Last updated on January 14th, 2026 at 11:04 pm
Eclipse – 2nd dawn – Board Game Review
Eclipse – 2nd dawn is a Board/Strategy game from Brettspielwelt GmbH, first launched in 25th November 2024.
It’s rated 9+ and currently has 13+ ratings on the App Store.
What Makes Eclipse – 2nd dawn Stand Out
The galaxy has been a peaceful place for many years. After the ruthless Terran–Hegemony War, much effort has been employed by all major spacefaring species to prevent the terrifying events from repeating themselves.
The Galactic Council was formed to enforce precious peace, and it has taken many courageous efforts to prevent the escalation of malicious acts.
Nevertheless, tension and discord are growing among the seven major species and in the Council itself. Old alliances are shattering, and hasty diplomatic treaties are made in secrecy.
A confrontation of the superpowers seems inevitable—only the outcome of the galactic conflict remains to be seen. Which faction will emerge victorious and lead the galaxy under its rule?
The shadows of the great civilizations are about to eclipse the galaxy.
A game of Eclipse Second Dawn places you in control of a vast interstellar civilization, competing for success with its rivals. You will explore new star systems, research technologies, and build mighty spaceships. There are many potential paths to victory, so you need to plan your strategy considering the strengths and weaknesses of your species, while paying attention to the other civilizations' endeavors.
Eclipse other civilizations and lead your people to victory!
Exciting Gameplay: Challenge AI opponents or play against friends in real-time or turn-based.
Tutorial & Help: Whether you're an experienced Eclipse player or a beginner, the game features a detailed tutorial that walks you through the basics step-by-step.
Online Domination: The Eclipse app allows you to compete against friends or rivals from around the world. The app gives you the opportunity to compete with players from all over the world.
The "Eclipse-2nd Dawn" app has been carefully designed to seamlessly bring the charm of the board game to your device. The intuitive interface ensures a smooth gaming experience for both experienced players and novices.
This is the new version, which corresponds to the original board game "Eclipse – 2nd Dawn for the Galaxy" that makes the gameplay even more diverse and challenging.
FEATURES
- Official iOS version of the 'Eclipse – Second Dawn for the Galaxy' boardgame
- Deep and challenging 4X (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate) gameplay
- 7 species with different strengths and weaknesses
- Customizable star systems, technology tree and ship designs
- Up to 6 players (human or AI)
- Asynchronous multiplayer with push notifications
- 3 AI difficulty levels
- In-game tutorial & manual
Eclipse received multiple awards:
Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy
2021 Geek Media Awards Game of the Year for Experienced Gamers Winner
2021 Geek Media Awards Game of the Year for Experienced Gamers Nominee
2020 Charles S. Roberts Best SciFi Fantasy Board Wargame Winner
2020 Charles S. Roberts Best SciFi Fantasy Board Wargame Nominee
Eclipse base game
- 2011 Charles S. Roberts Best Science-Fiction or Fantasy Board Wargame Nominee
- 2011 Jogo do Ano Nominee
- 2012 Golden Geek Board Game of the Year Winner
- 2012 Golden Geek Golden Geek Best Strategy Board Game Winner
- 2012 International Gamers Award – General Strategy: Multi-player Nominee
- 2012 JoTa Best Gamer Game Audience Award
- 2012 JUG Game of the Year Winner
- 2012 Ludoteca Ideale Winner
- 2012 Lys Passioné Winner
- 2012 Tric Trac Nominee
This Board game offers engaging gameplay and regular updates for mobile players.
Player Feedback
As a newer release, Eclipse – 2nd dawn is building its player community. Early feedback suggests .
Recent Updates & Development
Latest Update: 10th October 2025
Recent improvements include:
- The alternate blueprints now also work in online play.
- The UI now responds better to camera notch
Download & Availability
Eclipse – 2nd dawn is available through the official App Store for iOS devices.
Get Eclipse – 2nd dawn on App Store
Requirements: Requires iPhone 5s / iPad Air / iPad Air (Cellular) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina, Cellular) / iPhone 6 / iPhone 6 Plus / iPad Air 2 / iPad Air 2 (Cellular) / iPad Mini 3 or later.
Compatible with iPhone and iPad devices.
Player Experience Highlights
Community Insight:
The game is playable in its current state, and functions mostly as expected. It does occasionally crash, but progress has been saved 95% of the time. The AI is not very good, but can put up enough of a fight to make it entertaining. The app does have strange dice rolling anomalies, like rolling snake eyes in 3 consecutive battles, which we guess is technically possible with true RNG. Definitely needs some work to live up to the price tag.
This is a good adaption of the board game. The developers are actively improving the game and its very playable in its current state.
It seems like minimal effort was put into this app with no attention to detail or dedication to excellence. There are basic errors in the implementation of the second edition rules that should not have passed even rudimentary play testing. The multiplayer experience is broken and incomplete. Also, there have been no update or even comments from the developers since release which suggest no intention to support this product.
User feedback from Apple App Store
App Details
- Version: 1.4
- Size: 156.58 MB
- iOS: 12.0 or later
- Languages: EN
- Content Advisory: Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence
- Developer: Brettspielwelt GmbH
Last updated: 10th October 2025 | Genre: Board, Strategy | Developer: Brettspielwelt GmbH