Area control with programmed orders across feudal Japan.
The age of warring states has come. Rival clans march across Japan, raising armies, fortifying castles, and clashing for dominance of the provinces. Every decision carries weight, for orders once given cannot be undone. The clan that commands with foresight, strength, and honor will carve its name into history!
In Small Samurai Empires, players take the role of Daimyo leading armies to conquer Japan. The game unfolds over three eras, each divided into two rounds where players secretly program their actions by placing Order tokens on the map. Once revealed, these actions drive the game: you may recruit new armies into provinces, move troops across regions or by sea, harvest resources to fuel future moves, attack rival armies to seize control, or build castles to fortify your position. Clever timing matters - tokens resolve in order from one end of the map to the other, often disrupting carefully laid plans.
Influence builds as you control more provinces and castles within each region, with Destiny cards raising the stakes by making certain regions more valuable for end-game scoring. At the end of each era, players gain resources, advance on influence tracks, and score points for dominance in regions. After the third era, final points come from regional influence multipliers and leftover resources. The Daimyo who commands the most influence across Japan ascends as its Emperor, securing eternal glory!
