2025Chris Matthew
- Videos
- 8
- Creators
- 8
1 - 5 players60 - 120 min

2024Chris Matthew
Mainly reviews. An Age Contrived is covered on BoardGameVideo.com by 30 reviews, 11 how-to-play guides, 3 recorded sessions, 8 unboxings, and 7 other videos.
From BoardGameGeek
An Age Contrived is a fantasy euro game of engine building and resource programming. You play as a god in the Eldranic pantheon, where you are only as powerful as the mortals of this unstable world believe you are. Your goal is to establish yourself as the pantheon's prevailing god by securing mortal belief, as you advance the mortal realm from its age of darkness into civilization. Each player receives a character board and a transmutation device, which they use to channel their energy into the mortal realm. Energy is how a god exerts its will, and is used to construct monuments, claim new tiles, and accomplish lasting achievements. Bind your energy for end-game scoring, and unlock new energy to replenish your reserves. The game ends when the last monument is complete, at which point the player with the most points wins. There are two types of turns, with no rounds or phases. On a player's turn, they must either charge their transmutation device and program it openly, or use its energy to take as many actions as they have already programmed. Information is open, and the only luck is in the shuffling of tiles to set up the game. Player choices determine how the game unfolds. The game features unlockable unique player powers, a board that players construct differently each game, and 5 ways to build your engine. You will be encouraged to plan ahead, but required to adapt your strategy in order to come away victorious.
An Age Contrived has 59 videos from 38 creators: 30 reviews, 11 how-to-play guides, 3 playthroughs, 8 unboxings and 7 other videos. They date from 2022 to June 2026.
To learn the rules, start with "An Age Contrived - How to Assemble" by Bellows Intent, which runs 19 min.
For an opinion before you buy, start with "An Age Contrived Review: A Production Contrived" by The Dice Tower. 19 creators have reviewed it. To see it played, watch "An Age Contrived - Solo Playthrough" by Waris Ali, one of 3 playthroughs.
If you like it, try An Age Contrived: Folklore & Pilgrimage, also by Chris Matthew, or Andromeda's Edge, Aldarra and Pest, which share several of its mechanics. It appears in convention videos from PAX Unplugged 2022 and Spiel Essen 2022.
8 of 38
2025Chris Matthew
1 - 5 players60 - 120 min
2024Luke Laurie, Maximus Laurie
2 - 4 players80 - 160 minHeavy weight
2024Matt Fantastic, Benny McLennan, Andrea Pincumbe
2 - 4 players90 - 180 minMedium weight
2024Thomas Nielsen, Kai Starck
1 - 5 players60 - 150 minHeavy weight
From BoardGameGeek:
An Age Contrived is a fantasy euro game of engine building and resource programming. You play as a god in the Eldranic pantheon, where you are only as powerful as the mortals of this unstable world believe you are. Your goal is to establish yourself as the pantheon's prevailing god by securing mortal belief, as you advance the mortal realm from its age of darkness into civilization. Each player receives a character board and a transmutation device, which they use to channel their energy into the mortal realm. Energy is how a god exerts its will, and is used to construct monuments, claim new tiles, and accomplish lasting achievements. Bind your energy for end-game scoring, and unlock new energy to replenish your reserves. The game ends when the last monument is complete, at which point the player with the most points wins. There are two types of turns, with no rounds or phases. On a player's turn, they must either charge their transmutation device and program it openly, or use its energy to take as many actions as they have already programmed. Information is open, and the only luck is in the shuffling of tiles to set up the game. Player choices determine how the game unfolds. The game features unlockable unique player powers, a board that players construct differently each game, and 5 ways to build your engine. You will be encouraged to plan ahead, but required to adapt your strategy in order to come away victorious.
Designer
Chris Matthew
Artist
Serena Malyon
Publisher
Bellows Intent
Mechanics