# Zhanguo: The First Empire

Zhanguo: The First Empire is a board game for 1–4 players. It plays in 60–120 minutes and is meant for ages 14 and up. Ludoya players call it best with 3. It is rated 7.7 out of 10 by 19 Ludoya reviewers. The cheapest copy in stock is $59.49 (United States).

- **Players:** 1–4 (best with 3)
- **Playing time:** 60–120 minutes
- **Minimum age:** 14+
- **Complexity:** 3.8 out of 5
- **Year published:** 2023
- **Categories:** Ancient
- **Mechanics:** Solo / Solitaire Game, Hand Management, Area Majority / Influence
- **Ludoya rating:** 7.7 out of 10, from 19 reviews
- **Owned by:** 55 Ludoya players
- **Plays logged on Ludoya:** 87
- **Unique players:** 138

**Designers:** Marco Canetta, Stefania Niccolini

**Artists:** David Sitbon, Ulric Maes

**Publishers:** Sorry We Are French

## Where to buy in United States

| Shop | Price | Link |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Atomic Empire | 59.49 $ | https://www.atomicempire.com/Item/339825 |
| Gamers Guild AZ | 74.99 $ | https://gamersguildaz.com/products/zhanguo-the-first-empire-pre-order |
| Cardhaus Games | 74.99 $ | https://www.cardhaus.com/zhanguo-the-first-empire/ |
| 401 Games | 69.95 $ | https://store.401games.ca/products/zhanguo-the-first-empire |
| Travelling Man | 40 £ | https://travellingman.com/products/zhanguo |
| Svet deskovych her | 1495 Kč | https://www.svet-deskovych-her.cz/produkty/14345/zhanguo-the-first-empire |
| Spielezar | 67.9 Fr. | https://www.spielezar.ch/brettspiele/zhanguo-das-erste-kaiserreich-de |
| Alphaspel | 1069 kr | https://alphaspel.se/491-bradspel/203342-zhanguo-the-first-empire |

## Expansions

- [Zhanguo: The First Empire – Convention Promo Tiles](https://www.ludoya.com/games/zhanguo-the-first-empire-convention-promo-tiles)

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## Rules questions

### Can a region's Unrest go above 3?

No — each region's Unrest track has a maximum of 3 and you cannot perform any action or trigger any effect that would raise Unrest above 3 (see p.7).

### How do card abilities get activated — do I need a higher or lower number on the Court card?

Activation depends on the Court card's activation number versus the card immediately below it: Recruit/Search/Install abilities need the Court card to have a lower number, while Hire/Build Palace/Build Wall abilities need it to have a higher number; the first Court play may set the initial reference number (see p.11).

### Do I have to play a matching color/type of card to perform a Court Action?

No — any Court Action can be performed with any card regardless of its color or ability; only the activation number matters for activating card abilities (see p.6 and p.11).

### When I win a Unification reward, do I have to spend all my tokens to claim it?

To accept a Unification reward you must be the highest in that aspect, be able to immediately take the full reward, and then return all your tokens of that type (small tokens to the supply, large tokens to the board); you may instead pass and let the next player decide (see p.12).

### If I build a Palace, do I always get a Palace tile and a large Unification token?

When building a Palace you must spend 2 Workers from that region and 1 from another, place your Palace and then take a Palace tile and a large (value‑2) Unification token only if they are available; if none remain you skip those steps, but you still score the Palace's 6 VP immediately (see p.10).

### When I Install a Governor, what Officials do I have to spend and does it affect Unrest?

Installing a Governor requires returning one Official of each type (Alchemist, Architect and General) from that region to your supply, placing a Governor on the map (taking any listed bonus), and resetting that region's Unrest marker to zero (see p.9).

## Links

- [This page](https://www.ludoya.com/games/zhanguo-the-first-empire)
- [Zhanguo: The First Empire in the Ludoya app](https://app.ludoya.com/g/zhanguo-the-first-empire)
- [BoardGameGeek entry](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/381819)

_Data from Ludoya, updated 2026-09-19. Ratings, ownership and play counts are Ludoya's own._