Overview
At a glance
Is this game right for my group?
ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.
Easier to teach
High replayability
Highly interactive
Scales well
Deep strategy
More strategic control
How it plays
How does it play?
Build rival star kingdoms across a replayable legacy campaign, permanently shaping factions before adding the cards to Star Realms.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Deck / Bag Building
Add new pieces during play to improve the cards, tokens, or dice drawn later.
Legacy Game
Choices permanently change components, rules, or future sessions.
Cooperative Game
Players coordinate their actions toward a shared objective and win or lose together.
Hand Management
Time and sequence a limited hand of cards to preserve future options.
Delayed Purchase
Commit to a purchase before receiving the item or paying its full cost.
Read the full game description
Star Realms: Rise of Empire is a two-player legacy deck-building campaign set before the original Star Realms. Each game expands the conflict between the Trade Federation, Star Empire, Machine Cult, and Blob through decisions that alter cards, unlock new material, and determine how the factions develop. Familiar trade, combat, bases, and scrapping keep turns fast, while the campaign gives every purchase and victory a longer shadow. Once the story is complete, the evolved cards remain usable as a customized Star Realms set and can integrate with several existing releases. The core campaign is competitive, replayable, and designed for a consistent pair.
