Struggle of Empires

The deluxe edition of Struggle of Empires looks properly at home across a large table. Its production gives a fine game the return it deserves, and the changes feel like improvements rather than a coat of varnish.

But this is not a game for admiring bits. It is a game for watching the player beside you explain why they definitely will not betray you this time. In our first play, Russia gained an early lead through a strong draft and a favourable auction, then became everybody’s problem the moment the scoreboard started telling the truth.

The game moves through country choices, drafting and auctions before the wars break out and their consequences are counted on the map and in the scoring. Unrest and government reforms are not decorative concerns: neglect them and they will collect their payment, usually when you already have too many fronts to manage.

The good stuff sits in the alliances and the diplomacy between wars. Deals are made, deals bend, and kingmaking can send its tentacles precisely where it hurts; in our game, Russia could not hold its lead and the winner took it by a single point. That is when it wakes up. Who is going to keep their word?

It is a superb game: balanced enough to sustain the pressure without wearing itself out, and sharp enough at the finish to reward the player who finds points in the chaos. It is not merely suitable for a big gathering; it is the game that reminds the gathering why it came together.

Updated session

The later play confirmed the same highly positive impression: the scoring remained ruthless, with victory decided by two points. It also exposed the one weakness. If the players are not in the mood for bluffing, complaints and betrayal—or are still finding the point of their first game—a little repetition creeps in. Bring seasoning. This game wants it.