The Flow of History

The Flow of History made a good first impression on me: it is an interesting card-based civ game, with a style that reminded me of Innovation without becoming nearly as wordy. Its length and complexity feel properly judged — about TTA/2, I would say — and it has a pleasantly odd personality on the table.

At its core, it is about developing a civilization through cards, with an economy that is particularly interesting. It tries to simulate the circulation of money: real wealth does not simply appear or grow by itself, but requires production. That gives decisions weight without burdening the experience with unnecessary verbosity.

In practice, though, I found it difficult to feel that I was building and carrying out a very specific strategy. As in Innovation, I react more to what is happening at the table than I steadily pursue my original goals. The interaction is therefore mostly this constant adaptation to the situation, and at least the game does not leave me waiting: downtime is virtually nonexistent.

Overall, it remains an honest little civ snack that delivers what it promises, with a good pace and quite good taste. My initial feeling that we had a “winner” was tempered: it did not excite me, though it did not disappoint either. I also retain my reservation about replayability; I am not sure I would want to play it more than five times in my life, even if that may be fine print.

Updated session

My opinion did not reverse in the later play, but it became more restrained. The game continued to work quickly and provide the little civ snack it promises, yet it still failed to excite me. Its reactive nature, rather than a clear strategic path, now feels like its main limitation.