Europe during the age of imperialism. International investors attempt to achieve the greatest influence in Europe. With their bonds, they control the politics of six imperial nations: Austria-Hungary, Italy, France, Great Britain, the German Empire, and Russia. The nations build factories, create fleets, and deploy armies. The investors watch as their nations grow, wage wars, levy taxes, and collect the proceeds. Because the European nations are under the shifting influence of different investors, new strategic alliances and conflicts arise between them again and again!

Each player acts as an international investor. Only those who succeeds in increasing their capital and gaining influence in the most powerful European nations will win the imperial competition.

Imperial is a varied strategy game with none of the luck of dice or cards. Two to six players, from about twelve years and up, act as imperial investors. The duration of the game is roughly two to three hours.