# Game Settings

## Number of Players

The rules differ based on the number of the players:

- The leftmost slots of the card row are marked with an icon to indicate that those cards will be automatically discarded after your turn. In games with fewer players, more cards are automatically discarded: 3 in a two-player game, 2 in a three-player game, 1 in a four-player game.
- The number of Age A events at the start of the game is equal to the number of players plus 2.
- Many technology cards have duplicates. There are fewer duplicates of certain cards in games with fewer players.
- Two-player games do not have pacts.
- Events which would otherwise affect the “two weakest” or “two strongest” players are rewritten in two-player games so that they affect only one player.

## Types of Games

From the main menu, you can choose several types of games.

- Local Games

- Custom Game: This is a single-player game where you can choose the number and level of computer opponents. You also have a choice between the digital rules or the tabletop rules.
- Challenge: This is a single-player game against preselected computer opponents with tabletop rules specially modified to present challenging new scenarios. Winning a challenge unlocks a new challenge of greater difficulty.
- Tutorial: This is a fun way to quickly learn the basic concepts of Through the Ages.
- Pass and Play: This allows you and your friends to play together on one device.

- Online Games

- Play online with people from all over the world! You can choose digital or tabletop rules and select your preferred speed of play.

## AI Players

You can play against computer opponents. These AI players will always play to win as individuals; they will not try to gang up on human players.

The AI has 3 difficulty levels:

- Easy (recommended for entry-level play)
- Medium
- Hard

In online games, AI players will take over for players who time out or abandon the game. In this case, you can get experience points for defeating them.

## Rules

The game offers two rules variations:

The tabletop rules copy the rules of the board game.

The digital rules are designed to improve game flow in online play.

The differences are:

- Event evaluation:

- Tabletop rules: Events may require other players to make decisions during your turn.
- Digital rules: If an event requires a player to make a decision, the decision is made on his or her turn after his or her political action.

- Colonization:

- Tabletop rules: Beginning with the player whose turn it is, bids are made in play order. Players who do not pass keep bidding until only one player is left.
- Digital rules: All players bid simultaneously and secretly, specifying the highest colonization force they are willing to send.

## Timers

When a game uses a timer, every player has a limited amount of time to play his or her turn. This timer is depicted in the top right corner of the player screen:

Standard timer (blue): This is the standard time limit in which you must take your turn. The timer starts as soon as it is your turn and it resets when you end your turn. Your total time is not important as long as you stay within the time limit.

This timer is also used when the game needs you to respond to something that happens on another player's turn. In this case, your time limit is shorter.

Note: If your turn is interrupted for an opponent's reaction, your standard timer is reset.

Reserve (red): You should try to stay within your time limits. However, there is a certain amount of reserve. This timer starts if your standard timer has run out. It stops when you finish your turn (or your response) but it does not reset until the beginning of the next age!

If you are forced to dip into your reserve later in the same age, your reserve timer will start running from the time where it last left off. If your reserve runs out, you will be forced to abandon the game and be replaced by an AI player.

The timer shown in the upper right corner of your screen is always the current player's standard timer. Tapping on it will bring up a table showing the status of all timers for all players.

## Ranking

Playing online increases your CGE rank. This reflects your skill and devotion. After each game, you get experience points:

- 400 points for finishing the game.

- Or, if you resign, 100 points for each age that has already ended.

- For each opponent with a lower score, 100 points times that opponent's rank.

After you collect a sufficient amount of experience points, your rank goes up by one.