For endless years, in an isolated area deep in the heart of a vast continent, four mysterious figures developed different cultures, combining magic and technology in a delicate balance with nature and each other. Now, they must face a challenge: the arrival of new settlers, who bring with them more advanced tools and technologies, new weapons and combat techniques, as well as a completely different way of life.

As the leader of one of the original inhabitants of Altay, how will you respond to this challenge? Will you be open to accepting the new settlers and merging with them, or will you focus on your ancient traditions? Will you expand your kingdom or develop new knowledge? Will you build monuments that will last forever or crush your enemies with your armies?

Altay: Dawn of Civilization is an original combinatory experience of deck-building, civilization development, and area expansion. Players control one of the four factions, each represented by an initial deck with unique cards and subtle differences in the number of "core" cards. Each round, players use their cards to produce resources (stone, metal, wood, knowledge), build new facilities and expand on the board, attack or defend against their enemies, or manipulate their decks or hands of cards.

The game board represents one of the areas where the four tribes are in conflict with each other, with each area characterized by a different type of terrain and the presence of various resources. The use of cards and board expansions are fully integrated, as many cards will have greater impacts if you control the right terrains. Using the resources produced by their cards or collected from the board, players can acquire and add new cards to their deck, representing the new settlers and their products.

Players can also spend resources to develop "achievements" — special cards that are permanently added to a faction, providing additional capabilities or points.

Victory is awarded by the combination of territorial expansion, technological development, and success in creating long-lasting memories from the achievements of your civilization.