In Monumental, each player will control a civilization that will evolve through his city: a grid of 3x3 cards (coming out from the player's starting civilization deck) that can each be activated to gather various resources such as Science, Military, Production, Culture, and Gold that will allow them to trigger many actions. But there’s a trick: one cannot activate all their cards at once, which means that tough choices will have to be made each turn in order to select the cards that are the most needed.
The resources gathered from the activated city cards will allow the players to acquire cards from a common pool, allowing them to get improved buildings, technologies, wonders, etc. and therefore to leverage their civilization deck to new heights through more and more efficient card combos. As the common pool of cards progresses (either as players have acquired cards or because they didn't - which leads to one card from the pool to be discarded per turn), the game progresses through eras. Medieval cards are better than classical cards, and industrial cards are even better, but of course those cards are more and more expensive to acquire.
A modular board, at the center of the table, holds each civilization's army. The board is made of Provinces to be conquered. Unoccupied Province's inhabitants are barbarians who will provide resources to the player who defeats them. Holding a conquered province also brings victory points.
The player with the most impressive civilization at the end of the game will be remembered for all time (and they also win the game!).
—description based on the publisher's
- Innovative activation mechanism (activate a row and a column)
- Multiple nations with distinct flavor and strategic depth
- Deck-building focus may feel repetitive for some players
- Component quality and minis are appealing but may vary by edition
- classic civ feel with modern deck-building twists
- Nations and civilizations through iconic wonders and deck-building elements.
- deck-building tableau with activation strategies
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- area control/expansion — Explore factions and technologies across a map-like tableau for strategic advantages.
- deck-building — Construct and activate rows/columns from a nine-card tableau to gain effects.
- set-collection/activation — Choose which cards to activate to optimize combos and resource gains.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- We absolutely adore this game. It's super super fun.
- the big Mayan calendar in the middle
- you can place a worker on the symbol that matches the god card.
- This is a big deck building game where you are going to have a different nation.
- Every game I feel like is a little bit different because the board map will change.
- Civolution is very good.
References (from this video)
- Innovative 3x3 grid mechanic
- Streamlined combat compared to other 4X-like titles
- Factions and expansions add variety
- Lengthy at 4 players (2.5–3 hours)
- Still catches some players off-guard with the depth and pacing
- Civilization progression and territorial control
- Civilization-building with wonders and tech themes
- Euro-heavy civilization-building
- Civilization (board game)
- 4X style games
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Deck-building with 3x3 tableau — Your cards are laid into a 3x3 grid; you trigger a row and a column to activate all cards in that line.
- Factions with unique powers — Different factions provide distinct cards and powers; expansions increase diversity.
- Row/Column activation — Strategic activation of multiple cards at once to gain effects and progress toward goals.
- Technology and Wonders — A mix of tech upgrades and wonders provide ongoing benefits without clogging the deck.
- Territory control and combat — Territories are contested with streamlined combat, based on power rather than dice resolution.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's not terribly complicated but you get that same feel as more complicated games it's just really elegantly designed
- the stone thing is so cool it's so weird is because it looks like a limitation and it almost feels initially like oh they didn't really think this through but then totally thought yeah
- I absolutely love this game but if I had to pick something negative to say I think I've already played it a bunch and I'm starting to be familiar with the deck
- the 3x3 grid like that alone ... that's a really cool idea of like having to pick which row and which column to trigger
- it's a contender for my early game of the year
References (from this video)
- Iconic components and weight
- Historically heavy and bulky nature
- Construction of lasting structures and achievements
- Ancient civilizations and monumental building
- Strategic, heavy-weight Euro
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- set_collection — collect monuments to score and shape engine
- tile_drafting — draft tiles to assemble monuments
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- hi everybody welcome back to Foster the meele a Channel all about board games and living in chaotic board game mess can you relate please say yes so I don't feel so alone
- we're never really down here and I don't really care so much what like if there's unevenness don't care long hair don't care short hair don't care
- it's not happening here so anyways let's get to work
- people want to see me struggle to do it apparently people find this very relaxing
- that's everything for today's video
- stay tuned for that shelf of Shame organizing style video coming very soon
References (from this video)
- Loved when played; decision rule about future play exists
- Purged condition if not played within a year
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Tile placement / area control — Strategic placement and tableau-building in a monument-building theme.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I will not be going through campaign games in this.
- I want to be more cutthroat than I ever have before.
- Quad Heroes is going. I hate it. I hate it so much.
- Monumental. If Monumental is still here in a year and hasn't been played, if next year's Purge, if I haven't played Monumental, it's going to go.
- Last Light can go. I'm not thinking off the shelf.