Barbarian, Kingdom & Empire

About this board game

Barbarian, Kingdom & Empire is a game for 1–6 players with an approximately 180-minute play time, first released in 1983. Players represent barbarian hordes sweeping down from the steppes to overwhelm the remnants of the Roman Empire.

From these ruins, players build strong, expansionistic kingdoms. As kingdoms grow into empires, they become rich and corrupt—and increasingly tempting targets for new waves of barbarian invaders. The game presents a continuing cycle of conquest, growth, decline, and renewed invasion.

Defeat does not necessarily remove a player from the action. A defeated player may return to the fringes of civilization, amass a new horde of Huns or Germans, and seek another opportunity to shape the emerging history.

• Play as barbarian hordes moving out from the steppes.
• Build expanding kingdoms among the remnants of the Roman Empire.
• Return after defeat with a new horde of Huns or Germans.
• Play freely or explore included historical scenarios.

A unique play mechanism allows players to enter or exit at any time without disrupting play or changing the victory conditions. This makes it possible for participation to shift while the broader struggle continues.

Barbarian, Kingdom & Empire includes many historical scenarios set in the ancient and early medieval Mediterranean world. Players can also create their own history, using the game’s setting as a foundation for stories of barbarian invasion, imperial expansion, and the rise and fall of kingdoms.