When I look at the artwork of the Imperium series, it instantly reminds me of several (hundreds) hours playing the Age of Empires or Age of Mythology series on my PC throughout my childhood, or perhaps the Civilisation series might be more apt (being turn based). But you will find no hex based maps to conquer in these boxes, instead you will be building your kingdom by combining powerful asymmetric and common cards in the most effective and efficient way possible to leave yourself with the most points by the end of the game.
I should point out at this juncture that I will focus my thoughts on the box titled Imperium: Legends, rather than Horizon or Classics. The importance of this distinction is that all three of these boxes contain in essence the same game, however each package contains several unique civilisations in each. The other thing I should point out here is that you can combine all of these together, in any order generally have very little issues, besides some historical inaccuracies (though these are unlikely to be avoided within a single box). In the Legends package you meet several historical and legendary kingdoms/empires including the Egyptians and Qin from history, and Arthurians and even Atlanteans from myth. There are 8 in total and each play differently in the way in which they progress, score points and prioritise strategies within the game.
Essentially this is a card drafting, deck and tableau building game, where each player takes turns to Activate, Innovate or Revolt. And here is where I need to point out a slight learning curve for this title. There is a lot of terminology to describe play, and several can be confused with the others on your first few turns and first few games, particularly when like me you are looking to try out as many of the different factions as possible and dive into the “crunch” of the game. And there is definitely “crunch” to find for those who can get beyond the rule book’s glossary and explore.
One potential flaw to the game I have found is like so many games these days, it can feel a lot like multiplayer solitaire. Player interaction, short of taking cards out of the common deck that other players want/need, is kept to a minimum, which both adds and takes away from the game in equal measure. You will not find here the gotcha moments of other empire builders such as 7 Wonders Duel or Monumental (my staples in the historical empire building theme). But because of that you are more free to build out to your factions strengths largely and explore the various strengths and strategies of each without being forced into playing to thwart your opposition.
The other double edged sword which this brings about is player count. I certainly would not be going as high as the four player maximum suggested on the box for this title, as time between turns can already be lengthy at two, and with limited interaction it is likely to outstay its welcome on a more social game night. However, at two players it can be a deep and rewarding game to play, and with the very well produced solo mode, it can also be somewhat of a meditative experience to focus in on when you are alone.
Another touch point on the artwork, it is engaging and colourful if you hadn’t already noticed, and that extends from the box art onto every single card type in the game. The cards themselves are clear in iconography for the game, but they can get very busy and again it takes a small learning curve to remember where you are looking and for which icon before you can speed through your turns.
I have enjoyed my time with Imperium so far, and I am convinced that I will continue to do so, but I will leave this review with a word of warning. If you are seeking something for your next game night to clash armies against each other in an epic struggle of empires and ages, perhaps it is better to look elsewhere (Monumental, 7 Wonders, Root?) but if you are seeking a deep and engaging card game for yourself and a small group, then this game, or any of the other packs in the series, could be for you.
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Overall Score 70/100
