by Aditya Prasad

The Birth of an Idea

I was fourteen years old when the seed of War of Civilizations was planted.

As an avid board game enthusiast, I found myself constantly drawn to strategy games. My peers — and even adults twice my age — often found themselves outmaneuvered by my strategic thinking. It was during my ninth grade, amidst the pressures of the IB curriculum and practical projects, that I decided to pen what would soon become the story of War of Civilizations.

While leading a board game club at my school and navigating the challenges of COVID, my mom and I came together to develop the game, turning a difficult time into a creative and collaborative journey.

From Concept to Reality

The process of bringing War of Civilizations to life was far more complex than I initially imagined. It wasn't just about creating a fun game, but about building a universe. Set in a future when climate change has dramatically reshaped the Earth, War of Civilizations drops players into a world of shifting islands, limited resources, and fierce competition.

The journey from a game design document to a full-fledged board game has been incredible. What started as a hobby at home transitioned into a family venture with BluEncore, our indie game studio.


Game Overview

In the year 2050, Earth has been ravaged by climate change. Due to a series of catastrophic tectonic activities, mega tsunamis, and rising sea levels, the geography of the world has been drastically altered. Powerful clans led by charismatic leaders now roam the waters, seeking to gain control of the limited but precious resources that can be discovered among the few islands that remain.

Each player begins the game by exploring their own continent, an archipelago rich with resources. Players must carefully manage their fleets; gather resources such as AlWood, ocean crystals, and ammunition; and develop strategies to outmaneuver their opponents. The ultimate goal is to control the Isle of Myth, a central island surrounded by the Apex Islands, where magic crystals and other treasures await. The game includes:

• A rich backstory set in a climate-ravaged future Earth.
• Strategic warfare, exploration, and resource management mechanisms.
• Unique clan leaders, each with special abilities that can be upgraded.
• Beautifully crafted components, including ship meeples and custom resources.
• Two mini-expansions: Pirates and Disasters.

Whether through combat, diplomacy, or resource acquisition, players need to navigate this treacherous world and outlast their rivals to claim ultimate victory. (If you want to try out the game firsthand, head to our digital version on Tabletop Simulator.

The Evolution of War of Civilizations

Over the past two-and-a-half years, this design has undergone significant changes. We have had the privilege of showcasing our game at esteemed global platforms such as SPIEL in Germany, UKGE in the UK, Gen Con in the U.S., and Kickstarter.

As a result of these experiences, War of Civilizations has undergone significant transformations since its inception. Often, our business collaborators are surprised to see our Kickstarter page, questioning whether we are selling the same game. This evolution reflects the insights we gained from our international showcases, which allowed us to critically assess what was working and what needed improvement.

1. We introduced a modular board for greater flexibility
The game now features a central continent board surrounded by player continent boards. This modular design allows for variable set-up depending on the number of players, creating a unique game experience each time.


2. Exploration tiles were added to the central continent
These "lost expedition tiles" are placed face down on each Apex Island surrounding the Isle of Myth at the start of the game. When a player first moves their fleet onto an Apex Island, they must secretly look at the tile, pay the exploration cost, and collect one magic crystal. This adds an element of discovery and risk to exploring new territories.


3. The initial animorphs were evolved into clan leaders with mystical abilities
The game now features clan leaders, each with a unique special ability that impacts gameplay. These abilities can be upgraded during the game by spending a magic crystal. The clan leaders can also activate their abilities during combat, if applicable.


4. We incorporated magic crystals on the Isle of Myth for resource conversion
Magic crystals are a crucial element in the game as they're used for resource conversion and as a victory condition. The Isle of Myth starts with fifteen magic crystals. Players can mount magic crystals on islands they control, allowing them to convert resources at a 1:1 ratio. This adds a strategic element of resource management to the game.


5. Fleet capacity specific to different island types was introduced for more strategic depth
Each island has a fleet capacity that determines how many ships can occupy that location. This varies by island type, with the Isle of Myth having unlimited capacity, home bases having larger capacity, and other islands having smaller capacities. This adds a strategic element to fleet management and movement.


6. Blind bidding with ammunition cards brought a surprise element to combat
During combat, players can contribute up to ten ammo cards face down to increase their combat power. This blind-bidding system adds an element of uncertainty and bluffing to battles as players don't know how much their opponent is committing until the cards are revealed.


7. The Rise of Pirates mini-expansion added another layer of interaction
This optional expansion adds pirate ships to the Apex Islands. Players encountering pirates can choose to combat them or hire them as privateers in order to block opponent's islands, adding a new strategic element to the game. The expansion includes special rules for privateer movement and combat, as well as a ransom mechanism for removing privateers from blocked islands.


Lessons Learned

Game design is a tough, arduous, and iterative process. I've learned that a good game can fail due to bad art, poor UI, or an unclear rulebook.

Over the last two years, we've showcased War Of Civilizations internationally to gather feedback, and one of the key lessons we learned was the importance of working with professionals to elevate the gaming experience. In the initial stages, the game received a lot of tough love regarding art and rule clarity. We continuously analyzed the feedback, heard the voice of the gaming community, and attempted to address the small and the big changes.

In this entire process while focusing on the game mechanisms and interlinking, there was one thing missing: the rulebook. It was written indigenously, and we realized that we needed a professional rulebook editor to iron out the edge cases and improve the functional synthesis. We've since refined our rulebook with professional editing, ensuring clarity and ease of understanding for all players. (Additionally, you can refer to this "How to Play" video.)

Current Involvement

I play an active role in assisting my mother with playtesting our upcoming games, ensuring each design is thoroughly tested and refined. I also take charge of conducting game sessions where we analyze gameplay dynamics and gather feedback.

While I focus on the game mechanisms, my mom handles the business side of things, and we often discuss the challenges and successes that arise throughout the process.

Board games are not just about entertainment for us; they are a powerful way to expand our mental, emotional, and social horizons. Through gaming, we develop critical thinking, enhance our emotional intelligence, and build meaningful social connections, making the experience both enriching and fulfilling.

I am now in my first year of college, pursuing a BTech in AI, Computer Science, and Machine Learning, a field that continues to fascinate me with its endless possibilities. As I delve deeper into the intricacies of technology and artificial intelligence, I can't help but reflect on how my early passion for board game design has contributed to my understanding of complex systems and strategic thinking. The skills I honed while creating War of Civilizations, such as problem-solving, logical reasoning, and creative thinking, are now proving invaluable in my academic journey. It's truly remarkable to see how the dots connect in life, bridging my love for game design with engineering skills and analytical mindset, and shaping a future where I can blend both worlds to innovate and inspire.

Looking Ahead

As we celebrate the retail release of War of Civilizations, I'm filled with excitement and gratitude. This journey from a teen's imagination to a globally distributed game has been incredible. We're already working on future projects, including Biomes of Nilgiris, and I can't wait to share more with the board game community. Happy to share that it is already featured amongst "Projects we love" by Kickstarter, and in The Hindu, a prominent national newspaper.

War of Civilizations is now available for retail purchase in the U.S., Canada, and Australia, and BluEncore has partnered with Flat River Group & QuarterMaster Direct to make the game available worldwide across distributors and retailers. We are happy to share that our first shipment stocked out at Quartermaster Direct in less than a month's time, and if you're a retailer, we would love to collaborate with you through our retailer outreach program.

I am excited to share that War of Civilizations will soon be entering its second production run, a milestone by itself for a debut game and a debut designer.

To all the board game enthusiasts out there, thank you for your support. It's your enthusiasm that drives us to create and innovate. I hope you'll give War of Civilizations a chance and join us in this post-apocalyptic strategy adventure!

Aditya Prasad