Age of Innovation vs Terra Mystica - Board Game Review & Comparison

[@SideGameLLC]

This is the best game I’ve played this year. Excellent changes and giving more customization and choice throughout the experience.

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

Glad to hear you’ve been enjoying it! 🤩

[@madhujith]

Got an opportunity to try this yesterday and really did enjoy, however a friend of mine who owns TM with all it's expansions says that TM with expansions is still different and better than this......I was very surprised! Personally haven't played the expansions, so wondering what your thoughts are....

[@Thom-ei8qu]

Probably late to the party and I have both. The first expansion doesn’t add anything special except some new races. But indeed the merchants of the sea expansion adds a entire new sailing mechanic which isn’t in TM.

[@redeyedghost1406]

This is a 10 for me too. The draft is just so good. If it weren't for 1822PNW coming out later this year, I think think AoI would be my game of the year (Hegemony is right there too - really a great year so far). I do love Terra Mystica, but this has just killed it... Now the question is, will I be able to get rid of all of my Terra Mystica stuff??

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

There has been some great games so far, that is for sure 🤩 Super happy to hear you’ve been enjoying this one as well! I would have loved to dive deep into it and play it 20 more times!

[@joaoantunes6858]

Cool that you have mention my favorite game of the year and my most anticipated 😁

[@joaoantunes6858]

I think you will like Nucleum!

[@redeyedghost1406]

@@joaoantunes6858 I'm very excited for Nucleum! Kutna Hora from CGE as well. Need to look over the Essen release list on BGG again, but those might be the two I'm most excited about (other than 1822PNW, but I've already played that a lot on 18xx.games).

[@Eric-f4b]

On a second thought, I like TM over this. Here is 5 reasons why: 1. This version has production issues. The wooden pieces and faction boards are in worse quality than a copy of TM. Imagine Barrage quality. Boards are crumbling along the sides. 2. This one is much less competitive than TM. Resources are everywhere. At the end of round 5 we had all our buildings out. And nothing to strive for during round 6. 3. I once bought TM becouse i wanted an elite game, with a lot of mean take that gameplay. This version is only for Casual players and noobs. Competitive players have nothing to gain here. 4. It's fun in TM to master the different factions. It's not possible in this one with random factions all the time. 5. This board is much uglier than the TM one. I love that the TM one looks like 90's rpg pc games. The new one look so glossy. I will sell this one. I only need TM and GP for different themes.

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

Thank you so much for sharing! I can see that TM might end up being the choice for more competative players, but for casual players of the game, I think more people will like AoI! I might of course be 100% wrong, but time will show! :)

[@susanmichele957]

My wife and I played Terra Mystica for the first time at Gen Con. We really liked it. Then we saw that Age of Innovation exists! It looks like we will like this even more!

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

That is awesome to hear! Hope you’ll get a chance to play Age of Innovation soon :D

[@wes-q]

Are you and your wife playing this as a 2 player game?

[@SonicEstudio]

One of the greatest games on market. Definitely took the best from TM and improve it. I own it and I totally recommend it if you want a deep, great quality game were the strategy possibilities and endless.

[@SuperDanishDude]

Looks cool 👍 maybe a 2 player playthrough? Pretty please 🙏😅

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

I think we might just be able to fit it on the table, we’ll try, hehe! The only problem is time right now 😅

[@pjde1]

Thanks for the review it really helped. I own TM and GP (prefer TM), and I think this will replace them both for me.

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

So glad to hear! I hope you’ll love it 🤩

[@Kinert]

I'm the guy that like GWT argentina, but hate normal GWT (the change of the end of the path did for me a lot). I've always prefered terra mystica because of the tight space and more interaction, but I have instead gaia project because I bought it very cheap. I'm tempted to get this because I don't have to get a lot of expansions and bring new strategies to play terra mystica as the divine token have changed. But it's difficult for me to justify having the two in my humble collection. 😩

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

That is awesome to hear! Thank you for changing! Yeah, it makes sense that it might be overkill with both, hehe! I’m happy to own them both, but we do own too many games 😂

[@tomlikeabomb6706]

So jealous. Can’t wait to get this. Haha

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

Hope you’ll love it! ❤️

[@wiktormonfilsgustafsson56]

Just got rid of Gaia project AND Terra mystica big box 😊

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

To get more space for AoI?

[@wiktormonfilsgustafsson56]

@@BoardGamingRamblings Time and space, thanks for a great show!

[@giannisc.5254]

I am very excited for this, a must buy for me ! I wonder if AoI given enough time is going to surpass Terra Mystica (like Brass Birmingham did with the og/Lancashire game) or if Terra Mystica will remain on top. Thank you for the great video !

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

Hope you’ll get a chance to play it soon! Very happy that you liked the video 🤩

[@JJ_TheGreat]

13:54 Yes, you are correct! Technically, there is no “two player variant” for Terra Mystica, because according to the rulebook (and on the box), it is a 2-5 player game - so a “variant” would not be needed. However, most people do not find the 2-player experience to be that great - because there is just too much open space and it is just not tight enough. Then Gaia Project came out - and added a modular board which scales with player count, so it tightens the board when only playing with 2 players.

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

This one also helps with the new map :) Still better with more, but great with 2!

[@JJ_TheGreat]

@@BoardGamingRamblings Good to know, thanks! 😀

[@madhujith]

Brilliant! Have it in pre order, can't wait to try it out!

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

Thank you so much! Have fun with the game, hope it comes soon 😁

[@jareduxr]

Hopefully you are covering the Gaia Project expansion soon! 🤞🏻

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

We’ll do as soon as it will be possible! First waiting for more info 🥳

[@benjaminkadish2542]

is there a reason you uncritically report playtime the publisher says , i've never felt that publisher reported playtimes were accurate

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

We always note what the box says at the beginning of the video, and then talk about how much time it took us in the «playtime & player count segment» :) Hope that makes sense! And yes, most times on boxes are for fast experienced players 😅

[@Wonderflonium]

Great video, really looking forward to my pre-order for Age of Innovation arriving!

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

Glad you enjoyed it ! Hope you’ll love the game! 🤩

[@jankogo]

So is this a mix between OG Terra Mystica and Gaia Project?

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

I wouldn’t say that! It’s more a TM 2.0. Everything from TM with some new mechanisms and twists! :)

[@JJ_TheGreat]

22:54 So if we already have Terra Mystica, is there a place for this one, also? Or are they both just too similar? And if we were to only keep one - either Age of Innovation or Terra Mystica, is there any reason NOT to keep Age of Innovation (for its more variable experience) and get rid of Terra Mystica [asking this way, since I know you guys are not keeping Terra Mystica of the two]? Thanks.

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

For me personally, I see no reason to keep TM when I have this. The only reason I can see is if you play TM a lot, and want to keep the «classic» experience available for you! Hope that makes sense :)

[@JJ_TheGreat]

@@BoardGamingRamblings Yes, thanks.

[@shinjial]

Is there an automa for this game already? I got the automa box for Terra Mystica and used it in a 2p game to simulate a 3rd player. It worked pretty well and provided a really nice experience.

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

Yes, there is a solo mode with its own rulebook :)

[@kostaskousias310]

Great video, so excited about this. Is it already available in Norway? I can't seem to find it anywhere :)

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

Glad you enjoyed it :D We imported the game as we couldn’t wait for Spiel, hehe 😅

[@MrJonnyalpha]

I bought the Terra Mystica Big Box last year so there is no way that I can get this one as well!

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

That makes sense! You have loads of amazing content in that big box :)

[@wiktormonfilsgustafsson56]

Cant wait for Age of innovation!

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

Hope you’ll love it! 🤩

[@Oaklestat]

I've got it pre-ordered just waiting patiently

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

Do you know when you’ll get it? Fingers crossed it will be soon 🤞

[@Oaklestat]

@@BoardGamingRamblings unfortunately no. Just sitting at "Pre-order"......... 🤞

[@tipi8340]

How did you know? I've just discovered AoI and now I'm in trouble should I buy good ole' TM published in my home country language or should I wait until AoI will (perhaps) be published in my language (maybe in the unclear future)? Can you help?

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

I can sadly say nothing about other languages :( There isn’t really any text in the game, so if an english rulebook is ok, the rest of the components are almost language independent (except for names on factions and innovations)

[@tipi8340]

@@BoardGamingRamblings Would you (being in my place) buy the original TM now or wait until perhaps AoI will be published in my language?

[@ilqrd.6608]

Import it

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

That really depends! Do you have other games you can play while waiting? 😂 Do you have Gaia Project? I think AoI is better than TM in all changes, but TM is still a very good game!

[@tipi8340]

@@BoardGamingRamblings I don't have Gaia, as space topic didn't fit my interests.

[@warpo007]

I'm a shallow gamer, if Age of Innovation had the looks of modern ameri-trash i would be tempted.

[@wiktormonfilsgustafsson56]

...and I really loved them!

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

Hope you’ll love AoI as well!

[@stefanformgren4978]

thought it was a smaller faster version (and a bit easier) of terramystica, but now I dont think that any more (yes you say its easier but still ) lol

[@MichelC2000]

Thank you for the comparison. I am looking to save shelf space by replacing multiple boxes with one and this game is one of the candidates. I played TM again not long ago. It’s a very good game. However, and, I know tastes are personal, to me at least, when it comes to board, TM has to be one of the ugliest games I have in my collection 😂 It has these garish Settler of Catan-ish, German euro games from the 90’s colors, which I find difficult to look at for several hours in a row 🤪 Luckily the look improves as the map gets populated with buildings 🎉 But, it doesn’t look like AoI greatly improves the starting point for me… Happy New Year !!

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

Haha, art preferences really differ from person to person :P Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@DiegoDeschain]

Great video. I don't know if you guys had the chance to play Terra Nova in the meantime, but if you didn't, and since you brought it up, I strongly recommend it. Like...strongly. It is such a good implementation, it's what every "streamlined version of X" wishes it could be. And I'm confident that it is absolutely worth it to have both Terra Nova and this one in a collection. Terra Nova manages to scratch that itch in half the time or less, and with a fifth of the brain melting. So it is perfect for those days when you're not quite feeling the idea of beating your brain to a pulp in a 3+ hours game. I always manage to play 2 consecutive games of Terra Nova with my wife, since the setup is so easy and it plays so quickly. You end up having spent the same time, and even after 2 games, you feel absolutely fine mentally, whereas the big brothers makes you feel absolutely drained. Plus there are some nuanced benefits of playing two 1,5h games VS one 3h game, like, you can pay different faction between games, you can lose one and win the other, etc, so the variety within a play session is also a less talked about benefit in those regards. Another amazing thing Terra Nova does for you, is you can use it as a tool to ease people into its bigger brothers. Play a couple of games of Terra Nova with someone, then the next get together, try this one. They will feel way less intimitaded and much more confident that they can tackle this big heavy game now. It's perfect.

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

Sounds great! I will absolutely give it a try if I get the chance! Thank you for sharing :D

[@olivers9003]

Would you recommend this for players that never played TM or GP?

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

If you are used to playing heavier games or if you’re ok with it being a bit harder to learn/get into, then absolutely!

[@JJ_TheGreat]

@@BoardGamingRamblingsBut I thought you said it was easier than Terra Mystica!

[@sunnivavarjord]

⁠@@JJ_TheGreatAoI feels a little less tight than TM, but the rules are the same weight, and the new book-mechanism comes in addition to that. I think Johannes’ comment about learning a harder game refers to boardgames in general, not that AoI is harder than TM. Hope that clarifies.

[@Ezraelism]

Would you recommend it at mostly 2 player count? Is there an autonoma? Great content as always!

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

This has the new map and a little 2 player change to the setup, so it works even better with 2! There is a solo automa, but I don’t think it can be used for 2 players (not officially at least)

[@karimfarouki]

Besides the tighter smaller map and the rules to add a dummy 3rd player to a couple of scoring features, the automa is actually designed with official rules to be added to a two player game of you like. So: yes, lots of ways to get tense exciting 2 player games in!

[@JJ_TheGreat]

@@karimfaroukiThat is awesome, I always like it when games give you the opportunity to use the solo automa to be added to a 2-player game and simulate a 3-player+ game - which is where a lot of these types of games with building adjacent to where you first build - on a shared, common map board excels. This is where I am calling out another game - especially when they had a chance to do so on the re-make of the system… It is a shame that you will not be able to add the automa to a 2-player game of Andromeda’s Edge.

[@rodneydunn9611]

I prefer Terra Mystica over Gaia Project. This game looks great. Terra Mystica has a very good Automa expansion that can augment the 2 player game.

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

I like them both a lot, but I do like this one better than Terra Mystica!

[@JJ_TheGreat]

18:53 I thought about getting Terra Nova to try to teach and get “muggles” to play a game like Terra Mystica, which I can’t get them to play. However, I feel that Terra Nova would STILL be too heavy for them - and I would therefore be stuck with a game that everytime I look at it on my shelf, I would give it the stinky eye and think to myself that I would so much more just rather play Terra Mystica. So it would waste a spot on my shelf and I would never play it.

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

That makes sense! I didn’t look to much into Terra Nova!

[@KissellMissile]

The factions in TM are wildly imbalanced, especially when you pair with the round bonuses. I am hoping that the ability drafting in AoI will improve on that.

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

It will be interesting to see how people think about it after many, many, many plays!

[@boardgameaddiction7081]

I have Terra Mystica with all expansions and love it, though I've yet to try the expansion content. I also acquired Gaia Project fairly recently. I too have "too many games" and would love to get Age of Innovation, but it's difficult to justify when I have so much very similar content to explore already. To me, this is a game for hard-core TM fans who want more or for heavier Euro gamers who don't have TM yet. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on AoI!

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

Yeah, I can absolutely see that! No need to buy or play everything, no matter how fun the game is :) Hope you’ll get to play and enjoy your TM content soon! Glad you enjoyed the video 🤩

[@JJ_TheGreat]

15:28 That was actually added in the 1st expansion of Terra Mystica - Fire & Ice - and has been used in all future Terra Mystica systems (except I am not sure about Terra Nova), like Gaia Project and now Age of Innovation.

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

Yes, that is what I thought. We never played the expansions, but the player who played with us had.

[@TheErnieforss]

They should put flamingos in the lakes so they are easy to point out.

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

Flamingos everywhere!

[@michelmertens4688]

i love you guys

[@greginfla_1]

Great energy/flow between the two of you

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

Glad to hear you enjoyed it! :)

[@nobuthatsme9201]

You guys are incredible

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

Thank you for the very kind words! Glad you are enjoying what we do :)

[@elqord.1118]

Looks like a better game with possibly the most uninspiring and boring theme. Terra Mystica was fantasy, Gaia was space but what in the hell is even this?

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

It’s set in the same fantasy world as TM, so I would absolutely say a fantasy setting, but it’s a dry euro game (like TM and GP), so I wouldn’t try to look too deep into that theme 😅

[@elqord.1118]

@@BoardGamingRamblings Oh probably the driest out there. I checked out the rulebook and turns out it does not even have one sentence on the theme, lore, setting etc. Nothing. Just jumps into components and setup rightaway

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

Just checked all three rulebooks (for fun :P) Terra Mystica had a page of «Theme», Gaia Project had a few sentences of «goal of the game» (no theme or lore as I could see) and Age of Innovation has a bit shorter text about the «goal of the game» I like that they know what they make. There is a setting here, but no theme, and me personally would then rather not have made up theme that is just weird and makes no sense, which many euro games try to do. Might just be me and me not caring for themes most of the time 😂

[@elqord.1118]

@@BoardGamingRamblings Haha, thanks for checking I am okay with no theme really. E.g. Revive tried it but ultimately I could not have cared less about it, it was so forced anyway. At least these guys here just own it and say "to hell with it you know what you are getting here" :) I will say though a 10/0 is an incredible achievement. Super stoked to play this and thanks for the detailed review and THANK YOU for the time stamps!

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

Hope you’ll like it as much as I did 🤩

[@MrHepp]

Why is the new box so much bigger than the old?

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

It’s longer, but less tall! It’s the same size as Gaia Project, and the box is pretty full :)