Imperium: Classics

2021 · Card Game

Imperium: Classics

Lead one of eight asymmetric ancient civilizations through conquest, development, and conflict on a shifting map of the Mediterranean and surrounding lands. Players manage resources, expand territories, invest in science and culture, and balance growth with internal unrest while resolving military clashes through card-driven combat. Each civilization has unique abilities and strategies, and a solo opponent emulates individual nations for single-player play. Components support standalone play and compatibility with an expansion set that adds additional civilizations for larger or more varied games.

Players
1–4 best 1
Playing time
40–160 min
Age
14+
Complexity
3.6 / 5
7.5 on Ludoyafrom $34.99CivilizationAncientHand ManagementEnd Game BonusesOpen Drafting

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On Ludoya's tables

Full stats in Ludoya
462
Plays logged
171
Players
1h 37m
Average play
153
In collections
22
On wishlists
1
Pre-ordered

7.5/10

from 45 Ludoya reviews

  • Jerry Gagliano9.0

    Will rate it the same as Legends, since both play very similarly. The civilizations in this version are easier to understand, making it more accessible while still encouraging players to chase high scores. Overall, it's a fantastic game. Each civilization offers a unique playstyle, and the challenge lies in leveraging their strengths and weaknesses to earn the most points. Unlike the typical 5- or 6-round structure, this series features multiple ways to trigger the end of the game, adding a layer of tension and unpredictability. The only drawback is the scoring system—it’s not the most intuitive. However, there are some helpful online apps that can streamline it a bit.

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Rules questions

Answered from the rulebook by Ludoya's rules assistant.

Do I have to exhaust a card to use its exhaust ability, and can I use the same card more than once on my turn?

Using an exhaust ability requires moving an action token from your state card onto that card (i.e., exhausting it), and you may not use that exhaust ability again while it has an exhaust token; you can use exhaust abilities only on your own turn when you activate unless a card says otherwise (page 6).

Can I play red (barbarian) cards when my state card is showing the blue/empire side?

You may only play red/barbarian cards if your state card is showing the red icon, but you can have red cards already in play and you can use their exhaust abilities regardless of which icon is showing on your state card (page 8).

What do I do when I need to draw and my draw deck is empty—do I reshuffle immediately?

When your draw deck is empty and you need to draw, follow the reshuffling procedure (which may first move a nation or development token, then shuffle your discard into a new draw deck) and then continue drawing (page 7); however, if a card tells you to 'draw if able' and the draw deck is empty, do not draw and do not reshuffle (pages 7–8).

How does Acquire / Break Through interact with unrest cards under market cards?

When you acquire a market card you take the card and any coin/action/influence tokens on it and, if there is a red unrest card underneath it, you add that unrest card to your hand; you then draw a replacement and, for certain suits, tuck a new unrest card under the replacement as described (page 8).

How can I pay costs—can I convert influence to military or resources to coins?

When paying military you may spend influence as if each influence were 1 military, and when paying coins you may spend resource tokens as if each were 2 coins (with no change given); you cannot convert other token types into one another (page 9).

What exactly triggers collapse and how do we determine the winner if collapse happens?

Collapse is triggered immediately when there are no cards left in the unrest pile and the game ends instantly without finishing the current action; the winner is the player with the fewest unrest cards in hand, play area, draw deck, discard pile, and history, with ties proceeding to scoring (page 7).

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Game facts (players, playing time, age, credits) from BoardGameGeek.