Revive is a 1-4 player game with asymmetrical player powers, a highly variable setup, and no combat or direct conflict. Playing the 5-part campaign unlocks additional content, and once all content is unlocked, the game can be replayed indefinitely.

At the start of the game, each player is given a set of citizen cards, a tribe board, and a huge double-sided player board. The tribe board shows your unique tribe skills and the ancient technologies that you can relearn throughout the game. The double-sided player board is where you place your custom machines and upgrade your cards.

A major goal of the game is to reach and populate the great ancient sites. These ancient locations are random, and because they are important sources of victory points, they will affect your strategy in different ways each time you play.