- BGG rank
- BGG #21,599
- BGG rating
- 6.1
Князья (Knjaz'ja)
- 3–8 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2005
- BGG rank
- BGG #13,250
- BGG rating
- 6.2
Founders of the Empire
2013
Rules assistance for Founders of the Empire
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 30–45 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.3/5
Rules assistant for Founders of the Empire
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Founders of the Empire is a board game released in 2013 for 2–4 players, 30–45 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Aleksei Kalinin and Petr Tyulenev and its main mechanics are Tile Placement.
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About the game
Three hundred years before the Common Era, the shores of the Mediterranean Sea are inhabited by dozens of peoples, but only one of these nations is destined to found a great civilization that will spread from Egypt to Britannia. Take up the reigns of rule in your hands and prove that you are the only one worthy to unite half the world under your banner! In Founders of the Empire, each player expands his own domain using four types of square tiles: Green tiles represent natural landscapes: forests, cliffs, lakes, etc. They can be added to the players' domains freely. These tiles provide basic resources: wood, stone, plants and water. Blue tiles are village buildings that require specific natural resources. For instance, the mine (which provides gold) should be placed next to stone and water sources. Purple tiles represent city structures: marketplaces, inns, workshops and army camps. They also should be placed next to other tiles that give certain resources. In addition to providing corresponding resources, city tiles give their owners action tokens that can be used at any point of the game. Red tiles are temples and altars that give players victory points. They are of different values (from 1 to 3 points) and require different combination of resources. A player's turn consists of three phases. First, the player must add a new tile from the stack to the common market. Then, he has the option of playing one of his tokens; these tokens are able to buy opponents' resources, pillage enemy tiles, transfer resources between tiles, and convert resources to victory points. Finally, the player must add a tile from the market to his domain. The game ends after all red tiles are added to the players' domains. Each player calculates victory points from his temples and tokens, and the player with the most points wins.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- G3
- Rightgames RBG SIA
Questions and answers
Founders of the Empire 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 Founders of the Empire is 30–45 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 Founders of the Empire for ages 12 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.
Founders of the Empire has a complexity rating of 2.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-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.
Founders of the Empire belongs to these categories: Ancient and Civilization. Its main mechanics are Tile Placement. 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 Founders of the Empire are: Aleksei Kalinin and Petr Tyulenev. 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 Founders of the 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.