Who goes first in The Ancient World?
English second-edition rulebook, ©2019 Red Raven Games
Whoever most recently won a game takes the first turn. The rules also allow choosing randomly.
Rule details
Give that player the first-player token. After the Prepare phase, players take one action per turn clockwise until everyone has passed.
Everyone starts with six coins. In turn order, the second player receives one extra coin; the third and fourth receive two extra coins each.
This answer covers the second edition. Its optional variants that evoke the first edition do not establish the original edition's starting rule.
If there’s a tie
The cited starting-player instruction does not specify a tie-break. We don’t infer one.
Source & edition
- The Ancient World — Red Raven Games rulesRed Raven Games · Second Edition cover; Setup step 10; Game Round and Player Actions; End of Round; Variants; credits · Checked 2026-09-23
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