Shadows Over the Empire

About this board game

Shadows Over the Empire is a strategy game for 2–4 players, with an approximate play time of 120 minutes, set in the conquered city of Cardis.

The King is dead, Cardis has fallen, and the empire of Asmidan is moving to establish a new rule. After a long siege, the Emperor sends the Conclave of Law to bring order to a city left in disarray. Behind the scenes, competing factions begin their own struggle for power.

Each player takes the role of a faction leader and seeks to influence the personalities who shape Cardis. These figures can be persuaded to serve different interests, but loyalties are never secure. An important ally may become a mortal enemy as the balance of power changes.

• The former Queen gathers allies to help her son claim the throne.
• The wealthy Order of the Coin seeks power while ensuring that gold continues to flow.
• The Asmidan’s Church uses the feared Inquisition against those who oppose its ambitions.
• The Conclave of Law works to establish the Emperor’s new rule.

Every faction has its own reason to compete for dominion, creating a tense contest in which influence and allegiance are constantly shifting. The city’s future depends on which leaders can secure the right personalities and turn changing relationships to their advantage.

In Shadows Over the Empire, power is never settled for long. Will the former royal line reclaim the throne, will wealth guide the city, will the Church impose its authority, or will the Emperor’s new order prevail?