For a couple of decades, ever since the appearance of Empires of the Middle Ages and Civilization in the early 1980's, I have speculated whether it would be possible to somehow simulate all of earth's history. For a long time significant pieces have been missing, but over time games have appeared to fill the gaps. Here then is an idea for the grandest tournament of all time. So gather up three friends who can stand to look at you for quite a long time and get started!

1. Ursuppe
   Created by Frank Nestel and Doris Matthäus / Doris&Frank
   Start out your tournament with the game of primeval amoebae swimming around in the primordial soup. The struggle for survival has begun! Then in finishing order players can choose positions in ...
2. American Megafauna
   Created by Phil Eklund / Sierra Madre Games
   It's the time of T-Rex and the wooly mammoth. But toward the end, along come these funny monkey-looking things with big brains. Order of finish determines seating order in ...
3. Settlers of the Stone Age
   Created by Klaus Teuber / Kosmos / Mayfair
   Now humans have come to dominate the other animals and begin to spread across most of the continents of the earth. The end of the period sees the beginning of true ...
4. Civilisation
   Created by Francis Tresham / Hartland Trefoil Ltd. / Gibsons Games / Avalon Hill / Descartes Editeur / Piatnik
   Civilizations develop and expand around the Mediterranean littoral, giving rise to ...
5. Empires of the Ancient World
   Created by Martin Wallace / Warfrog
   The finishing order of the previous game decides the placement order in this one. The empires clash until eventually Rome comes to dominate virtually all. The winner of this one gets to play Rome in ...
6. Barbarians, Kingdoms and Empires
   Created by Erik Wilson / Icarus Games / Excalibre
   Other players take the roles of the barbarians attempting to penetrate the empire and will eventually cause its collapse. The winner of this game takes on the role of Charlemagne in ...
7. Empires of the Middle Ages
   Created by Jim Dunnigan and Anthony Buccini / SPI
   Players choose empires in Grand Scenario in the order of finish from the previous game. Note that this game alone will take around thirty-five hours ... The order of finish determines choice of leaders and empires in ...
8. Lords of the Renaissance
   Created by Phil Eklund / Sierra Madre Games
   Players raid and trade about the Mediterranean in Renaissance time.
9. A Mighty Fortress
   Created by Rudolph W. Heinze / SPI
   This gives way to religious and territorial wars. The order of finish in the previous game determines choice of powers in this one. And so on.
   
10. Europa Universalis
    Created by Philippe Thibault / Azure Wish Enterprise
    
11. Empires in Arms
    Created by Harry Rowland & Greg Pinder / Australian Design Group / Avalon Hill
    The era of Frederick the Great gives way to that of Napoleon.
    
12. Pax Britannica
    Created by Greg Costikyan / Victory Games
    The Age of Imperialism follows.
13. Fatal Alliances
    Created by Dave Cox / Canadian Wargamers Group
    The First World War.
14. World in Flames
    Created by Harry Rowland and Greg Pinder / Australian Design Group
    The Second World War. Not quite sure where to go from here... and perhaps it's too early to say anyway.

    The winner of this game wins the tournament, congratulations!