• Twilight Imperium 4th Edition
  • Twilight Imperium 4th Edition — product image 1
  • Twilight Imperium 4th Edition — product image 2
  • Twilight Imperium 4th Edition — product image 3
  • Twilight Imperium 4th Edition — product image 4
  • Twilight Imperium 4th Edition — product image 5
  • Twilight Imperium 4th Edition — product image 6

Fantasy Flight Games

Twilight Imperium 4th Edition

Out of stock
$170.00
$170.00 $230.00

SAVE $60.00

An epic strategy board game of galactic conquest for 3–6 players. Command one of seventeen unique factions, build a brand-new galaxy every game, and win through warfare, trade and political manoeuvring across roughly 4–8 hours of heavy, highly interactive play. Recommended for ages 14+.

Sold out

About the Game

Claim the throne of Mecatol Rex in a sweeping epic of galactic conquest: each game, players build a brand-new galaxy from modular tiles, draft strategy cards, command fleets, strike trade deals and vote on galaxy-changing laws as they race to ten victory points. No two games are ever the same. Twilight Imperium (Fourth Edition) plays with 3–6 players across roughly 4–8 hours, is recommended for ages 14+, and sits at the heavy end of the complexity scale. Notable mechanics include a modular board, variable player powers across seventeen factions, role selection, voting and secret objectives. Victory comes from scoring public objectives revealed round by round alongside hidden personal goals, so plans must shift as the game unfolds. First published by Fantasy Flight Games in 1997, Twilight Imperium reached its fourth edition in 2017, which streamlines and refines the series' signature blend of warfare, politics and economics into the definitive modern edition.

History

Twilight Imperium was first published by Fantasy Flight Games in 1997 and quickly became a landmark of big-box strategy gaming, renowned for its sweeping space-opera scope. This fourth edition, released in 2017, refines and streamlines the systems of its predecessors into the definitive modern version of the game, and is further supported by expansions such as Prophecy of Kings.

Shipping

$15 flat shipping · FREE over $150

Shipping details

Watch: How to play

Rules of Twilight Imperium 4th Edition

  • Setup: each player picks a faction with unique powers, then players take turns placing modular tiles to build a new galaxy around Mecatol Rex and set out their home system, starting units and command tokens.
  • Strategy phase: at the start of each round, players in turn order draft one strategy card, which grants a powerful special ability and sets turn order for the round.
  • Action phase: players take turns performing actions—move and fight with fleets, produce units, use strategy card abilities, or pass—until everyone has passed.
  • Status phase: players score objectives they qualify for, reveal a new public objective, ready exhausted cards and planets, and redistribute command tokens.
  • Agenda phase: once a player takes Mecatol Rex, each round ends with the galactic council voting on laws that can reshape the game.
  • Objectives: score points from public objectives revealed round by round plus your hidden secret objectives, so plans must adapt as new goals appear.
  • Winning: the first player to reach 10 victory points claims the throne and wins immediately.

Strategy

  • Chase objectives, not just battles: victory points win the game, so check the public objectives each round and shape your plans around scoring them.
  • Pick strategy cards for your situation: choose cards whose ability fits your plans, and remember early picks also give you an earlier turn position.
  • Manage command tokens carefully: tokens fuel your actions, so keep a balance across tactics, strategy and politics rather than draining one pool.
  • Defend your home system: a modest garrison deters opportunistic neighbours while your fleets operate elsewhere.
  • Score a little every round: steady points from achievable objectives usually beat waiting for one big late-game push.
  • Keep secret objectives realistic: hold goals you can plausibly complete and score them when the board cooperates rather than forcing them.
  • Talk and trade: deals, truces and votes matter—friendly neighbours are often worth more than an extra planet early on.
  • Watch Mecatol Rex: holding the centre grants the speaker position and scoring opportunities, but contesting it too early can leave you overextended.