Innovation Ultimate

Innovation is Carl Chudyk's tableau-builder of infinite possibilities, taking you on a journey from pre-history all the way to the present...and the near future! In this game, you build a civilization using only cards; there's no map, no tokens, no dice, no pieces. The game's 105 innovations — or in the fourth edition, 115 innovations — are each represented by a card with a unique effect, organized into ten (or eleven) ages. Each innovation's effect is tied thematically to its identity, allowing you to either elevate your society or attack your opponents.

In addition to directly affecting your opponents, you can share in the effects of their technologies if you amass enough visible icons on your board. Strategically building your tableau of cards to share often and defend against demands is crucial to success.

To win, you must claim achievements, which you can attain by amassing points or by meeting certain criteria with the innovations you have built. No two games of Innovation play the same way.

Innovation Ultimate is a box set containing Innovation and all five of its expansions, which includes a brand new expansion titled The Unseen. Many, many updates have been made to this edition. First, Age 11 has been added, representing the recent past and potential near future at the time of release. Lots of language and mechanics have been streamlined, and in particular, the expansions have all been heavily reworked to be more accessible and easy to include while playing.