SpawnPoint - Where Game Begins

Empire Deluxe is a turn-based strategy game in which the object is to seize all of the cities on a randomly generated map using air, land, and sea forces, while protecting your cities from your enemies. Every map has a number of neutral cities, and you and each of your enemies begin with one. Units are built in cities over a number of turns depending on the value of that unit. Each city produces one unit at a time.

The most basic unit is the army, which is used to capture enemy and neutral cities by landing from a transport or attacking over land. Armies are transported over water by transports, which are vital to conquering cities overseas. Destroyers, cruisers, and battleships patrol the seas and protect and intercept transports. In some modes of gameplay, submarines, aircraft, and carriers are available and add to the strategy of the game.

The game is rather simple to learn and play, yet affords many different playing styles for the discriminating strategist. Empire Deluxe's manual contains a comprehensive tutorial to accompany a scenario made specifically for learning the game, which is worth a read when learning the game, especially since the manual contains no less than 150 pages. The computer AI is formidable, but one often wonders about the fairness of the AI when one's mighty battleship is sunk by one of the computer's lowly transports. Empire Deluxe does not have fog of war, so you and the computer are able to see the complete battlefield and enemy troop movements throughout the game.

Empire Deluxe is compatible with Windows as well as DOSBox. Copy protection codes are required when configuring the sound and music settings; this may afford some convenience, although when you're trying to determine the appropriate settings, you'll have to constantly refer to the manual for a new code. Empire Deluxe can be played multiplayer over the internet or on the same computer with a friend.