- BGG rank
- BGG #673
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Runebound (Third Edition)
- 2–4 players
- 120–180 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
- 2015
- BGG rank
- BGG #29,610
- BGG rating
- 4.7
Emperor's Challenge
1986
Rules assistance for Emperor's Challenge
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 60 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.6/5
Rules assistant for Emperor's Challenge
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Emperor's Challenge is a board game released in 1986 for 2–4 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. Its main mechanics are Set Collection, Roll / Spin and Move, and Hexagon Grid.
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About the game
There once lived an emperor who had ruled wisely over his kingdom for 33 years. But the emperor was tired and ready to retire. So one morning he summoned his children. "I am prepared to hand over the kingdom to one of you.", he said. "But first, you must pass a test --the same test I passed, and my father before me, and my grandmother before him. You must go out into the land and find four Jewels of Justice and a crown which I have hidden. You must uncover the Ruby of Love, Emerald of Faith, Sapphire of Wisdom, Amethyst of Truth and the Crown of Enlightenment. The first of you who finds these precious objects and brings them to me will have demonstrated worthiness. This is the one who will rule the kingdom". Not wanting to be recognised by their enemies and delayed in their quest, the children disguised themselves as sage old men. And, leaving the safety of the castle, they ventured out into the world --each with a guardian dragon, each hoping to be the one who returned with the four Jewels of justice and the fabulous Crown of Enlightenment. The object of the game is to find a Crown of Enlightenment and one of each color of the four Jewels of Justice and return to home base with them. The first player to do so inherits the kingdom and wins the game. The rules include several variants. Also included are rules for "Emperor's Chess", which is considerably different, and two more two-player games (The Emperor's Secret and Sage & Dragon Sets). Lovely bits.
Categories
Publishers
- Discovery Toys
Questions and answers
Emperor's Challenge supports 2–4 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 Emperor's Challenge is 60 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 Emperor's Challenge for ages 8 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.
Emperor's Challenge 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.
Emperor's Challenge belongs to these categories: Fantasy. Its main mechanics are Set Collection, Roll / Spin and Move, and Hexagon Grid. 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 catalogue lists Emperor's Challenge 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.