- BGG rating
- 7.8
Small Samurai Empires: Rise of Tokugawa
- 1–5 players
- 45–90 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 2023
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,823
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Small Samurai Empires
2020
Rules assistance for Small Samurai Empires
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 45–90 min
- 13+
- Complexity 2.8/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Small Samurai Empires
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Small Samurai Empires is a board game released in 2020 for 2–4 players, 45–90 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Milan Tasevski and its main mechanics are Area Movement, Area Majority / Influence, and End Game Bonuses.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 9.2
Samurai Empires: Eiyū
- 2–4 players
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About the game
Small Samurai Empires is an action-programming area-control game for 2-4 players, where players are fighting for control of Japan with their armies of Samurai! A game of Small Samurai Empires is played in 3 Eras, each consisting of 2 rounds. Each round, players will take turns placing order tokens facedown on one of the slots available in the 4 regions of Japan. When all players have placed their tokens and filled all the token slots, they will be revealed and resolved one by one by the owner of the token. These order tokens will enable the players to recruit mighty Samurai armies, move their armies to conquer provinces, build castles to defend and maintain control of their provinces and do other meaningful actions. At the end of each of the three Eras, players will score points depending on the regions they control and their value, which can change during as the game progresses. Finally, the player with the most points at the end of the game is the winner! —description from the publisher
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- CrowD Games
- Légion Distribution
- Joy Town Games
- Archona Games
- Boardgames Invasion
Questions and answers
Small Samurai Empires 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 Small Samurai Empires is 45–90 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 Small Samurai Empires for ages 13 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.
Small Samurai Empires has a complexity rating of 2.8 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.
Small Samurai Empires belongs to these categories: Abstract Strategy and Medieval. Its main mechanics are Area Movement, Area Majority / Influence, and End Game Bonuses. 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 Small Samurai Empires are: Milan Tasevski. 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 Small Samurai Empires 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.