- BGG rating
- 7.0
Eight-Minute Empire: Europe Expansion Board
- 2–5 players
- 8 min
- Complexity 1.6/5
- 2013
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,878
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Eight-Minute Empire
2012
Rules assistance for Eight-Minute Empire
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 8–20 min
- 13+
- Complexity 1.6/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Eight-Minute Empire
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Eight-Minute Empire is a board game released in 2012 for 2–5 players, 8–20 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Ryan Laukat and its main mechanics are Set Collection, Area Movement, and Area Majority / Influence.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Eight-Minute Empire: Mountains
- 2–5 players
- 8–20 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2013
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Eight-Minute Empire: Legends
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- 8–20 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2013
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,208
- BGG rating
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- Complexity 1.8/5
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Majesty: For the Realm
- 2–4 players
- 20–30 min
- Complexity 1.7/5
- 2017
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- BGG #1,904
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- 2–4 players
- 20–60 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,523
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Show Manager
- 2–6 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 1996
About the game
Eight-Minute Empire, by Ryan Laukat, is a quick game that implements the Civilization/Exploration theme using card-driven area control (by placing armies and cities in a small map) and set collection (by getting resources from the board and the cards). Players spread through the map in order to collect points at the end of the game by having majorities in regions and continents. All actions (such as land or sea movement, army production, or the founding of cities) are driven by cards that are face-up (six at a time) and available by increasing prices. Cards also contain resources, which also give points when the game ends if properly collected. Its first version was available as print-and-play, and a regular (Kickstarter funded) version was published in 2013. An expansion featuring a European map is available as an expansion (Eight-Minute Empire: Europe Expansion Board), and a stand-alone sequel has also been published (Eight-Minute Empire: Legends). From the publisher: Build an empire and conquer the land in around eight minutes! In Eight-Minute Empire, 2-5 players take turns selecting a card from six displayed. The card gives a good, and also has an action that the player takes immediately. Actions help players take over the map, but sets of goods are worth points at the end of the game, so players have to balance the two aspects. Eight-Minute Empire is the super-quick area control game with tough decisions. It's easy to learn and perfect for when you only have a few minutes.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Devir
- Kaissa Chess & Games
- Hobby World
- Hobby Japan
- Piatnik
- Swan Panasia Co., Ltd.
- 999 Games
- DV Games
- MINDOK
- Competo / Marektoy
- Laser plus
- Brain Games
- IELLO
- Bard Centrum Gier
- Ideal Board Games
- Schwerkraft-Verlag
- Red Raven Games
Questions and answers
Eight-Minute Empire supports 2–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Eight-Minute Empire is 8–20 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Eight-Minute Empire for ages 13 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Eight-Minute Empire has a complexity rating of 1.6 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Eight-Minute Empire belongs to these categories: Card Game and Territory Building. Its main mechanics are Set Collection, Area Movement, and Area Majority / Influence. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Eight-Minute Empire are: Ryan Laukat. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Eight-Minute Empire as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.