Twilight Imperium Fourth Edition

A monster of a game, both in physical size and in length of gameplay, but a worthy investment. Great quality materials and super fun to play. I would describe the game as Risk in Space, with the bargaining and negotiating of Catan or Monopoly, the expansive sci-fi universe feel of Star Wars and Star Trek, and the politics, betrayals and world building of Game of Thrones. This game has great replayability if you can find friends to play it with who are down for the long time commitment. Fair warning, this game is extremely complex with a summarized rulebook of about 40 pages and a separate detailed reference rulebook of about the same length. Both are worth reading if you want to be able to understand the gameplay and so you can teach others effectively. Don’t trust the time estimates on the box! The game takes about an hour to set up, an hour to teach, and in my experience, 7-10 hours to play the full game. In addition, I recommend having your players watch a YouTube game tutorial before joining for a first game before coming over so they understand the basics! Should also note that the box is oversize and the game itself needs a lot of table space to play (sometimes 2 tables). Because the map is changeable and because each alien faction has different powers, the gameplay is a little different every game and is balanced in a way that feels fluid and competitive. The game supports various play styles allowing different paths to win the game, ranging from more aggressive to more peaceful/cooperative at the player’s discretion. This game is worth the high price tag, but is not a play everyday kind of game. Make sure players know what they’re getting into and make sure to set a whole day aside to play!

Twilight Imperium, going back to 3rd edition, is one of my favorite board games of all time. 4th edition continued Fantasy Flight Games solid history of refining game mechanics paired with a love for thematic play. My love for the game heightened with this edition. 17 playable races, a variable map, game systems that allow for deep technological, political, diplomatic, and military planning make for a game that is familiar yet unique every time I've played it. It takes a long time to play, but it's time well spent. One of my highest recommendations I can provide.

Yeah, buy this game if you have the friends and time to play it. I'd say this shines anywhere from 4 to 6 players, though many have played with 3 and say the same. I'll go down a few more elements below that kept me on the fence when I was thinking about buying it, then give you some pointers at the end. Rules: Are actually very intuitive. It feels like there are enough rules here to really "sink your teeth in" and learn a "big" game, but when it comes down to it, they all are really streamlined and fit together very nicely. Popular games like Robinson Crusoe or Gloomhaven definitely have greater rule overheads. "Fun-ness": Super nerdy theme (that I'm very into), seemingly lots of rules and a long playtime, so it's definitely running the risk of being a long, plotting game where everyone just stares down at their pieces doing math problems to win, right? RIGHT?? --Nope. This is very much not a "math it out" or "euro-y" kind of game. Its mechanics and win states are (mostly) all designed to get you to look up and interact with other people. There's plenty to think and scheme about on your own, but you can't play, let alone win, this game without making deals / interacting with other people. Even in your first game, where everyone is trying to figure stuff out for the first time. Game length: Some pros and cons here. It's great that this tends to be a long game. It really lends to its epic feel and is the reason you'll remember decisions people around the table made in your last game even a couple years from now, but... it can definitely be long depending on your group of friends, experience levels, and player count. I've had a game of 4 new players go for 14 hours (don't let this happen, see tips below). I've also had a 4 player game of newbies go 5-6 hours. Timing can vary, but, if this makes sense, you can see it coming. By that I mean you can judge by the pace the game is going how long it will be and try to adjust accordingly. Staying engaged the whole time: Yes. You will be VERY engaged the entire time. All the players. Almost all of the time. Really no downtime at all. Lots to do, think, and interact about. QUICK TIPS: You need to have a grasp on most of the rules beforehand. Have everyone else watch the YouTube rules video by RTFM. They won't understand any of it, but being briefed will go a long way. Be prepared to try and answer questions as you go. You'll get a lot wrong the first game, and it won't matter. Reddit is a great reference as well as the publisher's "Living Rule Reference" for the game online. Roll with your mistakes. Tell everyone something like, "hey we're all playing for the first time so we'll definitely get a handful of mulligans, but at some point we'll just have roll with mistakes. We're ALL going to be making them, and some of them will feel big, but that's just reality... we'll figure it out." You try and make calls and give / not give mulligans where needed, or put it to the table to decide if needed. If you notice after the first "round" that people are still taking a long time on their turns because they're hanging on every possible move they could make, do the best you can to usher them along. Both on their turn, before and after it. Tell everyone about the pace you all have to try and keep so you're not all winded later on. Even use timers here and there if you need. Call "clock" like you're playing texas hold'em. Maybe avoid a few races your first game (Winnu, Arborec, Saar, Mentak, Nekro, Muaat). They're either complex, or game changing in a way no one should have to deal with out of the gate (Winnu is just not very fun). Have Advil at the ready. Take breaks and eat food.

This is probably the best board game created. Definitely worth its price.

Superb. It does take 8 hours to play, but somehow never becomes boring. An epic space opera that makes for hilarious, tense, tactical and political games. If you’ve got enough keen friends to play, this is great value for all of the entertainment you’ll get out of it.

جميله جدا

Is goed

Gioco arrivato leggermente in ritardo rispetto ai tempi programmati, ma d'altronde l'ho comprato fuori italia perchè nessuno dei miei amici, me compreso voleva attendere la versione in italiano. Imballaggio perfetto, il gioco corrisponde alla descrizione. Non manca nulla. Let's play.