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Empires of the Middle Ages
1980
Rules assistance for Empires of the Middle Ages
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–6 players
- 240–360 min
- 14+
- Complexity 3.5/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Empires of the Middle Ages
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Empires of the Middle Ages is a board game released in 1980 for 1–6 players, 240–360 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Jim Dunnigan, Redmond Aksel Simonsen, and Anthony F. Buccini and its main mechanics are Voting.
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About the game
This classic SPI game from 1980 covers the economic and political landscape of Medieval Europe from 771 to 1467 on an area map. Several scenarios allow players to do anything from a solitaire game during the Charlemagne's reign to the "Grand Scenario" that covers historical trends throughout the period. Decision Games published a second edition in 2004, with a differently styled map. It added optional expansion rules & counters for Armies, Fleets, and Civilization Markers, along with additional Event Cards -- raising their number from 56 to 164. At the start of each player's Round, Event Cards are drawn which change the strategic situation (such as Plague or Bounty) or benefit a player in various ways. The descriptions of the Events contain a great deal of historical information, adding much interest to the game. Each player may attempt to perform up to five "Endeavors" per 25-year long Turn. There are six types of Endeavors: Conquest, Pillage, Diplomacy, Defense, Fortification (including building Armies/Fleets) and Ruling. Additionally, moving Armies/Fleets and Taxation may always be performed. Endeavor resolution is diceless; instead "Year Cards" which show an array of results for each type of Endeavor are drawn. The card might also require a Leader Stature Check, which can change the player's Combat, Administration, and Diplomacy ratings. Endeavor resolution is affected by the appropriate Leader rating, and the involved areas' language, religion, population, and Social State (which changes frequently). Poor performance can lead to Unrest or Rebellion in an Area. An area's Social State value rises and falls as a result of Events and Endeavors, and improving the Social State of your empire is an important object of play. Optional rules add non-player Raiders and Magnates. The Sword And The Stars is a galactic empire game based on the Empires Of The Middle Age game system.
Mechanics
Publishers
- Hobby Japan
- SPI (Simulations Publications, Inc.)
- Decision Games (I)
Questions and answers
Empires of the Middle Ages supports 1–6 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 of the Middle Ages is 240–360 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 of the Middle Ages 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.
Empires of the Middle Ages has a complexity rating of 3.5 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 of the Middle Ages belongs to these categories: Economic, Wargame, and Medieval. Its main mechanics are Voting. 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 of the Middle Ages are: Jim Dunnigan, Redmond Aksel Simonsen, and Anthony F. Buccini. 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 of the Middle Ages 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.