
- BGG rank
- BGG #400
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Age of Empires III: The Age of Discovery
- 2–5 players
- 90–120 min
- Complexity 3.1/5
- 2007

2015
Rules assistance for Empires: Age of Discovery
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Empires: Age of Discovery is a board game released in 2015 for 2–6 players, 50–150 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Glenn Drover and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Set Collection, and Area Majority / Influence.
Empires: Age of Discovery allows you revisit the age of exploration and discovery in the 16th century. You will take on the role of a European power establishing new colonies and trade in the New World. Over three ages, you will launch expeditions of discovery, expand your merchant fleet and military force, train your workers, construct buildings that give your nation interesting and distinct advantages, develop your economy, and (if necessary) declare war - always with the goal of expanding your empire farther than your opponents. Note: Empires: Age of Discovery is a reimplementation of Age of Empires III but without that name due to the expense of renewing the license from Microsoft.
Empires: Age of Discovery supports 2–6 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 Empires: Age of Discovery is 50–150 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 Empires: Age of Discovery for ages 10 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.
Empires: Age of Discovery has a complexity rating of 3.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
Empires: Age of Discovery belongs to these categories: Exploration, Civilization, and Renaissance. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Set Collection, 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 Empires: Age of Discovery are: Glenn Drover. 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 Empires: Age of Discovery 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.