A Game Strategy Guide for Carl Chudyk’s Innovation
By Aurore Inara
Innovation is a wonderful card game by Carl Chudyk that has a very simple set of rules and a rich selection of cards that produce interesting and challenging board situations.
The learning curve for the game is steep, as familiarity with the card pool and potential combos is essential for success. I’m here to jump-start your Innovation strategy in the first section and then dig a little deeper into how to win against more experienced players.
My Experience
At the time of writing, I have played over 750 games on BGA, and I have an Elo of around 300 with my highest being around 350.
To give you an idea of what my Elo means, I very rarely lose to anyone who has below 250 Elo, and I very rarely win against anyone who has more than 450 Elo.
I am writing this strategy guide to help people who are less experienced than me but also to help myself. I have found in the past that writing about strategy helps form abstract ideas into concrete strategies.
Focus On Your Objective
When I first started playing innovation I mostly wanted to see cool card interactions, and that is absolutely a fun aspect of Innovation. But if you want to win, you have to keep the objective in focus. A turn where you score some points and archive an age is a very effective turn. If you can do both every turn, keep doing it, keep pressing that engine.
Likewise, if your opponent has set up an engine that lets them archive every turn or even every other turn, you need to find a way to stop them.
Lastly, a higher score can help close out the game at higher ages. If you’re behind on achievements, you might want to push to later ages and try to win there.
Efficiency Is Key
There are many cards in the game that increase the efficiency of your turns. Drawing cards and then melding them is slow. But you must also keep in mind the risks of going fast. If you use Mathematics, you may cover up an important card, even Mathematics itself. Sometimes it is best to go a little slower but safer.
Some of the later-age cards have a meld and execute dogma, which can absolutely win you the game, but some cards can also lose you the game. I have lost many games by pulling Bioengineering off the top and executing the dogma against my will. So if you have the advantage, you may want to go slower.
Drawing lots of cards with a single action can be very powerful. Fermentation with 3-4 leaves on the table can be almost as fast as a Mathematics loop, and also net you a lot of cards you can use to stop your opponent or score achievements.
Splaying Is Strong
Splaying left is not very strong, but it can still be useful to boost your icons in the early game. Plus, cards like Invention can turn those left splays into a more powerful right splay and score you points.
Mid-to-late game splaying is essential to keep your options open. Without icons, you won’t be able to use demand effects, and some cards will benefit your opponent too much to use.
Don’t Be Afraid To Share Dogmas
Giving your opponent a benefit can feel bad, but consider the complete effect of sharing the dogma. Sometimes the extra draw is well worth sharing a dogma, especially if what the dogma does is draw a card, as you’ll be getting twice as many cards as them.
Some dogmas can even harm your opponent. Sharing Sailing can block high-value cards your opponent has. Combining it with an effect that returns an age 1 card from your hand gives you much control. Also, remember they will execute the dogma first, so if there are 2 age 1 cards and no age 2 cards, then activating The Wheel will make them draw 2 age 1 cards and you 3 age 3 cards.
Keep Strong Late-Game Cards
Sometimes you have the option of keeping some low-age cards in hand to be used in the late game. Archery can stop a late-game rush. Pottery can score a lot of points late game without costing cards. Simply hold onto those cards instead of scoring them or returning them for other effects.
The Card Pool
The card pool in this game is vast, with 105 unique cards spanning 10 levels. To get better at the game, you must first familiarize yourself with the cards, especially the lower-level ones that you see every game. The best way to learn the cards and how they work is to play the game. Since the cards don’t have big art like other card games, it is also helpful to read their titles.
That said, I can point out a few key cards you must be familiar with to do well in the game. This is not a comprehensive list, just cards I wish to highlight.
Age 1
Metalworking
Usage: Use it aggressively if your opponent can’t match your castles. If you get a little lucky, you might win the Monument achievement by scoring 6 cards in the same turn.
Counter: Build up your castle icons to make it risky for your opponent to use them, or work on clearing out the first 3 ages, as the later ages don’t have castle icons.Clothing
Usage: Scoring 1 age 1 card per action isn’t great, this card shines when you can score 2 or 3 per action. If you can score 3 twice then you win the Monument achievement. Try to draw a card and then meld it with Clothing to score some points. If the first 2-3 ages are clear, scoring 1 card is often still a good idea and can lead to a swift victory.
Counter: Getting Leaves isn’t the best counter, but it can help keep it at bay as you will be able to meld some cards too and block it. Returning some age 1 cards at the later stages of the game can stop it from being a problem.
Oars
Usage: Often better as a surprise out-of-hand card to counter a big hand. It also combos with Translations to win the World achievement.
Counter: Don’t build a big hand if you don’t control castle icons.Pottery
Usage: If there are no age 1-2 cards and you return an age 3 card then you score a 3 and then draw a three, that’s a very good action. Do this repeatedly with ages 3 and up until your opponent stops you.
Counter: Returning low-age cards, building a faster point engine, or disrupting your opponent’s scoring.
Agriculture
Usage: Very powerful when you have a lot of cards and can score an age 5 or higher with a single action and then archive an age. Also note that if you return an age 10 with Agriculture, you end the game, and if you have a higher score, you win.
Counter: Hand disruption will make this too slow. Be aware it can end the game and keep your score high or theirs low.
Age 2
Construction
Usage: Notice that you don’t need to have more castles to claim the Empire achievement, just have 5 card colors on the table while your opponent doesn’t.
Counter: There really isn’t one.Mathematics
Usage: Don’t be afraid to use it when you have fewer light bulbs than your opponent. If you both have the highest age 4 in hand and your opponent chooses to copy you, then you’ll both meld an age 5 card, but you’ll also draw an age 5 card. If it was your first action, you can now use it again and meld an age 6 card while your opponent doesn’t have an age 5 card to return. Also, if you return an age 10 card, you end the game, so Mathematics can win the game on its own if you score a few cards on the way.
Counter: Force your opponent to meld more cards and cover it. Getting light bulbs can help a little, but not by much.
Age 3
Translation
Usage: Notice you don’t need to have 5 colors to win the World achievement. You usually don’t want to meld all your cards as it will set you back unless you have some advanced-age cards in your score pile or very few.
Counter: If you have more crowns and all your top cards have crowns, you will win the achievement first.
Machinery
Usage: Played out of hand, it can surprise an opponent with many cards.
Counter: Don’t collect too many cards unless you have more leaves. If you’re using a Mathematics or a similar engine to get higher ages don’t keep a high-level card in your hand as they may steal it.
Age 4
Perspective and Reformation
Usage: You can win the Monument Achievement if you score or tuck 6 cards in a turn. They can also help set up big scores or help splay right for the Wonder achievement.
Counter: None that are effective.
Age 5
Coal and Chemistry
Usage: You can easily score 5 points per turn and claim an age.
Counter: More Factory icons.
Astronomy
Usage: Basically almost always want to use it. Notice you don’t need 5 colors to score the Universe achievement. It can be powerful late-game to get another point.
Counter: More light bulbs really help, especially if all or most of your top cards are 6 or higher to score the Universe achievement before your opponent.
Physics
Usage: Very dangerous to use as it could be a wasted action. It can be a good hail-mary if you need to catch up. Particularly powerful if your opponent has more lightbulbs than you and a lot of cards in hand, but I usually only force my opponent to use it in my first action, so if they get the cards, I can use it a second time and have a chance to return all their cards.
Counter: Don’t hoard cards if you have more lightbulbs.
Industrialization
Usage: You can tuck 6 cards in a turn to win the Monument achievement. Powerful catchup if your opponent is at a later age, but eventually, you’ll want to draw some cards so you can play higher age cards.
Counter: More factory icons.
Age 6
Metric System
Usage: One of the easiest ways to win the Wonder achievement, and it really helps bump up your icon count.
Counter: More crown icons.
Canning
Usage: Can score many points and remove some top cards to reach good late game age 1-2 cards.
Counter: It's not worth countering usually.
Machine Tools
Usage: Simply score and claim an age every turn.
Counter: Banking.
Ages 7+
The rest of the ages all have very powerful cards, I’ll note the higher-level cards that immediately win or lose the game. These are important to remember, especially when you activate cards that meld and then activate the cards.
Empiricism
Win if you have 20 lightbulbs.
Collaboration
Win if you have 10 or more green cards.
A.I.
If Robotics and Software are top cards the player with the lower score wins.
Bioengineering
If any player has fewer than 3 leaves, the player with the most leaves wins.
Globalization
If no player has more leaves than factories, the player with the most points wins.
Self Service
You win if you have the most achievements.
The Internet
While it doesn’t state it wins the game, it will often score multiple achievements and/or end the 10-age pile and end the game.
Software
Like The Internet, it has a high chance of ending the game via dogmas or drawing The Internet.
Game Knowledge Is Key
Like many games with lots of content, learning the cards is key. Due to the way the ages are built, you’ll learn the earlier cards much faster and might not encounter the late age cards until many games in.
Keep your objective in mind. Stay flexible to the cards you draw, but find a path to victory. When you’re more experienced, you can go fishing for a specific card to help in your current situation.
Explore the game, learn the cards and their interactions, and you’ll start getting better in no time.
