Through the Ages in IOS

Legendary Tabletop Strategy

Walkthrough, Guilds, Tips on this special game

Our Site Score

93/100

Through the Ages is a colossal achievement in digital board gaming. It’s one of the most complex civilization-building games ever made, and this app makes it incredibly accessible. The tutorial is one of the best I've seen, managing to teach you a massive ruleset with humor and clarity.

The depth of strategy is staggering. Every choice—whether to invest in science, build up your military, or focus on culture—feels critical. The AI is genuinely challenging, and the asynchronous online play is perfectly implemented. It’s the kind of game that you can spend hundreds of hours on and still find new ways to optimize your engine. For board game enthusiasts, this is a 'desert island' game—endlessly replayable and masterfully designed. It’s a 10/10 adaptation of a legendary title.

Reviewed on: Fri Feb 27 2026
Dinsun Avatar

Dinsun Review

Dinsun here. Now this is what I'm talking about. A game with actual meat on its bones. Through the Ages is notoriously difficult to play on a physical table due to the sheer amount of bookkeeping involved. This digital port is a godsend; it handles all the math, allowing you to focus entirely on the strategy. It’s brutal, it’s fair, and it doesn't care about your feelings. If you neglect your military, your 'friends' will dismantle your civilization piece by piece.

The tutorial is one of the best I've ever seen, teaching a complex rulebook with humor and clarity. This is high-IQ gaming. It’s not about flashy graphics; it’s about outthinking your opponent over the course of centuries. If you have the brainpower for it, this is easily the best strategy game on the platform. It’s a permanent resident on my device.

Overall Stats

Pros & Cons

  • Perfect digital implementation of a complex board game
  • Exceptional tutorial and AI opponents
  • Infinite replayability through deep strategy
  • Extremely steep learning curve
  • Matches can be very long
  • Interface is dense with information

Technical Report

Performance: Very stable; the asynchronous multiplayer works seamlessly.

Accessibility:
  • Comprehensive Tutorial
  • Text Scaling

Audience Fit

Buy if: You are a hardcore strategy enthusiast who loves deep mechanics and complex resource management.

Skip if: You want a light, casual experience or find 'spreadsheets' in games boring.

Similar Games:
  • Civilization VI
  • 7 Wonders
  • Terraforming Mars

Reviewer Context

  • Reviewer: Dinsun, 40-year-old veteran gamer
  • Hardware: iPad Pro M1
  • Playtime: 150 hours
  • Status: Mastered Hard AI

The Game

Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod

Version 2.19.1141Wed Feb 18 2026

Fix of iPad UI scaling


Through the Ages is based on a highly acclaimed civilization board game by well-known designer Vlaada Chvátil. The original game is recognized as a modern classic board game.

ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES

Become a chieftain of a small civilization at the dawn of humankind's history.

Expand your farms and mines to ensure you have enough resources to grow your civilization.

This is our chance to make history!

Develop various technologies, improve armies to defend your cities, or attack other civilizations nearby.

Choose the best government that fits your goals and build magnificent wonders to achieve memorable victory at the end of the modern era.

CARD-DRIVEN GAMEPLAY

Through the Ages is a card-driven, turn-based board game that gives you countless options on what to do and how to play.

Thanks to the pool of hundreds of cards, every game is unique, allowing you to build a mighty civilization.

PLAY SOLO OR ONLINE

You can play against AI-driven world leaders with various difficulties, or you can jump into online games against other players.

Thanks to the ELO system, the game will find you opponents of the same level as you are.

Clash with them and discover whose strategy leads to victory.

You can also participate in some of the many championships, including the official World Championship in Through the Ages.

PLENTY OF CHALLENGES

The game offers more than 30 challenges that change the winning conditions or rules, so you must adapt your strategy to lead your civilization to victory.

Prove that you understand how civilization works and become the mighty world leader.


Requires iOS 15.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

Through the Ages is based on a highly acclaimed civilization board game by well-known designer Vlaada Chvátil. The original game is recognized as a modern classic board game.

ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES

Become a chieftain of a small civilization at the dawn of humankind's history.

Expand your farms and mines to ensure you have enough resources to grow your civilization.

This is our chance to make history!

Develop various technologies, improve armies to defend your cities, or attack other civilizations nearby.

Choose the best government that fits your goals and build magnificent wonders to achieve memorable victory at the end of the modern era.

CARD-DRIVEN GAMEPLAY

Through the Ages is a card-driven, turn-based board game that gives you countless options on what to do and how to play.

Thanks to the pool of hundreds of cards, every game is unique, allowing you to build a mighty civilization.

PLAY SOLO OR ONLINE

You can play against AI-driven world leaders with various difficulties, or you can jump into online games against other players.

Thanks to the ELO system, the game will find you opponents of the same level as you are.

Clash with them and discover whose strategy leads to victory.

You can also participate in some of the many championships, including the official World Championship in Through the Ages.

PLENTY OF CHALLENGES

The game offers more than 30 challenges that change the winning conditions or rules, so you must adapt your strategy to lead your civilization to victory.

Prove that you understand how civilization works and become the mighty world leader.


Ratings & Reviews

4.9 out of 5 with 5113 Counts
Age Rating 13+

Screenshots

Through the Ages screenshot 1Through the Ages screenshot 2Through the Ages screenshot 3Through the Ages screenshot 4Through the Ages screenshot 5Through the Ages screenshot 6Through the Ages screenshot 7Through the Ages screenshot 8Through the Ages screenshot 9Through the Ages screenshot 10

Through the Ages is the official digital version of the classic strategy board game by Vlaada Chvátil. Players guide their civilization from the start of history through the modern era. Manage your population, develop new technologies, and compete with other players for cultural dominance. With a deep card-drafting system and challenging AI, it is one of the most acclaimed strategy games on the App Store.

Features

1

Faithful adaptation of the legendary board game

2

Hilarious and comprehensive tutorial

3

Challenging AI opponents with different personalities

4

Asynchronous and real-time online multiplayer

5

Includes the 'New Leaders & Wonders' expansion

Tips

Promotion Videos

Through the Ages Digital - Beginners Guide - YouTube

Related Videos

Recommended Links

BGG Page

Ratings and discussion for the original board game.

Reference

Gameplays

Q&A

A full game against the AI can take 30-60 minutes, while online asynchronous games can last for several days.

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