Imperial 2030 is a stand alone game, based on the rules of Imperial. The six powers (USA, Europe, Russia, China, India, and Brazil) develop their industrial basis and amass armies and fleets. They will fight over control of neutral land and sea areas in order to become the most powerful nation worldwide.

In this game it is not players who take turns, but the six powers, one after another. Players are internationally operating investors who act in the background. By giving money to the six powers, which all have their own treasuries, the players will influence the politics. The biggest investor in each nation gets control of that nation's 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 one time. As investors, players should not get too attached to their preferred nation, but rather focus on where their investments give the best rates of return. Essentially the game is about making money, and not about military domination!

Imperial 2030 was initially released at Essen 2009 by PD-Games and Rio Grande Games. Compared to "Imperial" there are some new features:

• new bits made from wood
• the Swiss Bank
• a new 30 million bond to invest your money in
• additional neutral territory, generating higher taxation
• less home provinces
• control of canals (Suez and Panama).