| Game | History of the World | Complexity | Low |
| Company | Avalon Hill | Time | 3 hrs |
| Period | Human Civilisation | Solitaire | Low |
| Players | 2-6 | Rating | 7.5 |
The mapboard represents most of the habitable areas of the world. The landmasses are divided into different land areas for purposes of placement and combat. Some areas also contain resources, which are necessary for building monuments.
The unit counters in the game are divided into six player colours. Each colour contains armies for each of the seven epochs and fleets. Common markers are also available for capitols, cities, forts and monuments.
Cards add chrome and appeal to the basic game system. Cards are basically divided into two categories, Empire cards and Event cards. Empire cards represent an empire in real history. It contains information like the strength of the empire, its starting area, if it has a capitol, ability to build fleets, etc. Event cards represent the "special abilities" of the player. Event cards are distributed to the player at the start of the game, and may be played by the player whenever he wants, subject to restrictions printed on the cards.
The game is divided into seven turns. Each turn represents an epoch of human history. In each epoch, there are seven Empire cards, each representing a real empire of that time.
The sequence of play is determined every turn. The player who has the lowest strength draws an empire card first, followed by the next lowest, etc. The playing drawing an empire card has the option to keep that card for himself or to pass it to another player who does not have an empire card.
Each empire card is numbered 1-7. This represents the sequence of placement of units (which can be armies, fleets or forts) starting with 1. Each empire card also shows the strength of the empire, and its starting area. The first unit is placed is an army in the starting area. The empire then proceeds to place armies/fleets in adjacent areas. Forts can also be placed in a land area containing an army of that empire. The maximum number of units an empire can place is equal to the strength of the empire. If the empire has an empire, its location is also reflected on the empire card.
If the player places units in an area containing units of another empire, combat ensues. Combat is resolved by competitive die rolls, with modifiers for terrain and the presence of forts. Successful attacks capture monuments and capitals (which get reduced to cities). Cities are destroyed by successful attacks.
After all units are placed. The empire may build monuments if it controls sufficient resource areas, depicted by resource symbols on the map. These earn extra Victory Points. (See below)
Each player also controls a number of Event Cards. These cards add variety to the game, by altering the mechanics of the game for that player turn, or adding units/minor empires to that player's strength.
Players gain victory points for control of land areas. Extra points are given for complete/majority control of continents. As the game progresses, the values of the continents also change, representing the shift of focus of human activities. Extra points are also allocated for control of capitals, cities and monuments.
The player with the greatest number of points at game end wins.
Keeping track of scores and the accumulative strength of empires is one of the tedious booking chores in HOTW. Many people have designed aids to help them keep track.
Click here to download a simple Score/Strength Record Sheet.