Oh, you think youre a serious board gamer, do you?
This epic space strategy is infamous amongst the board gaming world for being massive, complicated, and brilliant.
There are a lot of moving parts to be sure, but its incredibly intuitive.
(Image credit: Ian Stokes)
And yet, despite that, I still think its one of thebest board gamesever made.
Twilight Imperium features & design
Twilight Imperium is a game for between three and six players.
During set-up, youll build the galaxy from tiles (following instructions in the rulebook).
(Image credit: Ian Stokes)
Players then choose their faction from a pool of 17 different alien races.
Each race has their own home system, special abilities, unique technologies, and starting forces.
Different species specialize in certain areas of the game.
(Image credit: Ian Stokes)
Alongside the rulebook, there is a rules reference booklet that explains all the key concepts of the game.
The command sheet that everyone gets also has a quick reference of the gameplay order you could refer to.
Once everything is set up, its time to start playing.
But what exactly is the point of Twilight Imperium?
Long story short: to rule the galaxy.
Youll do so by completing objectives, and the first player to score 10 points wins.
(Image credit: Ian Stokes)
It’s not overly complicated though.
Once you get going, the core gameplay is surprisingly intuitive.
Its the ultimate big board game, and one of the bestclassic board gamesever made.
(Image credit: Ian Stokes)
They also have a number on them which determines the turn order for the action phase.
Once youve all got your strategy cards for the round, you move on to the action phase.
The action phase is where the lions share of the game takes place.
(Image credit: Ian Stokes)
Here, players move ships around the galaxy, build new stuff, and get into fights.
Players alternate turns, taking a single action each, until all players have passed.
Wondering what’s changed between the older 3rd Edition and this new version?
Accessibility is top of the list.
4th Edition is far more streamlined, with big improvements to tech and trading mechanics.
Objective cards are now revealed from the start as well to speed things up.
(Image credit: Ian Stokes)
Superficially, the artwork is also more saturated and has been given a futuristic ‘digital’ feel.
You only regain two command tokens every round, so you gotta be smart when spending your resources.
Youll need a fleet to defend your empire, and youll need resources to build that glorious armada.
(Image credit: Ian Stokes)
This is why youll need to expand out quickly and claim planets.
While bigger ships are typically more powerful, they also cost more resources to construct.
Then its time for the best part… the thrilling political discourse.
Then a second agenda card is drawn and voted on.
it’s possible for you to choose to use political influence to boost the power of your vote.
However, you cant win every vote, so spending your influence wisely is key.
Theyre extremely satisfying to use when played at the right time.
There are few other games that offer the depth and strategic possibilities of Twilight Imperium.
You need military strategy as well as political guile to win.
Real political thinking is required and realistic scenarios play out.
Hell, winning can often be a poor strategic choice, as it puts a target on your head.
Should you buy Twilight Imperium?
Obviously, I love Twilight Imperium, but that doesnt mean its an easy game to recommend.
If you start early, itll take all day.
Otherwise, its going to take two days.
It is by far and away the best at what it does.
The matches you’ll have will really stay with you as a result.
If a full day spent at the table doesn’t sound like fun to you, steer clear.
How we tested Twilight Imperium
This game was purchased for the purpose of this review.
