
- BGG rank
- BGG #16,618
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Affinity
- 3–8 players
- 20 min
- 2018

2022
Rules assistance for The Year of the 5 Emperors
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Year of the 5 Emperors is a board game released in 2022 for 2–5 players, 30–60 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Roméo Hennion, Clément Leclercq, and L'équipe ludique and its main mechanics are Area Majority / Influence and Deck, Bag, and Pool Building.
Extend your influence network in the Empire to seize power and become the true emperor of Rome! Prepare for your rise to power by purchasing cards and constructing your influence network (deck). Choose the right time to declare yourself Emperor. Once you do, deploy your legions, fulfill objectives, and defeat the other pretenders. Be careful though, because most of the objectives can be stolen from you during the game. The first pretender to control 4 objectives at the same time will become the true emperor or Rome... This game was created in partnership with Lyon's Lugdunum - Musée et Théâtres romains with support from the museum's scientific team.
The Year of the 5 Emperors supports 2–5 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 The Year of the 5 Emperors is 30–60 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 The Year of the 5 Emperors 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.
The Year of the 5 Emperors has a complexity rating of 2.0 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.
The Year of the 5 Emperors belongs to these categories: Card Game and Ancient. Its main mechanics are Area Majority / Influence and Deck, Bag, and Pool Building. 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 The Year of the 5 Emperors are: Roméo Hennion, Clément Leclercq, and L'équipe ludique. 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 The Year of the 5 Emperors 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.