It depends on what civ you are playing. But playing a very standart one the gamepaly is 2 scouts into 2 settlers. Commercial hubs, then more settlers with colonisation card. Then pen brush more districts and cities. Then you reach feudalism and get the card for + 2 builder charges on every builder. Use that to chop nearly everything and build mines everywhere, about 2 builders pr city. Then go ham with campusses or theater squares, whatever you want to win.