The great game of civilizations
Mega Empires is a strategy board game for 3 to 9 players that covers the development of ancient civilizations over 8000 years of history. Combining both games enables games with up to 18 players, but the game also supports any smaller player count.
The players lead their civilizations, as they expand and collapse, from the stone age, through the bronze age to the end of the iron age. Mega Empires provides a full day of fun for larger groups, but also includes shorter game scenarios for a night of fun with only 3 friends.
Western Empires
versus
Eastern Empires
Mega Empires consists of two stand-alone board games: Western Empires and Eastern Empires. Either game has a unique map board setup, requiring different strategies, nine exclusive civilizations, and localized historic trading commodities. Either game can be played stand-alone with 5-9 players, or can be combined for more variation and for supporting 10-18 players in a single game; a unique experience.
Eastern Empires contains additional components that allow for a 3-4 player scenario for both games. The 560 Civilization Advances in either game are interchangable, there are enough cards to provide over 50 different cards for each of the 18 players. In addition there are two Special Building Expansions with 18 unique miniatures of the famous buildings of each civilization that provide special powers.
How to combine
The game was developed as a modular balanced setup. Both with a single game of the two parts, and the combination of the two games. Either game for 5 players can be scaled up evenly to a 9 player game with more cards, and more land mass. But also Western Empires and Eastern Empires are evenly balanced in relation to each other, yet each game requires different playing strategies. Since the game is mostly played simultaneously the gaming time hardly increases from 5 to 18 players.
The Special Buildings Expansion
For both Western Empires and Eastern Empires an expansion is available that can be used with 3-18 players. Each civilization has one unique historical miniature building that players can build. These buildings will grant them special powers, additional trade or defense against attacks or calamities.
Players can even construct a building that historically belongs to a different civilization, as long as they are the quicker. Controlling the historical correct building at the very end of the game will grant players additional victory points.
History of the project
Mega Empires was a labour of love project by authors Flo de Haan, Gerart de Haan and John Rodriguez and took many, many years to develop. One of the designers, Flo de Haan, has written a designer story on BoardGameGeek that describes the development from the start in 2008 to the release of Eastern Empires in 2021 very thoroughly.
