by Theresa SamonsSpinera is a combination of a slot machine game and Civilization. and scratches an itch Civ fans didn’t know they still had. It starts quickly, isn’t overwhelming at first, and ramps up gameplay in a measured way.
The game gets started easily enough; choose your leader, then spin. Your civilization begins in 4000 B.C., the ancient era ala Civilization, and with nine symbols on the game board in a 3×3 casino grid. Spins allow you to gather resources, and slot machine rules are in effect, i.e., patterns like three in a row yield bonuses. You can use lock symbols to stack the deck for the next spin, so to speak. But there are limited amounts of them, so strategy is key. The gathered resources are used to build wonders, go on expeditions, and–as the devs put it–“of course, break the game!” So far, I haven’t managed to break it, but I’ve done well enough.
Getting back to strategy, much like with Civ, it helps to focus on a specific goal for each run. Do I want to max out on Military and use expeditions to bolster the other resources like science? Where should I place my wonders on the board? Which leader will best support this strategy? Some leaders, like Napoleon of France, have a latent ability allowing another resource to count towards expeditions, in his case, culture resources.
There are events in each era; some are Roll for your Destiny, and usually, the RNG gods are smiling down upon you, granting you rewards. Sometimes you get penalized. There are also battles in each era, and both battles and expeditions introduce a risk-versus-reward element. Outcomes can be influenced by spending resources to improve your odds of success, adding another layer of decision-making beyond simply chasing high-value spins.
Great People also play an important role in the game’s momentum. Great Merchant Appolonia, for example, grants 10 Culture and five Military resources. You can use your Great People immediately for a quick boost, or save and chain them together later for larger strategic swings during tougher eras or critical expeditions. This can make or break hitting the Era score, so you continue to advance.
One of the more satisfying progression systems is the Golden Era mechanic. It’s one of my favorite additions to the Civilization series, introduced in Civ VI. Triggering a Golden Era increases winnings and can dramatically accelerate a successful run, especially when paired with strong wonder placement, locked symbols, and high-value resource combinations. It creates those addictive moments where one lucky spin snowballs into several more.
SpinEra, like the two Civilization Revolution games, is a nice, easy game for when you don’t have time to sit down for a full-on game of Civilization. It has low system requirements and will run on nearly any 64-bit processor and is compatible with Linux, Mac, and PC. It didn’t take long for me to master the game, It respects your time, and the developer continues to patch/update the game (I hope they add more Steam achievements and packs with new rulers & wonders). For well under $10, this is a fun game to get lost in for at least a weekend, longer if the itch continues.
SpinEra
