Grand Imperialism

About this board game

Grand Imperialism is a 2–6 player game of expansion and conquest, with sessions lasting about 60 minutes. Released in 1978, it is a revised version of Flying Buffalo’s Imperialism.

Each turn brings a changing mix of opportunity and danger. Pirates attack, wealth accumulates, cards are drawn and played, and players build and move their forces while trying to expand their empires.

Conflict is central to the experience, but conquest is not the only path to influence. Deals, double-dealing, and gunboat diplomacy add political tension, while attrition can reduce an army before or during its campaigns.

• Expansion and conquest across a world
• Wealth accumulation and card play
• Building and moving armies
• Attrition and battles
• Pirate attacks and gunboat diplomacy
• Deals, double-dealing, and heroic stands

Grand Imperialism captures the drama of imperial ambition through clashes between large and small armies alike. Players may face heroic stands by small forces against native hordes, alongside the uncertainty created by raids, shifting agreements, and military losses.

With room for 2 to 6 players, the game supports a range of competitive group sizes while keeping its focus on the broad arc of imperial expansion. Its combination of cards, movement, wealth, diplomacy, and battles creates a game filled with glory, bloodshed, negotiation, and reversals.