Parents' Guide to

Dawn of Discovery

By Harold Goldberg, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Civilization-style game teaches about life in 1400 A.D.

Game Nintendo Wii 2009
Dawn of Discovery Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • Dawn of Discovery Game: Screenshot #1
  • Dawn of Discovery Game: Screenshot #2

Community Reviews

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age 8+

Based on 1 parent review

SpecimenB
SpecimenB Parent of 8, 14 and 17-year-old
July 2, 2012
age 8+

Addictive and fun game safe for all ages

This is a sleeper of a great game. From what I can see, it doesn't have a lot of buzz, but the people who have spoken up about it have loved it. I bought it for my family and both I and my kids (ages ranging 8-16) really got hooked on this game. It's a town building game set in the 1400s that has both a sandbox mode and story line. There's building, resource management, exploration, sea and land battles and a fairly decent story plot. It even has limited multiplayer meaning someone can take a second controller and click on buildings and ships to give them a temporary boost. Overall, I can't really say anything bad about it. I recommend it for anyone who enjoys a casual, city building strategy game.

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What’s It About?

In DAWN OF DISCOVERY, just as in Civilization games, you'll learn a bit about history as you check out various civilizations and cultures. Here, you're the good son of England's King George. Your goal? Colonize the world and pack riches onto your ship to save the formerly merry ole England. The game’s graphics are presented as a graphic novel, and sometimes, they really seem 3D. Your first hours will include story mode missions featuring tutorials and banal, if necessary, dialog. In the process, you will build farms, warehouses, and ships and send back food to the homeland’s starving waifs. You’ll upgrade your villages all the way up to elite metropolitan centers. Just don’t raise taxes too much: as in real life, your population moans and groans about it. The main goal here: a gentle balance so all kinds of people thrive.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

Dawn of Discovery is a multi-layered game, one that will keep you occupied (and frantic) for hours upon hours. You can even play this game with friend using two Wii remotes. As you progress, you’re put in competition with your evil brother, and your missions get harder and seem timed. You will be motivated to succeed because if you don’t grow enough food for your settlers, they die with a sad smiley face. Despite some problems with graphics and poor drop-down menu placement, this is a fun strategy game to explore.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how video games can teach. Did this game show you what life would have been like if you existed in the 1400s?

  • Do you think the Prince's behavior impacted the way you look at the world?

Game Details

  • Platform: Nintendo Wii
  • Available online?: Not available online
  • Publisher: UbiSoft
  • Release date: June 23, 2009
  • Genre: Action/Adventure
  • ESRB rating: E10+ for Alcohol Reference, Mild Language, Mild Violence
  • Last updated: August 31, 2016

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