Twilight Imperium

Overall score:

Twilight Imperium is in its 3rd edition and for anyone who has played the first two editions, this is by far the best. As the title indicates, Twilight Imperium is more than just a mere board game; it is an epic adventure. With nearly infinitesimal different ways to set up the game, it is a guarantee that the same two games will never be played twice.

So enough about how great the games is, let’s get into the actual mechanics of game play. The basic goal of the game is to score 10 points and lead your civilization to universal domination. Sounds easy enough until you add in five other players all vying for the same position, galactic laws that can change the rules of war, technologies that create destructive war ships and battles that leave entire fleets devastated.

The game round is divided into three basic phases: First is the strategy phase, where each race decides the basic action it will take for the round. The second phase of game play is the action phase; a series of turns where each player attempts to gain advantage over the other. The final phase is the status phase; this is the phase where the game resets itself.

In the strategy phase each player chooses from one of eight different strategies. These strategies not only determine what bonus each player can gain throughout the action phase, the strategy cards will also determine the order of play. This means that every round will have a different order of play. The strategies that one can choose from range between diplomacy and warfare and each card gives the player an advantage for the round.

The action phase is where all the action takes place. It is during the action phase that players battle, take control over new planets, and qualify for public objective that will ultimately decide the points a player receives. The action phase will be most of the playing portion of the game.

The status phase is the simplest and most straight forward portion of the game. It is during the status phase that characters refresh planets, announce any objectives they have obtained and receive action card that will help in their endeavor.

>Twilight Imperium is extremely complex to learn, but once you have a basic understanding of the rules game play is quick and easy. When playing it for the first time, take time to read the instructions; this may seem a daunting task as the instruction booklet is over 40 pages. Also, keep a copy of the instructions out while playing for “quick” reference.

Highlights

• Great game with an infinite amount of replay ability.
• Fairly expensive game: costing nearly $80 it isn’t something you want to buy if you are never going to play it.
• Time consuming: The average game with experienced players can take almost 4 hours.
• Intricate and easy to immerse yourself into.
• A well thought out game mixing diplomacy and warfare in a blend between Risk and Settlers of Catan.
• Fun!

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Written by James Schmitt on March 19th, 2006