Altay: Dawn of Civilization is an original blend of deck-building, civilization development, and area expansion. Players control one of four factions, each represented by a starting deck with unique cards and with subtle differences in the number of "basic" cards. Each turn, players use their cards to produce resources (stone, metal, wood, knowledge), build new settlements and expand on the board, attack or defend against their enemies, or manipulate their decks or card hand.

The game board represents one of the regions where the four people are in conflict with one another, with each area characterized by a different terrain type and the presence of different resources. Card-playing and board expansions are fully integrated, as many cards will have greater effects if you control the right territories. Using the resources produced by their cards or collected from the board, players can acquire and add to their deck new cards, representing the new settlers and their crafts.