Mosaic: A Story of Civilization

Mosaic: A Story of Civilization lands on the table like a piece of furniture, and the Colossus Edition brings a little theatre of excess with it. The production is more carefully handled than some of Drover’s other plastic celebrations, with decent eye-candy and bits that look rather good under the table lamp. But including the Sphinx Edition punch sheets when only two are needed is abundance in its least charming form: cardboard shipped, paid for, and then left with no purpose. Drover’s treatment of backers was exemplary, at least, which is more than I would want to deal with after a Tuesday at work.

As a game, Glen is working in familiar and accessible territory. This is a light-medium civilisation game of area majorities, technologies, and scoring phases without a fixed ending; play develops as options appear and the table establishes its positions, without asking anyone to bring a history textbook. The strategic paths seem reasonably balanced, and the flow is straightforward without becoming fussy.

The important part is not to play it as multiplayer solitaire. You can take the point in front of you and quietly hand five to somebody who appears to be behind; or you can take nothing and deny them the card that matters. That is where it becomes interesting, because you need to read what is forming beside you and interfere. A few technologies stray rather too close to Ameritrash territory, though, and Merchants can become wildly out of line if they connect early.

I would play it again, largely because it is pleasant company and its table presence makes you want to give it another evening. It is not the new Through the Ages, and need not pretend otherwise. For a civilisation-game fan it is not essential appointment gaming, but it is an honest, handsome game that is good company while it lasts.