Civilisation-building classic History of the World is getting a 'remaster'

History of the World, the epic civilisation-building classic that first appeared more than 25 years ago, is getting an overhauled new edition – the first major update to the series in close to a decade.

The eponymous new version is described specifically as a ‘remastered edition’, with an illustrated game board and “revised rules to streamline the experience”.

It’s not clear how much of the original gameplay, which sees players expanding their empire over the entire course of known civilisation while developing technology and outliving their foes, will survive in the revamped ruleset.

History of the World was previously significantly modified for 2009 spin-off A Brief History of the World, which cut down the lengthy gameplay to 'just' a couple of hours – given that the upcoming History of the World similarly features a two- to three-hour estimated play time, it may be that it sticks closer to the condensed iteration.

The new History of the World is being designed by the game’s trio of creators, Gary Dicken, Steve Kendall and Phil Kendall, and is coming out of Pandemic studio Z-Man. The last new edition for the original game was released in 2001, which could make this the first update to the title in 16 years if A Brief History of the World is counted separately.

History of the World is due out later this year, so we should know more about the changes and additions soon.