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Description
Mosaic: A Story of Civilization is a Civilization-Building game from Glenn Drover, designer of, among others, Age of Empires III: The Age of Discovery, Railways of the World, Sid Meier's Civilization: The Boardgame, and Raccoon Tycoon.
Mosaic is an action selection game. On your turn, you will perform one of eight actions and acquire pillars of civilization.
Acquiring pillars is important in creating the unique mosaic of your civilization. They are used as prerequisites for many new technologies, as well as for scoring. Also, by pursuing specialization in one or more civilization pillars, you may be able to claim a ‘Golden Age’ of that type.
As the game goes on and your civilization grows, scoring cards are eventually revealed from the four decks. Each time a scoring card is revealed, your civilization will score for each region that you dominate with your cities, towns, wonders, and military units. After the third scoring card is revealed, there is one final turn and the game ends. You will then score for your cities and towns, your wonders, projects, achievments, and golden ages, and for all of your cards that score for your unique civilization pillars.
-description from publisher (corrected and updated)
Please note that the solo rules are only included in the Kickstarter editions, not in the retail versions (although they are available as print-and-play in French at the very least).
Year Published
2022
Featured Videos
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 7
This page: 7
Sentiment:
pos 6 ·
mix 1 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–7 of 7
Video 4EcsHndzamo
Ryan and Bethany board game reviews game_review at 0:07 sentiment: positive
video_pk 62302 · mention_pk 154806
Click to watch at 0:07 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Strong civilization-building experience with multiple viable paths and options
- Turns are fast-paced and approachable for newcomers to civ-style games
- Abundant components and tactile feel; good value for money
Cons
- End-game scoring can be hard to track and understand during play
- End-game length can feel longer or less tight than desired
- No dedicated player aid needed; board provides all necessary information, which can be daunting to new players
Thematic elements
- civilization growth, government choices, technology, trade, warfare, and monumental achievements
- Mediterranean world; ancient civilizations building and expanding
- asymmetric, macro-historical progression with leader-driven starts
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Building and tile placement — Acquire and place buildings and tiles (cities, towns, ports) to gain resources, effects, and victory points.
- Empire end-game scoring and government — Empire scoring cards and end-game triggers determine when the game ends and how points are awarded.
- end game bonuses — Empire scoring cards and end-game triggers determine when the game ends and how points are awarded.
- Production and population integration — Population adds to production tracks (stone, food, ideas); production yield is the sum of production value and population.
- Resource management — Money can be spent to substitute for resources at a 2-to-1 ratio, enabling flexible production and actions.
- resource management and exchange — Money can be spent to substitute for resources at a 2-to-1 ratio, enabling flexible production and actions.
- Tax, tariffs, and unrest — Tax and tariff actions generate money but can add unrest, impacting end-game scoring penalties.
- Technology card drafting and play — Draft starter technology cards, pay five ideas to play a card, meet prerequisites to activate card effects.
- tile placement — Acquire and place buildings and tiles (cities, towns, ports) to gain resources, effects, and victory points.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Everything you need to know is on the board and the actions are all on the board
- You don't need a player aid; it's all displayed on the board
- The turns are fast-paced
- There’s so many components you get; hundreds of tokens
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video rGK0ROMiOBk
Mind I Suggested Game top_10_list at 10:13 sentiment: positive
video_pk 12812 · mention_pk 37397
Click to watch at 10:13 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Beautiful, thematic packaging with high-quality components
- Relatively streamlined for a big, heavy civilization game
- Multiple viable paths to victory create replayability
Cons
- Big footprint and long playtime may deter some groups
- Some players may find the starter complexity daunting
Thematic elements
- Evolution of civilizations through engine-building and expansion
- Civilization-building on a grand scale with city minis
- Epic, narrative-driven with multiple viable paths
Comparison games
- Foundations of Rome
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- City-building with modular components — Construct and upgrade districts with varied effects
- engine building — Develop empires through actions and city management
- Tech card drafting and variability — Diverse tech options create multiple viable strategies
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- arcs is a narrative driven trick taking campaign game from Cole Worley and Leader Games
- each character feels different and gets to make different decisions
- it's such a quick polyamino game that feels like it gets over before it even begins
- the best part about Green Team Wins is the discussion and the banter that happens in between questions
- Mosaic is an engine building civilization game for one to six players
- by the end of the game all of our Empires are really churning along
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video K5xSPyZUxYU
Three Minute Board Games general_discussion at 2:12 sentiment: positive
video_pk 6062 · mention_pk 17966
Click to watch at 2:12 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- High interest game
- Tested and ready to review
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- History
- Civilization building
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I used to call this a shelf of shame that was a pretty common thing to call it back in the day and I don't never really liked that term because I don't feel shame that I haven't got to these games
- this is mostly work like this is just a backload of things I probably should get to
- people will still be looking for it
- it doesn't matter if the game is like 20 years old people will still be looking for it
- I've painted this one and I spent a lot of time doing it
- there's no point putting them on the channel I think both of them have been out of print for like a decade
- one of the worst kickstarters by one of the worst studios in board gaming history
- Golden Bell Studios did everything wrong you could possibly think of
- purely toxic company run by incredibly terrible people
- it would be kind of a joke that I'd be able to do a three minute video of feudum
- this game has a tutorial video online that's like 40 minutes long
- The Rose explanation video feels like a parody but it's actually how the game is played
- nothing personally to me puts me off playing a game that then sitting down unboxing it and having a craft assignment
- stop making me spend hours assembling your damn games
- this is an uncontrollable mess right now
- I'm a full-time dad and I'm really doing this in the evenings
- I have a finite space and also it just puts pressure and stress on me having a whole bunch of crap there that I know I'm not going to get to
- I'm going to do a big cull
- I will be published by this company but that doesn't mean I'm going to be slavishly devoted to every single game they put out
- I am a sucker for cute animal games like I really am
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video _e_ntycmQrM
Foster the Meeple kickstarter_haul at 10:41 sentiment: positive
video_pk 5130 · mention_pk 15224
Click to watch at 10:41 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
very_positive
Pros
- Strong designer pedigree (worked on major games)
- Real world map
- 3D building components
- More fleshed out than streamlined civ games
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- civilization_building
- world_history
- real_world_map
Comparison games
- Tapestry
- Through the Ages
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- pandemic shame which is i just went on a kickstarter spree while i was living in egypt
- we're gonna start a new hashtag we're going hashtag team jason zack
- there's nothing wrong with that because i think this is going to be a great game
- it might be number 23 which is something that is not being put out until tomorrow
- i just want to see that in motion and working on the table
- if you really enjoy some games by you know certain makers you're probably going to like in another one
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video R97DtDpdixE
Unknown Channel game_review at 0:02 sentiment: positive
video_pk 3535 · mention_pk 10516
Click to watch at 0:02 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Very clear at-a-glance information on board and personal boards; action options are easy to parse
- Excellent action economy that keeps turns moving quickly despite the game's heft
- Wide variety of viable victory paths and strong replayability
- Civ-like feel balanced with strong digestion and accessibility
- High production values and readable iconography; components are well designed
Cons
- End-game length can vary with deck order, which affects pacing and predictability
- No built-in scoreboard; tracking scoring requires manual notes or an app
- Keeping track of many symbols and combinations can become a bit fiddly on longer games
- Variable length can extend playtime beyond the comfortable window for some groups
Thematic elements
- Civilization development through technology, population growth, and urbanization
- Map of Europe and surrounding areas during ancient to classical civilizations; empire-building through resource management
- Historical progression driven by engine-building and strategic expansion
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Action economy / action selection — Eight distinct actions to choose from each turn; streamlined, fast resolution to minimize downtime.
- Area Control — Military presence contributes to regional influence; units can be moved and expanded for strategic advantage.
- Card systems — Population, technology, tax/tariff, and wonders cards provide powers, production boosts, and end-game scoring opportunities.
- City/town building and regional influence — Building cities and towns in regions affects influence scoring via empire scoring mechanics and region control.
- Empire scoring & end-game triggers — End-game triggered by empire score cards and/or tile depletion; scoring phases reveal regional influence and winner advantages.
- end game bonuses — End-game triggered by empire score cards and/or tile depletion; scoring phases reveal regional influence and winner advantages.
- Government cards — Permanent powers and rule variations unlocked by choosing governments, influencing future actions and capabilities.
- Military units and area control — Military presence contributes to regional influence; units can be moved and expanded for strategic advantage.
- Multi-use cards — Population, technology, tax/tariff, and wonders cards provide powers, production boosts, and end-game scoring opportunities.
- Resource management — Production of stone, food, and ideas driven by population cards and other bonuses; production ramps with time and choices.
- Resource Production — Production of stone, food, and ideas driven by population cards and other bonuses; production ramps with time and choices.
- Resource tokens & on-board bonuses — Tokens grant instant bonuses and production shifts, contributing to a dynamic, evolving engine.
- Taxes, tariffs, and unrest — Tax/tariff actions generate money but increase unrest, creating a balancing mechanism between wealth and risk.
- Wonders and projects — Expensive, powerful constructs that grant victory points and regional bonuses; costs scale with each additional Wonder.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- the action economy is fantastic
- there are tons of ways to get points here
- forward momentum of this game
- you can pull this one off the shelf after a long break and still know exactly what you're doing without having to relearn it each time
- the game doesn't have rounds or phases
- there is a buffet of options at all times
- a Civ game that is digestible and streamlined
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video hcav_9iSMfM
Foster the Meepola Channel general_discussion at 7:56 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 2915 · mention_pk 8513
Click to watch at 7:56 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- novel engine-building feel
- simple to learn visually, with deep decisions
Cons
- length can drag, especially at two players
- end-game triggers can feel drawn out
Thematic elements
- civilization and growth across eras
- civilization-building with tile drafting
- engine-building through tile placement and optimization
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card/tech stack progression — progression through stacks drives end-game triggers
- engine building — players develop their own civilization by placing tiles and managing resources
- engine-building/area control-lite — players develop their own civilization by placing tiles and managing resources
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this game is so good at literally you get a storybook and it'll be like go here do this when this happens this is what it means and read this page and it just teaches you as you go in such like a beautiful way
- I really liked it I'm not sure how you felt I don't know how I feel yet we've only played two or three
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video FLNc9okX9s4
Board Game Spotlight playthrough at 2:50 sentiment: positive
video_pk 125 · mention_pk 342
Click to watch at 2:50 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Compact yet deep civilization engine-building experience
- Clear sense of player civilization development and distinct end-state outcomes
- Beautiful recessed player boards and chunky components
- High table presence with meaningful strategic choices
Cons
- Rule complexity can be daunting for new players
- Can be lengthy and heavy for casual sessions
- High cognitive load during empire scoring and empire-turn sequencing
Thematic elements
- Civilization development, empire-building, and historical progression
- Ancient civilizations evolving across eras to form complex empires
- Historical, engine-building with competitive empire growth and milestone achievements
Comparison games
- Sid Meier's Civilization
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Action selection / engine-building — On each turn you choose one of eight actions to drive your civilization's growth and resource flow.
- Empire scoring — Multiple empire scoring rounds triggered by deck mechanics and tile depletion; scoring considers cities, symbols, achievements, and wonders.
- end game bonuses — Wonders have mounting costs and provide strategic end-game points; projects grant specific end-game bonuses.
- Government cards — Choose a government form (e.g., Monarchy, Republic) with ongoing bonuses and a strategic action to wipe a row once per game.
- Leaders / technologies drafting — Draft starting technologies and leaders; prerequisites must be met to play certain cards.
- Military interaction — Military units influence control and can be relocated; combat is indirect rather than occupying every hex.
- Resource management — Manage food, stone, and currency (ideas) with flexible uses and production chains; money is used as a flexible currency.
- Set collection / pillar symbols — Pillar symbols collected from card backs unlock card prerequisites, achievements, golden ages, and empire scoring bonuses.
- Tile/board placement and area control — Place cities, towns, ports, and wonders to control regions and maximize scoring opportunities.
- Wonders and projects — Wonders have mounting costs and provide strategic end-game points; projects grant specific end-game bonuses.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a civilization game it's a civ game
- this is an epic game
- it's so compact but you really get a sense
- I'm very hyped for this game
- engine building game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–7 of 7