Imperial is a varied strategy game without the luck of dice or cards for 2 to 6 players. Each player represents an international investor. The players attempt to increase their capital and gain influence in the most powerful European nations. They control the politics of the six imperial nations: Austria-Hungary, Italy, France, Great Britain, the German Empire, and Russia. The nations erect factories, build fleets, and deploy armies. The investors watch as their nations expand, wage wars, levy taxes, and collect the proceeds. Since the European nations are under the shifting influence of different investors, new strategic alliances and conflicts arise between them again and again