation is Carl Chudyk's tableau-builder of infinite possibilities, taking players on a journey from pre-history to the present era. Players use cards both as innovations for their effects and as scoring mechanisms, creating powerful combinations and brutal interactions as civilizations develop through the ages.
The Verdict
based on 22 reviews
“Board Game Quest highly praises Innovation for its exceptional depth and replayability despite its simple appearance, noting its chaotic yet rewarding gameplay that shines particularly with two players.”
The reviewer highly praises Innovation as a fantastic and exciting civilization game with powerful and impactful card effects, stating they would happily play it numerous times and find enjoyment in its chaotic nature.
“Seriously, Innovation – just go out and get it. Even if you regret it, I all but guarantee someone at the table is going to fall in love with the contents of this marvelous tiny little box.”
The reviewer highlights Innovation as a highly enjoyable and interactive game offering considerable depth, appreciating its collaborative elements over direct conflict.
The reviewer highly praises "Innovation" as a brilliant and tightly designed card game, particularly excelling as a two-player experience with its thematic depth and balanced, yet seemingly overpowered, card combos. However, he strongly advises against playing with three or four players due to increased chaos and complexity.
The reviewer enthusiastically praises "Innovation" as a fantastic and brilliant game, highly recommending it for its unique and entertaining chaotic gameplay, especially after players overcome the initial learning curve.
The reviewer finds Innovation to be a perplexing yet compelling experience, noting that despite initial confusion during gameplay, the desire to immediately replay the game and keep it in their collection indicates its strong appeal and interesting mechanics.
The reviewer highly recommends Innovation, praising its immense replayability due to the vast number of cards and combinations, which keeps the game fresh despite minor issues with expansion clutter. They describe it as a strong game they appreciate and enjoy.
The reviewer found 'Innovation' to be a lot of fun, particularly for those who enjoy 'take-that' mechanics, and expressed a strong desire to play it again, highlighting its ease of play and affordability.
The reviewer highly praises 'Age of Innovation' as a superior and revitalized version of 'Terra Mystica,' offering significant quality-of-life improvements, enhanced two-player gameplay, and welcome additions like modular setups and neutral buildings.
The reviewers found Age of Innovation to be a game with amazing gameplay and cool mechanisms, particularly enjoying the building, terraforming, and track progression aspects, despite some minor criticisms regarding the game's somewhat old-school production design.
“The Thoughtful Gamer found Innovation to be a 'real banger' and potentially one of their favorite small-box two-player experiences, praising its perpetual freshness and successful integration of counterplay and narrative beyond simple runaway victories.”
The reviewer highly praises Innovation as a brilliant and incredibly clever game that offers wildly unpredictable gameplay, noting its reputation as a well-designed and highly respected title from the designer, despite his personal aversion to its cutthroat nature.
“Innovation was recognized by The Dice Tower as a nominee for 'Most Innovative Game' in their annual list compiled with game reviewers worldwide.”
“Innovation is highlighted as a compelling journey through civilization, where players develop their societies using unique cards that represent various technologies and cultural advancements, each possessing distinct powers.”
“The reviewer praises Innovation as one of the most innovative games they've played, enjoying its fresh ideas despite noting that the extreme power swings slightly detract from the overall score.”
“I enjoyed Innovation a lot and I would recommend that most people pick it up.”
The reviewer praises Innovation as a remarkably clever and engaging card game, noting its addicting pace, agility, and the significant tension derived from player interactions. However, they suggest that the game requires players to invest effort in understanding its thematic depth and strategic nuances to fully appreciate its brilliance, making it a game for a specific audience rather than an immediate recommendation for everyone.
“Innovation is a tricky one, and sits on the more challenging end of my tolerance level. That said, it’s also a delightful and elegant game.”
“If I were a game designer, I would like to make a game like Innovation. It’s the kind of title I would be happy to play a hundred times and whose chaotic nature only furthers my enjoyment.”
Tom Vasel praises Innovation as a unique and brilliant civilization-building card game, noting its initial chaotic nature improves with repeated plays, making it a highly recommended experience despite potentially being divisive for some players.
The reviewer found 'Innovation' to be a very enjoyable and fun, albeit cutthroat, 'take that' style card game that they would gladly play again. They were pleasantly surprised by how much they liked it, despite its plain components.
