Through the Ages - How to Play

Part 1 of a video showing you how to play Through the Ages, by doing a walkthrough of the first few turns.

0:08 Intro
1:25 PLAYER BOARD
2:16 Difference between Cubes and Cards
2:53 Worker Pool & Yellow Bank
3:38 White & Red Cubes
4:04 COMPLETE START OF GAME SETUP
4:34 Dealing Age A Cards onto Card Row
4:58 GREEN'S FIRST TURN
5:50 GREEN'S PRODUCTION PHASE
6:00 Science & Culture Tracks
6:53 Food & Resource Production
7:52 RED'S FIRST TURN
8:49 START OF ROUND 2
9:43 End of Age A
10:17 GREEN'S SECOND TURN
10:28 Building a Wonder
10:50 Building a Mine
11:31 Cube Limits
11:47 Getting more Workers
14:15 Unused Military Actions
15:24 RED'S SECOND TURN
16:01 Playing Cards From Your Hand
16:33 Playing a Leader
16:46 Technology Cards
18:23 START OF ROUND 3
19:03 Politics Phase / Event Cards
21:49 Playing a Tactics Card
22:32 Building a Warrior
23:17 Building a Stage of a Wonder
24:17 Gaining a Second Leader
25:35 Hand Limits
26:16 Uprisings & The Happiness Marker
29:16 Food Consumption
30:30 Territory and Defense Cards
31:52 Building a Temple
32:55 Corruption
35:16 Gaining & Playing Technology Cards
36:19 Upgrading
37:14 Disbanding
38:45 Making Exclusive Tactics Available
39:45 Completing a Wonder
42:29 Upgraded Production

[avo]

0:08 Intro
1:25 PLAYER BOARD
2:16 Difference between Cubes and Cards
2:53 Worker Pool
3:04 Yellow Bank
3:38 White & Red Cubes
4:04 COMPLETE START OF GAME SETUP
4:34 Dealing Age A Cards onto Card Row
4:58 GREEN'S FIRST TURN
5:17 Green Gains a Wonder
5:50 GREEN'S PRODUCTION PHASE
6:00 Science & Culture Tracks
6:20 Total Science/Culture vs Science/Culture per Turn
6:53 Food Production
7:25 Resource Production
7:52 RED'S FIRST TURN
8:04 Red Gains a Leader
8:20 Red Gains an Action Card
8:49 START OF ROUND 2
9:43 End of Age A
10:17 GREEN'S SECOND TURN
10:28 Building a Wonder
10:50 Building a Mine
11:31 Cube Limits
11:47 Getting more Workers
14:15 Unused Military Actions
15:24 RED'S SECOND TURN
16:01 Playing Cards From Your Hand
16:33 Playing a Leader
16:46 Technology Cards
18:23 START OF ROUND 3
19:03 Politics Phase
19:25 Event Cards
19:49 Event Area
20:15 Playing an Event Card
21:49 Playing a Tactics Card
22:32 Building a Warrior
23:17 Building a Stage of a Wonder
24:17 Gaining a Second Leader
25:35 Hand Limits
26:16 Uprisings & The Happiness Marker
29:16 Food Consumption
30:30 Territory and Defense Cards
31:52 Building a Temple
32:55 Corruption
35:16 Gaining & Playing Technology Cards
36:19 Upgrading
37:14 Disbanding
38:45 Making Exclusive Tactics Available
39:45 Completing a Wonder
42:29 Upgraded Production

[hanseathl]

This is most probably the best rule explanation I saw in a very long time. Thank you very much.

[ericbanks]

Just got this game. This is the best playthrough of this game on YouTube. Good job.

[dwell]

The rule book drove me to drink. This vid was very helpful. Thank you

[mjdehayes]

Thanks for the video, Paul! I'm having future players watch this before we sit down at the table. Here are a few facts that were omitted from this video:

1. After shuffling the future events deck but before placing it in the current events space you must sort the deck by age having the earlier ages higher in the deck.
2. When gaining food or resources from a card or effect (not production), they are gained at the "one" denomination. (I'm incorrect on this one.)
3. A player's tactics standard is placed on it when it is played.
4. Unused tactics standards are placed in the common tactics area.

[fingolfin]

Thank you for your video! Every aspect of the game has been explained so clearly from you that this is the best tutorial video I've ever seen on this game! I had been wanting to play this game for a very long time and now I can do it with no fear!

[patriciogarcia]

Thanks for doing this video, I went to play today against two people who had played before. One suggested to me watch this to get a better idea of how to play. I was able to sit down and play with only a few questions.

[Zerotm]

I've recently brought this game and have read through the rule booklet a few times over by this point, however your videos (part 1 and part 2) really started me off and have really been helpful. I've watched them more than twice to get a full flavour of the turn play and rules. Great pace and information, good use of close ups. Thank you so much for your effort Paul.

[NoPunIncluded]

A very smooth transfer to non-digital. Well done, Paul!

[wizardryuk]

We spoke at the UK Games Expo and you explained and recommended it. I know it was a while ago but it took me this long to get around to getting and playing it and just wanted to say a BIG thank you for that strong recommendation. It is a great game. Not quite as fulfilling as the PC game but still a very enjoyable board game non the less.

[duncanrichardson]

Great tutorial - very clear commentary and demo of the steps. Helped me to finally understand how the basics work.

[carrickrichards]

Really GREAT game but complex enought to REALLY need your teach. Thank you for sharing and helping make this classic more accessible

[unimatrixa]

Brilliant video, Ill go and watch part 2 immediately. Very good way of explaining rules incrementally. Thank you so much for making this.

[Keindzjim]

I keep coming back to this video! It's the best how to play video on this game

[michaelbacher]

Nice explanation, as a non-english speaker I actually understood. Very clear.

[extatix_pio]

great video, Paul. I had no clue how to play this one, but this video saved my life. and my marriage. heck, it even cured hemorrhoids in the process.

[TonganJedi]

Excellent intro. Clear and concise. Thank you!

[bigm]

This is a great explanation for a complex game.

[goldwing]

thanks Paul for getting this video on so quickly. I look forward to the next part

[johnd]

Great video! I last played the original TTA over a year ago and my copy of the new game arrived today without the Handbook (as it wasn't ready in time for Essen, but it's due around the end of October) so this helped to refresh my memory in the meantime. Looking forward to part 2.