1 
0 Millennia is a grand strategy game developed by C Prompt Games and published by Paradox Interactive. Set in a vast and detailed world, players take control of a nation and guide it through the ages, from ancient times to the present day and beyond.
You don’t need a Millennia to play Millennia
Join an adventure through the ages in the latest in turn-based, 4x style to rival Sid Meier! Take control of a powerful nation and delve into a world filled with pioneering, expeditions, and conquering.
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Gameplay
The game begins with deciding on a civilization to lead, each with unique traits, strengths, and weaknesses. Players can choose from various nations such as: England, Japan, Persia, etc. Each has different starting conditions and goals, providing a fresh and exciting gameplay experience with each playthrough.
The goal of Millennia is to build and expand your nation, conquer new territories, develop new technologies through different ages, and ultimately achieve dominance over the world. Players must carefully manage the distinct needs of each city. There are 9 types of Needs, and your overall “Needs Satisfaction directly determines your population’s growth” (the average of all the individual Needs).
If you meet the need at 100%, your people will meet their basic requirements – resulting in slow and steady growth. However, if you can provide up to 200% Satisfaction, you can grow a Region much faster.
Conversely, a Region with less than 100% Satisfaction will decrease its Population and have other negative consequences for the Region. Various Population thresholds in the Region trigger Five Needs (Food, Housing, Sanitation, Luxury, and Education) (e.g. reaching 10 Population triggers the requirement for Sanitation). You can look at the map for the best place to build.
The other four (Faith, Power, Ideology, and Information) activate based on external factors like Religion or Government. Most Needs increase with your Population, making managing a full set of Needs in a large Region challenging! Vassals have an advantage as you don’t need to manage their Needs – the autonomy granted allows them to grow steadily without guidance.
The Power of Resources
In Millennia, players have access to various natural resources crucial in advancing through different ages and gaining new technologies. Knowledge is essential for researching new technologies and unlocking abilities that propel nations forward. Cultural powers are fuelled by a nation’s cultural resources, allowing players to influence and shape the world around them.
Wealth is necessary for maintaining armies and speeding up construction processes. Improvement points are used to place new structures and buildings directly within a player’s region on the map. On the other hand, Domain XP is utilised to activate powerful domain powers that can turn the tide of battles and shape history. Players can play using many different approaches by strategically managing and using these resources.
There are six Domains: Government, Exploration, Warfare, Engineering, Diplomacy, and Arts. By the end of the third Age, all Domains are typically in play. Each Domain grants you specific Domain Powers. The Warfare Domain, for instance, allows for creating a small army, healing units and gaining extra movement. Different decisions and periods can result in various Domain Powers being obtained.
National Spirits can also unlock Domain Powers, resulting in diverse capabilities based on the Nation’s growth trajectory. National Spirits are linked to a Domain, except for Government (e.g. Exploration, Warfare, Engineering, Diplomacy, and Arts). Each National Spirit has a skill tree associated with it, which will cost some of the specific domain XP, such as the mercenaries needing warfare or the inventors needing engineering.
While you have a list of these National Spirits, be aware that you can only choose one for every age.
Alternate History
Progressing through Millennia, you encounter various types of ages that test your skills and creativity. Standard ages like the Renaissance offer a familiar setting, where you can build upon past advancements. On the other hand, crisis ages immerse you in the turmoil of historical catastrophes, pushing you to navigate through adversity and find solutions to overcome challenges.
Variant ages provide a glimpse into alternative realities, offering a fresh perspective on what could have been.
The Age of Aether, for instance, showcases a world where steam-powered technology reigns supreme, presenting a unique twist on the Industrial Revolution. Victory ages like the age of harmony challenge you to convert most of the map to your religion, illustrating the power of peaceful persuasion and diplomatic finesse in shaping the world to your vision.
The choices you make and the knowledge you acquire will ultimately determine your success as you navigate through the ages, depending on what you choose to research.
In Millennia, you do not control your armies. Instead, players watch battles unfold; this can be frustrating when you don’t see exactly what you want to happen. A turn-based option on the same screen and style as the automatic would be a welcome addition.
The ability to combine armies of different ages, such as having Spartan warriors fight alongside soldiers with guns, creates a comical and unusual sight. This can also be a strategic advantage or disadvantage when facing opponents who have not reached your age.
The element of surprise is key, as facing enemies in a more advanced age may present challenges that require quick thinking and adaptation to emerge victorious.
Graphics & Audio
Visually, Millennia appears dated, with low-poly models that lack the realism and detail expected in 2024. The graphics can feel lacklustre and underwhelming in battle scenes and when zoomed in on the open map. However, when zoomed out, the lush and vibrant colours help to mask the outdated look, making it appear more visually appealing.
The hand-drawn art within the game stands in stark contrast to the low-poly models. With beautiful and intricate designs that showcase a level of detail and creativity lacking in other aspects of the game. This juxtaposition adds a unique charm to the game despite its dated graphics.
Millennia’s sound design is a unique and immersive experience that transports players through different ages with its carefully crafted soundtrack. The game cleverly incorporates tribal music during the tribal age, lute-style music during the Renaissance, and other fitting genres for each era. However, as the game progresses, the music seamlessly transitions into a grand orchestral score, adding an epic feel to the gameplay.
The battle sounds are simple yet effective, with the sounds of men shouting, guns or arrows firing, and horses galloping, adding to the intensity of the battles. On the world map, loud foot stomping or ships sailing creates a sense of movement and scale as players manoeuvre their armies.
Longevity
Millennia offers players a highly replayable experience through its diverse periods and customisable gameplay options. With multiple age options to select from and various decisions to make throughout the game, each playthrough offers a completely different path and potential win condition.
The custom mode allows players to further tailor their experience by choosing nations, difficulty levels, map sizes, and bonuses. While the current custom mode is somewhat basic, it still provides some variety for players. Additionally, the availability of games to join may limit the replayability of the multiplayer mode.
Final Thoughts
Millennia is an exceptional strategy game that brings some real competition to the 4X genre, but it still has a few areas where it could improve to match others in the genre, providing players with a rich and captivating gameplay experience.
Promising endless enjoyment, its meticulous historical accuracy, interesting changes to it, and sophisticated mechanics ensure a rewarding challenge for strategy enthusiasts. The deep mechanics, historical elements, and attention to detail, make it a must-play, whether you are a keen history aficionado or a dedicated strategy player.
Millennia conquers the Thumb Culture Silver Award.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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