Theme: In Imperial 2030, the new great powers China, India and Brazil are in ascendance, threatening the hegemony of the old Imperial powers United States, Russia and Europe. This has sparked a new global race for power and influence. Ultimately, these six states are only puppets in a treacherous game, because their fates are controlled by powerful international investors operating in the background. Each player takes on the role of such an investor who is on the constant lookout for the maximum return on his investment, and therefore tries to obtain ruthless control of great powers. But control of a state may also slip away – so the cunning investor must always be ready to take advantage of the new conflicts and strategic possibilities of the ever-changing landscape.
Imperial 2030 is for 2 to 6 players, and it combines economic calculus and military skills in a unique strategy game without any luck of cards or dice.

Gameplay: Imperial 2030 is a game on its own, based on the rules of Imperial. The six powers USA, Europe, Russia, China, India, and Brazil develop their industrial basis and build up armies and fleets. They fight over control of neutral land and sea areas in order to become the most powerful nation worldwide.

In this game it is not the players who take turns, but the 6 powers one after another. The players are just internationally operating investors who act in the background. By giving money to the six powers, which all have their own treasury, they influence their politics. The biggest investor in a nation gains control of its government and decides what the nation will do. As control of a government can change with each new investment, players may control several governments at the same time.
As investors, players should not get too affected to their preferred nation, but rather look out where their investments have the best rates of return.

At the end of the day, the game is about money, and not about military domination!