March of the Ants: Evolved Edition Review – Is This Strategy Board Game Worth It?

Strategy board games often ask players to build kingdoms, run businesses or manage entire civilisations. March of the Ants: Evolved Edition goes somewhere much smaller in scale but just as ambitious in scope. In this game you take control of an ant colony, evolving your species, gathering resources whilst expanding across the meadow and battling rival colonies for dominance.

After spending time with it at the table, here is my honest look at how it plays, how difficult it is to learn, how long it takes and whether March of the Ants: Evolved Edition is actually worth buying.

What Is March of the Ants: Evolved Edition and Who Is It For?

March of the Ants: Evolved Edition is a deep strategy board game about building and evolving an ant colony. Players compete to create the most successful colony by gathering food, expanding into new territories, evolving unique abilities and battling rivals in the Great Tunnel.

The theme works surprisingly well. Instead of controlling generic units, you’re guiding the development of your species. Over the course of the game your ants can gain different body parts and abilities that completely change how your colony functions.

It’s a game that will appeal most to players who enjoy thoughtful strategy, engine building and area control. If you like planning several turns ahead and adjusting your approach based on what your opponents are doing, this game gives you plenty to think about.

How Does March of the Ants: Evolved Edition Actually Play?

The game unfolds over four rounds, and each round is divided into four phases:

• Worker Phase

• Soldier Phase

• Queen Phase

• Slumber Phase

Each phase pushes the colony forward in a different way.

Worker Phase

This is where most of the game happens. Players take turns performing actions by spending food or other resources while building their colony engine.

What makes the system interesting is that whenever the active player takes an action, the other players get a reaction. That keeps everyone engaged and prevents long periods of waiting around.

The main actions include:

• Explore – Expand the meadow by placing new tiles, opening up new areas and opportunities.

• Forage – Draw cards that can improve your colony or trigger events.

• March – Move ants or larvae around the meadow to prepare for battles or expansion.

• Play a Card – Evolve your colony or trigger an event by spending resources.

• Rest – Take a rest tile and gain its benefits, ending the phase once the final one is taken.

After all the rest tiles are gone, the Worker Phase ends and any thorax upgrades players have evolved can trigger additional reaction abilities.

Soldier Phase

This is where things get tense.

Battles take place either in the Great Tunnel or across the hexes of the meadow. Strength is determined by the number of ants present in those areas along with any head upgrades your species has evolved.

Players secretly bid cards with ferocity values to boost their strength before revealing them together.

The strongest colony wins the battle, deals damage and potentially claims rewards and control of the territory. Sometimes you’ll even find yourself fighting the centipede, which adds another layer of chaos to the battlefield.

Queen Phase

This phase is about survival and resource management.

Players collect resources from the hexes they control and then feed their ants using food from their stores. Your colony can initially feed four ants, but evolving additional abdomen upgrades increases this capacity.

If you can’t feed your ants, they are lost and you also lose a victory point. So keeping your colony fed becomes an important balancing act. At the end of the phase, players make the Queen’s Choice, gaining either larvae or food to prepare for the next round twice.

Slumber Phase

The round closes with scoring and upkeep.

Players score points for controlling hexes around the Great Tunnel and can also score colony goal cards that they have played during the game. After that the rest tile display refreshes and the next round tile enters the Great Tunnel before a new round begins.

After the fourth round, final scoring determines which colony has become the dominant species.

How Hard Is March of the Ants: Evolved Edition to Learn?

This is one of the most common questions people ask about the game. The short answer is that March of the Ants: Evolved Edition is moderately complex but not overly difficult to learn.

The rulebook itself is quite extensive, but it’s also well written and clearly explains how everything works. Because of that, the first game might involve a bit of rule checking while everyone gets comfortable with the systems. Once players get through the first round though, the structure starts to make sense. The phases follow a logical flow and most players pick it up quickly once they see it in action.

If someone in your group enjoys learning and teaching strategy games, they should have no problem getting this to the table.

How Long Does March of the Ants: Evolved Edition Take to Play?

According to the box, a game takes around 60 to 90 minutes. In our first playthrough it took about two hours, which included reading rules, setting up the components and learning the flow of the game.

After that initial learning game, the pace improves significantly. Once everyone understands the phases and actions, sessions settle into just over an hour, making it a satisfying strategy game that doesn’t overstay its welcome.

For a first play, I’d recommend setting aside around two hours just to give the game space to breathe.

How Good Is It at Different Player Counts?

One of the nice things about March of the Ants: Evolved Edition is its flexibility. It supports solo play all the way up to five players, which makes it easier to get to the table.

At two players, the experience still works well. There’s a special AI opponent called the Old Guard that helps maintain tension on the board. That said, the game really shines with around four players. With more colonies competing for space, there are more battles, more reactions during the Worker Phase and far more interaction across the board.

If you enjoy lively strategy games where everyone’s plans collide, higher player counts are where this game really comes alive.

What Makes March of the Ants: Evolved Edition Stand Out?

For a strategy game with this much depth, the gameplay feels surprisingly smooth.

There are multiple systems layered together:

• Area control

• Engine building

• Evolution upgrades

• Customisable scoring goals

Yet they fit together in a way that feels natural rather than overwhelming.

The most enjoyable part is the customisation of your ant colony. Each game lets you evolve different abilities and pursue different goals, which means no two colonies ever feel quite the same. One playthrough might focus on dominating the battlefield, while another might revolve around evolving the most efficient resource engine possible.

The Biggest Pros and Cons

Like any strategy game, March of the Ants: Evolved Edition has clear strengths and a few things that might not suit everyone.

Pros

Well Written Rules: The rulebook explains the systems clearly and makes the game easier to learn than its complexity might suggest.

Excellent Storage: The component storage is thoughtfully designed with individual tuck boxes. Setup and teardown are much quicker than many games of this weight due to this.

Highly Customisable Gameplay: There are many routes to victory including controlling territory, completing goals, evolving powerful abilities or dominating the Great Tunnel battles.

Cons

There Is a Lot Going On: Players who struggle with analysis paralysis may find the number of options overwhelming.

Heavy Strategy Focus: This is not a light or casual game. Players looking for something relaxed might prefer something simpler.

The Two Player Bot: The Old Guard AI works well mechanically, but not everyone enjoys AI players in competitive board games.

How Replayable Is March of the Ants: Evolved Edition?

Replayability is one of the game’s strongest features. Between the variety of evolution cards, random tile layouts and different colony goals, each game unfolds differently. New combinations appear constantly, and experimenting with different colony builds becomes part of the fun.

It’s the kind of strategy game where you finish a session and immediately start thinking about what you want to try next time.

What Games Is March of the Ants: Evolved Edition Similar To?

In terms of complexity and strategic depth, March of the Ants: Evolved Edition sits in a similar space to Everdell and Wingspan. Like those games, it combines engine building with strategic choices and long-term planning. However, March of the Ants adds a stronger element of direct interaction through battles and area control.

If you enjoy those types of strategy games but want something with a bit more confrontation and tactical decision making, this one fits nicely into that space.

Is March of the Ants: Evolved Edition Worth Buying?

If you enjoy deep strategy games with lots of tactical choices, March of the Ants: Evolved Edition is absolutely worth checking out. It offers a satisfying mix of colony building, strategic combat and engine development while still playing in a relatively manageable amount of time.

However, players who prefer lighter games or who dislike having their plans disrupted by opponents may want to look elsewhere.

For groups who enjoy clever strategy, evolving abilities and a healthy bit of competition, March of the Ants: Evolved Edition delivers a rich and rewarding experience.

You can find out more about the game and secure you own copy at:

March of the Ants: Evolved Edition

£59.99£47.99

Buy Now

Frequently Asked Questions

Is March of the Ants: Evolved Edition board game good?

Yes, it’s an excellent strategy game for players who enjoy engine building, area control and tactical decision making. The ability to evolve your colony and pursue different scoring strategies makes each game feel fresh and engaging.

How hard is March of the Ants: Evolved Edition to learn?

The game sits in the medium-heavy strategy category. The rulebook is detailed but well written, and most players understand the core gameplay after the first round. Expect your first game to take a little longer while learning the systems.

How long does March of the Ants: Evolved Edition take to play?

A typical game takes 60 to 90 minutes once everyone knows the rules. The first playthrough may take closer to two hours while learning and setting up.

What games are similar to March of the Ants: Evolved Edition?

Players who enjoy Everdell or Wingspan will likely appreciate March of the Ants. It offers similar engine-building depth while adding stronger player interaction through area control and combat.

Is March of the Ants: Evolved Edition good at two players?

Yes. The game includes a system called the Old Guard, an AI colony that keeps the board active in two player games. While some players prefer games without bots, it helps maintain tension and balance.

Is March of the Ants: Evolved Edition worth buying?

If you enjoy deep strategy board games with lots of player interaction, it’s absolutely worth considering. However, players who prefer lighter games or minimal conflict may find it a bit heavy.