Pocket Empires 2026

Pocket Empires is a 2-player, 18-card, tableau-building microgame. Players build their own 3x3 tableau. Each player starts with a pre-set hand of six land cards, and these two sets are different. In each of the six rounds, you play a land card face-down. After both have played, the land cards are revealed to see who wins turn order. The important twist in the game is players now exchange the land cards just played. The land card you receive from your opponent must be placed in the position you played your land card.

At the end of the 1st, 3rd and 6th, you draft a civilisation card. Civilisation cards are the ones which score points for you, based on the icons on the land cards adjacent to them or in the same rows and columns.