Empires: Age of Discovery
- Players
- 2-6
- Best withThe player count this game plays best at.
- 5 players
- Play timeHow long a full game runs once everyone knows the rules.
- 150 min
- AgeThe minimum age printed by the publisher.
- 10+
- ComplexityHow demanding the rules are, from 1 (very light) to 5 (very heavy).
- 3.3 / 5
- Year
- 2015
About the game
Empires: Age of Discovery reimagines the classic Age of Empires III as European colonial powers race to explore, colonize, and dominate the New World. Across three eras, players deploy worker-placement actions to send expeditions, expand trade fleets, train colonists, and construct unique national buildings. Area-majority contests over colonies and trade routes drive tense competition for economic dominance, with the option of open warfare when negotiation fails. Its layered worker-placement engine offers a wide range of strategic paths to empire-building. Long, meaty, and deeply thematic, it's a substantial game for dedicated strategy fans.
Hobbli's Notes
Hobbli's editorial team sees Empires: Age of Discovery as an underrated worker-placement epic that captures a genuine "empire building" arc across its three ages. The area-majority mechanic on colonies makes expansion feel meaningfully contested rather than purely parallel. It rewards long-term planning and adaptive strategy as the board fills up. Its long playtime and heavy rules mean it's best reserved for committed strategy groups with time to spare.
What we like
- Deep worker-placement engine offers many viable strategic paths.
- Area-majority colonization creates meaningful player conflict.
- Three distinct eras give the game a satisfying narrative arc.
- High player count support makes it great for large strategy groups.
Keep in mind
- Very long playtime demands a significant time commitment.
- High complexity and rules overhead for newcomers.
- Downtime can be substantial with a full six players.
Who it's for
Aimed at experienced strategy gamers who enjoy long, deep worker-placement civilization games, in groups of 2-6.
