howtoplay.ro
Before the First Emperor

Before the First Emperor

Asteria Games · 2023
1–590–150 min14+ yrs9.5 BGG
short answer

How do you play Before the First Emperor?

The game takes place over the five hundred years of "Spring and Autumn Period" and "Warring States Period" in ancient China, before the power structure of old age undergone total collapse and the world was eventually taken over by the First Emperor of Qin.

To find the best price for Before the First Emperor, howtoplay.ro compares deals from Romanian shops every day.

Before the First Emperor box art
official art · Asteria Games

The game takes place over the five hundred years of "Spring and Autumn Period" and "Warring States Period" in ancient China, before the power structure of old age undergone total collapse and the world was eventually taken over by the First Emperor of Qin.

Before the First Emperor is a euro-style game developed around two core mechanisms of "selective worker placement" and "variable resource generation". Players are provided with multiple paths to victory.

In their turn, each player can place workers on one of the 12 action spaces on the main board and perform the corresponding actions, or place them in their own Domain tiles to generate resources. They can also fulfil contracts and use special powers as free actions.

After 8 to 10 rounds the game comes to a conclusion. Players sum up points gained from their contracts, Virtue Tracks, Provinces, Fiefs, office buildings and the King's Favours to determine who's the First Emperor.

🔬 game anatomy
BGG rating9.5 / 10
Play time
90–150 min
Players
1–5
Recommended age
14+ yrs

from Trișache · verified

Frequently asked questions

Q1How much does Before the First Emperor cost?
No store is currently tracking Before the First Emperor. Check the Prices tab — you can set a price alert to be notified when it appears.
Q2Where can I buy Before the First Emperor cheapest?
Check the Prices tab — howtoplay.ro aggregates offers from 7+ Romanian board-game stores and tracks price history.
Q3How do you play Before the First Emperor?
Before the First Emperor is a ancient game, for 1–5 players, taking ~90–150 minutes, featuring modular board. Check the Rules tab for setup, gameplay, and scoring, or ask Trișache anything about Before the First Emperor — our AI assistant built by howtoplay.ro and trained specifically on board game rulebooks.
Q4How many players does Before the First Emperor support?
Before the First Emperor is played by 1–5 players.
Q5How long does a game of Before the First Emperor take?
A game of Before the First Emperor takes about 90–150 minutes. (The first game doesn't count. It never counts.)
Q6What age is Before the First Emperor for?
Before the First Emperor is recommended from age 14.
Mechanics & categories

Expansions

Accessories

Games with similar mechanics

How we compute this