The biggest board game in the world

MEGA EMPIRES is a strategy board game for 3-18 players, based on historical context. In this massive game, players lead their civilizations as they try to gain victory points by expanding their populations, trading and developing cultural advancements. One of the major game play elements is interaction between players by both commodity trading and area control. Conflict may occur, but players will benefit most through the use of diplomacy, trading tactics and strategic alliances. The long term strategy will eventually create the most powerful civilizations.

The branch Mega Empires is a divided over two standalone games. These games, THE WEST or THE EAST, or both combined, take up to 12 hours to complete. Yet, the game mechanics are relatively simple and easy to learn. It was designed to be the biggest board game in the world that fits within a single day within a single room. There are also shorter scenarios included in the game.

This historic-themed game is about development, trade, culture, politics and dealing with calamities. The game is a perfect fit for larger groups of strategic board game enthusiasts whilst, due to the scalability, it can also be played in smaller groups.

Scope
In its full scope, the 2 meter (80 inch) wide map board stretches from Britannia in the West to current Bangladesh in the East, and from Scandinavia in the North to Sudan in the South. The 18 civilizations included in the game include legendary peoples such as the Romans, the Egyptians, the Babylonians, the Indus Valley civilization and the Nubians.

Develop on the Board
Each player starts their civilization in the Stone Age with a single population token on the board, but as the game progresses the populations will expand, spread over the board, fight border conflicts, and found cities. Cities bring resources and wealth expressed in trade cards. The more cities that players manage to achieve on the board, the more trade cards they receive. Trade cards received are predominantly valuable commodities, but sometimes turn out to be a calamity.

Trade
Trading is the heart of the game, a social experience where all players simultaneously interact with each other to optimize the value of their sets of commodities. In addition to the desired commodities, calamities are secretly traded as well, adding an additional layer to the trading dynamics. Once the trading phase has ended, players that end up with a calamity in their hand will suffer its effects. These include natural disasters such as epidemic, famine or earthquake, or civil calamities such as civil disorder, barbarian hordes or piracy.

Develop Civilization Advances
When the smoke of trading and calamities has settled, players can decide how to spend the wealth gathered through trading. The game includes 51 different advances that can be developed, each of which provides benefits in the game to its holder. For example, Metal Working provides an advantage when fighting conflicts, Architecture facilitates city construction and Enlightenment reduces the impact of (civil) calamities.

The 51 Civilization advances are divided into the categories Arts, Crafts, Science, Civics and Religion, each of which has its specific strengths. Each advance acquired by a player provides discounts to other advances that can be purchased later in the game, thereby creating a path of strategic decisions. The ultimate advance in the game, Wonder of the World, is only in reach for players who manage both their trading and purchasing strategy very well.

Winning the Game
The players who is best in developing their position on the board, claim territory whilst avoiding making enemies, defending their people against natural or civic calamities and stand the test of time, will eventually gather the most victory points and win the game. After up to 12 hours of playing, that is.

MEGA EMPIRES
MEGA EMPIRES consists of THE WEST and THE EAST. Either game can be played by 3-9 players, and the combination can be played by 10-18 players. Either stand alone game can be expanded with the Special Buildings Expansion. Where THE WEST has a focus on sea travel and trade on the Mediterrainean Sea, THE EAST follows the Silk Road to India and trading is done through the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula. Both games are developed as equally balanced counterparts that either have their own unique characteristics in gameplay, while competing together in an East/West 18 player experience.