Empire's End
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Game info
Design & Art
Lingua & Editore
Pairs well with
Empire's End – The end of an empire may be just the beginning
In Empire's End , you're not building an empire... you're trying to save it. You're at the height of your power, but history has other plans: famine, floods, barbarian invasions . Each turn presents you with difficult choices: sacrifice resources or territory, or accept disaster and hope to gain an evolutionary advantage.
The reverse auction mechanic is the heart of the game: the more you refuse to suffer the calamity, the more resources you risk losing... but if you accept the catastrophe, you gain new technologies and powers. All this is spiced up by resource management, events, technological development, and military conflicts. Because even when you're collapsing, you can win.
There's no need to build an empire... if you know how to make it survive.
- Strategic and original : a game where "resisting the worst" is the real key to success
- Shiny reverse temples , in “No Thanks” style, but with imperial depth
- Production, industrial and war phases that give rhythm and variety to each game
- Illustrated by Kwanchai Moriya , with vibrant and timeless art direction
- Low language dependency , also perfect for mixed groups
Empire's End is a dance between fall and rebirth, between renunciation and innovation. If you're looking for a tense strategy game , where defeats can turn into brilliant victories... then prepare to make history. Even if it's shattered.
🐸 Frog tip: Not everything that falls is lost. Sometimes it's just a new era beginning.
Empire's End
Product Details
🐸 HOW TO PLAY
1. A civilization at its peak... for now.
In Empire's End , you begin the game at the height of your power. Your lands are fertile, your cities thriving, your borders protected. But history teaches us: sooner or later, decline comes. And when it does, will you be ready to turn every misfortune into an opportunity?
2. The heart of the game: reverse bidding.
When a calamity strikes—famine, invasion, fire, plague—players initiate a reverse auction. Whoever bids lowest takes the calamity, but also all the resources bid by others . It's a No Thanks! system, but taken to a higher strategic level, where losing smartly can mean winning in the long run.
3. The more you fall, the more you learn.
Every disaster devastates one of your territories… but it teaches you something. You acquire new abilities, called Innovations , which represent your people's adaptation to hardship. Sometimes a civilization forged in fire is stronger than one untouched by chaos.
4. A march into the unknown.
The game unfolds along an event-driven path that alternates between resource production , military phases where you challenge other empires, the reconstruction of destroyed territories, and, of course, new disasters. Each step forward is a choice between resisting or surrendering , holding on or sacrificing , going all-in or retreating .
5. Who really wins?
In the end, the winning civilization will be the one with the most victory points : intact territories, acquired innovations, and military glory. But don't expect a linear path: Empire's End is a constant balancing act between risk management, engine building, and strategic resilience. Every disaster is a choice. Every choice, a test.
📦 BOX CONTENTS
1 scoreboard
44 Location Tiles (4 sets of 11)
11 Conflict Cards
88 Disaster Cards
12 Cubes Sold Out
4 Player Screens
4 Scoring Pawns
10 Game Pieces (8 Disaster, 1 First Player and 1 Phase Marker)
Resource Tokens (Grain, Axe, Hammer, and Coin)
Regulation
🃏 SACHETS
33x88mm - Quantity 88
63x88mm - Quantity 11
The sleeve sizes listed are based on data from BoardGameGeek.com (BGG), the global board game community.
🐸 We at FroGames strive to provide useful information, but we cannot guarantee the complete accuracy of the data reported.
We always encourage you to check them based on the edition and specific content of the game. 💬
✨ If you have any further questions, please contact us: we'll be happy to help!
In Empire's End, the one who knows how to lose best… and get up stronger will win.
A game of auctions and resilience where even disasters become power
Empire's End – Glory Falls, But Not Without a Fight
Your civilization is at its peak: lush lands, abundant wealth, armies at the ready. But nothing lasts forever. In Empire's End , every turn is a race against decline. Natural disasters, barbarian invasions, famine : every event can destroy you or strengthen you, it all depends on how much you're willing to lose... and learn.
With an ingenious reverse auction system and a development curve that rewards resilience, you'll find yourself choosing which territories to sacrifice and which disasters to face , turning defeats into lasting advantages.
A fast-paced, tense experience full of moral dilemmas , where even collapse can lead to victory.
Strategy, disasters, and innovation: the end of an empire is not the end of the game.
Empire's End is a strategic board game for 2-4 players , created by John D. Clair and illustrated by the talented Kwanchai Moriya. Published in Italian by Lucky Duck Games, it offers an original mix of reverse auctions, engine building, and resource management , set in the heart of a civilization on the verge of collapse.
Each turn presents a new threat to face: if you accept the catastrophe, you also gain an innovation card that enhances your game engine. If you avoid it, you pay precious resources. A constant balance of risk, sacrifice, and foresight.
Perfect for those who love civilization games with modern mechanics , it offers an intense experience in less than an hour. And no, you're not building the Roman Empire here... you're trying to save what's left of it.
We played it and it shook us (in a good way) 🐸
Our first playthrough of Empire's End left us with that feeling we love: “I want to play this again right now.”
The reverse auction system, combined with the idea that misfortunes empower you, is brilliant. Every choice weighs: do I sacrifice the most valuable territory or save resources for the next military phase?
The tension builds naturally, and between floods and plagues, you truly begin to feel the fate of your people. A fresh, elegant, and exciting game that confirms John D. Clair's ability to innovate. Highly recommended for those seeking difficult decisions and memorable games .
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🌆 Resurgence – Rebuild post-apocalyptic Moscow, one bag at a time
🐦 Nestlings – Birds, biomes, and dice… but with more strategy than you think
🌳 Ironwood – Two factions, one forest, and an asymmetric card war
🏴☠️ Pax Hispanica – Between pirates, empires, and battles for control of the Caribbean
I giochi da tavolo non servono a passare il tempo. Servono a viverlo meglio. – La Rana Saggia
Ogni regola è un’opportunità nascosta. Scoprila con occhi nuovi. – Il Girino Curioso
Non so come ho vinto. Ma è stato divertentissimo. Rigioca, se hai il coraggio. – La Ranarock Ribelle
Una buona mossa è silenziosa. La vittoria, inevitabile. – Ranaldo Stratega
Non serve vincere per giocare bene. Serve giocare per stare bene. – Zio Rospo Zen
I giochi da tavolo non servono a passare il tempo. Servono a viverlo meglio. – La Rana Saggia
Ogni regola è un’opportunità nascosta. Scoprila con occhi nuovi. – Il Girino Curioso
Non so come ho vinto. Ma è stato divertentissimo. Rigioca, se hai il coraggio. – La Ranarock Ribelle
Una buona mossa è silenziosa. La vittoria, inevitabile. – Ranaldo Stratega
Non serve vincere per giocare bene. Serve giocare per stare bene. – Zio Rospo Zen
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