On the shores of a long-forgotten sea, a long, long time ago, there lived a people. They were simple folk, but their wisdom was great, and their songs shaped the waves and lured the creatures of the depths to do their bidding. Their name is not recorded in stories, and the few who remember them call them Waterfolk. With the passing of centuries, all the peoples of Altay learned how to build great ships and how to sail them across the vast ocean and explore distant lands. Over time, the mysteries of the seas were revealed, great sea-faring empires were born, and the memory of the Waterfolk became legend.

Altay - Seafarers: expansion opens the gates to the seas and brings the ancient Waterfolk.

Altay - Seafarers is an expansion for the deck-building civilization game Altay - Dawn of Civilization opening the gates to the seas and the mysteries of the ancient Waterfolk. It adds new rules for building and using ships, new action cards - Shipwright, Sailor, and Explorer, a new technology (Astronomy), and a new faction to play with, the Waterfolk.

Designed by Ole Steiness and Paolo Mori, with beautiful art by Pauliina Hannuniemi, Altay — Dawn of Civilization is a game for two to four players that combines deck-building, civilization development, and area expansion elements to create an easy-to-play, yet challenging, experience. The game is set in a mythic age at the dawn of time. In a secluded region nestled deep within a vast continent, four mysterious societies have cultivated distinct cultures over countless years, maintaining a fragile balance. They now confront a new challenge: an influx of human settlers, bearing advanced crafts, weapons, techniques, and an entirely different way of life. As the leader of one of Altay’s Elder Peoples, players have the choice of how to react to this challenge.

The Forgotten Sea game board, new cards and wooden tokens.

Altay’s game board depicts a region where the four factions clash, with diverse terrain types and the presence of varied resources. Players assume control of one of four factions, each of them with a unique starting deck: the Elvenfolk, dwellers of the forests, the Earthfolk that live deep in caves, the Smallfolk by the shore, or the Firefolk, that come from beyond the Land, on the other side of the fire. During each turn, players employ their cards to generate resources, erect new settlements, expand across the board, engage in offensive or defensive maneuvers against adversaries, or obtain new cards to augment their decks, symbolizing the integration of the Elder Peoples with the newcomers and their crafts.

The Seafarers expansion, designed by Roberto Di Meglio and Fabio Maiorana, introduces a brand-new game board, the Forgotten Sea, where players can establish harbors and expand their civilizations through maritime routes. The new board is designed to make the most of this new mechanic: players start in limited territories where not all resources are available, and before long they will have to sail to expand their realm and culture. However, the navigation mechanics can also be applied on the board of the Altay base game to cross its “inner seas.”

Shipwright and Waterfolk cards.

The key card that introduces navigation into the game is the Shipwright, which is added to players’ starting decks and allows them to deploy ships, represented by new wooden tokens unique to each faction. Using ships, players can build across the sea and send their warriors on overseas conquests; ships can also take part in battles in coastal areas. The Sailor and Explorer further enhance the possibilities offered by the new mechanic by adding crews (also represented by dedicated wooden tokens) and making it easier to expand one’s territory.

The new faction included in Seafarers, the Waterfolk, are magical creatures inspired by merfolk, who can move across the seas without needing ships and are able to extract precious resources from the ocean depths thanks to their special characters, the Wavebender and the Wavesinger. This new people comes with a new starting deck and a new set of printed wooden buildings, for an entirely different playstyle, combining flexibility, resource control, and manipulation of discarded actions.

Whether you choose to master the sea with ships or harness the ocean’s power with the Waterfolk, Altay – Seafarers expands the world of Altay - Dawn of Civilization with new strategies, challenges, and the thrill of exploration.

* This article was originally published by Game Trade Magazine, Issue 310 (December 2025).