- BGG rank
- BGG #1,790
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Pioneer Days
- 2–4 players
- 45–75 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #14,301
- BGG rating
- 5.7
Empire Engine
2013
Rules assistance for Empire Engine
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
- 14+
- Complexity 1.7/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Empire Engine
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Empire Engine is a board game released in 2013 for 2–4 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Matthew Dunstan and Chris Marling and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Simultaneous Action Selection, and Action Queue.
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About the game
Once, the world of Mekannis was united and prospered under the guidance of the Great Engine—an enormous thinking machine built into the molten heart of the world. Over millennia, Mekannis was transformed until every piece of land was incorporated into the gears and levers of the Engine itself. An act of hubris by the world’s rulers caused a series of devastating malfunctions that shattered the land and the death of the Great Engine. Now four empires rise to dominance. The Kestrel Dominion, descending from ancient hereditary rulers and cherishing their ancestral tradition of honor; Nova Centralis, a plutocratic nation built upon exploiting wealth and greatly desirous of maintaining their economic edge; the Sylphian Commonwealth, a once-verdant land now poisoned by the aftereffects of the Engine’s destruction; and the Grail Prelacy, a theocratic nation emboldened by prophecies of ultimate victory. Each empire vies to fulfill the prophecy and restore the Great Engine, the source of ultimate power. In Empire Engine, players take on the role of a mighty empire, powered by rotating gears. During the game, players simultaneously choose actions to attack, defend, salvage, export, or collect resources (goods for export, soldiers to attack your opponents and inventions to score points). Players use their gears to rotate their engines, and in each round perform the actions on the top edges of their engines. The player who scores the most points for the goods, soldiers and inventions in their score pile at the end of the game is the winner!
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Pegasus Spiele
- Arclight Games
- (Web published)
- Alderac Entertainment Group
- Good Little Games
Questions and answers
Empire Engine 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 Empire Engine is 30 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 Empire Engine for ages 14 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.
Empire Engine has a complexity rating of 1.7 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.
Empire Engine belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fighting, and Print & Play. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Simultaneous Action Selection, and Action Queue. 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 Empire Engine are: Matthew Dunstan and Chris Marling. 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 Empire Engine 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.