How to play Império
The property-trading board game with all of Portugal, explained in a few minutes.
Goal
Everyone starts with 1500 €I. Roll the dice, move around the board and buy the streets you land on. Whoever lands on your street pays you rent. The winner is the last player standing (or, in a quick game, the highest net worth when time runs out).
Your turn
- Roll the dice and move. Doubles let you roll again; 3 doubles in a row send you to jail.
- Where you land: buy a free street or it goes to auction; pay rent on someone else's street; draw a Chance or Community Chest card; pay taxes to the bank.
- Before ending your turn you can build, mortgage, sell or propose trades.
Passing Start gives you 200 €I.
Groups, houses and hotels
The 22 streets are split into 8 coloured regions. Owning a whole region doubles its rent and lets you build up to 4 houses per street (evenly) and then a hotel. The bank only has 32 houses and 12 hotels. There are also 4 stations and 2 utilities.
Jail
Pay 50 €I, use a "Get out of jail" card or try to roll doubles (up to 3 tries). You still collect rent while in jail.
Short on cash
Sell houses back to the bank (50% of the price), mortgage streets (half the price; 10% interest to redeem) or trade. If that is not enough, you go bankrupt.
Special events and chests
Every 3 rounds (by default) an event changes the rules for a while: crises, festivals, the Santos Populares, Summer in the Algarve, revolutions, votes and lotteries. Hidden treasure chests sit on some tiles. Choose the chaos level or turn events off before starting.
Playing with friends
Same screen: take turns on one device, with or without bots. Online: create a room, press "Invite friends" and send the link; everyone plays on their own device and can rejoin if the connection drops.
Frequently asked questions
Is Império free?
Yes. It is free to play in the browser, with no download and no ads. The store only has cosmetic items (pieces, dice and themes) bought with Império Coins earned by playing; none of them change the rules.
Do I need an account to play?
No. You can play on one screen, against bots or online without an account. An account (you sign in with a code sent to your email) only keeps your Império Coins, achievements and store items.
How do I play online with friends?
On the home page choose "Online", type your name and press "Create room". Then tap "Invite friends" and send the link (for example on WhatsApp): whoever opens it joins your room straight away. They can also type the 6-letter room code.
Can I play on my phone?
Yes. On phones the game is played in landscape: the board in the middle, players on the left and tabs on the right. It works on Android and iPhone, in the browser.
How many players?
From 2 to 6 players, humans or bots. Bots come in three levels: easy, medium and hard.
How long is a game?
Usually 30 to 60 minutes. For shorter games there is a quick game (30 to 90 minutes): when time runs out, the highest net worth wins.
What is on the board?
22 streets from 8 Portuguese regions (from Bragança to the Algarve, through Évora, Coimbra, Braga, Aveiro, Porto and Lisbon), 4 stations and 2 utilities. The most expensive street is Lisbon's Avenida da Liberdade.
What are special events?
Every few rounds an event changes the rules for a short time: crises that lower rents, festivals that raise them, the Santos Populares in Lisbon and Porto, Summer in the Algarve, revolutions and more. You can turn them off or pick the chaos level before starting.
How do I send feedback or report a bug?
Press "Send feedback" on the home page (or in Settings), or write to contacto@imperioboardgame.com.