# Empire Builder

Empire Builder is a board game for 2–6 players. It plays in 180 minutes and is meant for ages 12 and up. Ludoya players call it best with 3. It is rated 4.3 out of 10 by 3 Ludoya reviewers.

- **Players:** 2–6 (best with 3)
- **Playing time:** 180 minutes
- **Minimum age:** 12+
- **Complexity:** 2.6 out of 5
- **Year published:** 1982
- **Categories:** Transportation, Economic, Trains
- **Mechanics:** Network and Route Building, Crayon Rail System, Pick-up and Deliver, Movement Points, Hexagon Grid, Connections
- **Ludoya rating:** 4.3 out of 10, from 3 reviews
- **Owned by:** 5 Ludoya players
- **Plays logged on Ludoya:** 6
- **Unique players:** 8

**Designers:** Darwin Bromley, Bill Fawcett

**Artists:** Chris Vande Voort, Stefan Sierhej, Pete Fenlon, Drew Perkett, Morgan Dontanville, Jim Clouse, Louis Rexing, Jim Malik, Mike Russo, Peter Y. Bromley

**Publishers:** Mayfair Games

## Expansions

- [Mexican Rails](https://www.ludoya.com/games/mexican-rails)
- [South American Rails](https://www.ludoya.com/games/south-american-rails)
- [Super Sadistic Advanced Empire Builder](https://www.ludoya.com/games/super-sadistic-advanced-empire-builder)
- [Transatlantic Rails](https://www.ludoya.com/games/transatlantic-rails)

## Similar games

- [Eurorails](https://www.ludoya.com/games/eurorails)
- [India Rails](https://www.ludoya.com/games/india-rails)
- [China Rails](https://www.ludoya.com/games/china-rails)
- [Martian Rails](https://www.ludoya.com/games/martian-rails)
- [18MEX](https://www.ludoya.com/games/18mex)
- [Railways of the World](https://www.ludoya.com/games/railways-of-the-world)
- [Pampas Railroads](https://www.ludoya.com/games/pampas-railroads)
- [Silverton](https://www.ludoya.com/games/silverton)
- [Free Ride USA](https://www.ludoya.com/games/freie-fahrt-usa)
- [Ride the Rails](https://www.ludoya.com/games/ride-the-rails)
- [Free Ride](https://www.ludoya.com/games/free-ride)
- [Tramways Engineer's Workbook](https://www.ludoya.com/games/tramways-engineers-workbook)

## Links

- [This page](https://www.ludoya.com/games/empire-builder)
- [Empire Builder in the Ludoya app](https://app.ludoya.com/g/empire-builder)
- [BoardGameGeek entry](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/168)

_Data from Ludoya, updated 2026-09-24. Ratings, ownership and play counts are Ludoya's own._