The objective of Nova Era is to build the greatest civilization. This is done by strategically choosing the most beneficial technologies, territories, and personalities from the tableau, evolving them as the players go through the annals of time. Players score by having a variety and/or majority of different technology types, as well as fulfilling various card objectives.

Gameplay revolves around drafting and spending dice, with different dice types providing different resources, bonuses, and penalties for players. Overextending your own dice leads to civil unrest, and dice unused by players fill up the progress bars of natural disasters and the Dark Age, affecting all players across the table. Once all dice actions are taken, an era ends and a new one begins. At the end of three eras, the game ends and the most prosperous civilization wins!