''Incunabula'' is a

video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

Avalon Hill Avalon Hill Games Inc. is a game company that publishes wargames and strategic board games. It has also published miniature wargaming rules, role-playing games and sports simulations. It is a subsidiary of Hasbro, and operates under the compan ...

for

IBM PC compatible An IBM PC compatible is any personal computer that is hardware- and software-compatible with the IBM Personal Computer (IBM PC) and its subsequent models. Like the original IBM PC, an IBM PC–compatible computer uses an x86-based central p ...

s in 1984. It is the original computerized version of the ''

Civilization A civilization (also spelled civilisation in British English) is any complex society characterized by the development of state (polity), the state, social stratification, urban area, urbanization, and symbolic systems of communication beyon ...

board game A board game is a type of tabletop game that involves small objects () that are placed and moved in particular ways on a specially designed patterned game board, potentially including other components, e.g. dice. The earliest known uses of the ...

, preceding Sid Meier's ''

'' which was published in 1991.

Gameplay

The gameplay loosely follows the rules of Francis Tresham's ''

. It consists of three type of "scenarios", Incunabula, Imperium, and Traders. Incunabula resembles the board game the most. One to three players can play and the computer players can be randomly assigned basis of law and "personality". The personalities determine how likely a computer player is to attack you. Personalities are: *Choleric *Phlematic *Melancholic *Sanguine The choices for basis of law are: *Theocracy *Oligarchy *Utopia *Khanate Combat follows ''Civilization'' rules with a one for one unit loss. There are no technologies to obtain, but each player's progress is tracked through phases such as clan and tribe. The game is won on the basis of accumulating trade. The different laws and personalities and random starting positions are the only game variations. There is just one map and no varying difficulty level.

Reception

Jerry Pournelle Jerry Eugene Pournelle (; August 7, 1933 – September 8, 2017) was an American scientist in the area of operations research and ergonomics, human factors research, a science fiction writer, essayist, journalist, and one of the first bloggers. ...

in 1985 reported that Avalon Hill's ''Incunabula'' and ''By Fire and Sword'' "snaffled off more of my time than I could afford". ''

Computer Gaming World ''Computer Gaming World'' (CGW) was an American Video game journalism, computer game magazine that was published between 1981 and 2006. One of the few magazines of the era to survive the video game crash of 1983, it was sold to Ziff Davis in 199 ...

'' that year noted the resemblance to Avalon Hill's ''Civilization'' board game and wondered why the company did not call the video game ''Computer Civilization'', and cautioned that because of the lack of map variations or difficulty levels, "the probable solitaire life of the game could be rather limited". It nonetheless concluded, "Incunabula is an interesting and enjoyable multi-player game. The combination of combat, good trading, and diplomacy will give a wide variety of gamers something worth a closer look". In 1990 and 1993, the magazine gave it three stars out of five.

References

External links

* {{Civilization 1984 video games 4X video games Avalon Hill video games DOS games DOS-only games Video games developed in the United States

Gameplay

Reception

See also

References

External links