Oriental Empires
A turn-based strategy game set in Ancient China.
Oriental Empires is a turn-based strategy game for Windows PC, set in Ancient China. It was created by developers R.T. “Bob” Smith and John Carline and released by Iceberg Interactive in September 2017. Players begin as a small Chinese tribe, choosing from playable factions such as the Shang, Zhou, Han, Shu, Qin, Chu, Wu, Min Yue, and Ba. Non-playable factions include barbarian groups like the White Di, Dong Yi, and Dog Rong; nomad groups such as the Xiongnu, Dingling, Xianbei, and Mongols; and two rebel factions—peasant rebels and noble rebels. The objective is to conquer China and become universally recognized as its Emperor, with the grand campaign covering over 3,000 years from the Early Bronze Age to Imperial China.
Gameplay is turn-based, allowing players to move units, engage in battles, conduct diplomacy, and develop settlements each turn. A research tree offers cultural, philosophical, and religious branches. The game includes both single-player and multiplayer modes, with multiplayer supporting up to 15 players.
Development was led by R.T. “Bob” Smith, who previously worked on the Total War series. The game was announced in spring 2015 for PC and entered Steam’s Early Access program in September 2016. It launched without multiplayer, which was added during the Early Access period. The full version was released on Steam in September 2017, followed by a DRM-free release on GOG.com in January 2018.
Reception saw a Metacritic score of 74 from sixteen critic reviews. Early Access reviews noted technical issues: Brendan Caldwell of Rock, Paper, Shotgun pointed out many problems, while Luke Plunkett of Kotaku called the game promising but criticized its washed-out presentation and broken tutorial. For the full release, Luke Winkie of PC Gamer gave it a 72, describing it as “a perfectly good 4X game with an innovative combat system that feels a bit bland when framed against the richness of its setting.” Chris Wray of wccftech scored it 6.5 out of 10, citing a lack of depth and variety. Charles Ellis of Wargamer praised its unusual setting and innovative mechanics. The game was named one of Steam’s “Early Access Grads” for 2017, earning silver status based on gross revenue.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Oriental Empires
- Developer
- R.T. Smith & John Carline
- Publisher
- Iceberg Interactive
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows
- Released
- September 20, 2016 (Early access) · September 14, 2017
- Genre
- Turn-based strategy, 4X
- Modes
- Single-player / Multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Oriental Empires was announced in spring 2015 for PC and entered Steam's Early Access program in September 2016, initially without multiplayer. The Early Access period was used to implement multiplayer, and the game left Early Access for full release in September 2017. In January 2018, it was released DRM-free on GOG.com. The game features playable Chinese factions (Shang, Zhou, Han, Shu, Qin, Chu, Wu, Min Yue, Ba), barbarian factions (White Di, Dong Yi, Dog Rong), nomad factions (Xiongnu, Dingling, Xianbei, Mongols), and non-playable rebel factions (peasant rebels, noble rebels). Gameplay includes turn-based movement, battles, diplomacy, settlement development, and a research tree with cultural, philosophical, and religious branches.
Reader's Guide
Oriental Empires holds a Metacritic score of 74 based on sixteen critic reviews. Early Access reviews noted technical issues and a broken tutorial, with Kotaku's Luke Plunkett calling the game promising but criticizing its washed-out presentation. PC Gamer's Luke Winkie scored the full release 72, describing it as a perfectly good 4X game with an innovative combat system that feels bland against its rich setting. Wccftech's Chris Wray gave a 6.5/10, citing lack of depth and variety, while Wargamer's Charles Ellis praised its unusual setting and innovative mechanics. The game was named one of Steam's 'Early Access Grads'—top games leaving Early Access in 2017 by gross revenue—and awarded silver status.
Did You Know?
- The game spans over 3000 years of Chinese history, from the Early Bronze Age to Imperial China.
- The game launched in Early Access without multiplayer, which was added during the Early Access period.
- Oriental Empires was released DRM-free on GOG.com in January 2018.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Oriental Empires?
Oriental Empires is a turn-based strategy game for Windows PC that places you in the role of a small tribe in Ancient China. You expand your territory through tactical combat and diplomacy until you unify the entire region.
Which playable factions are available in Oriental Empires?
You can choose from nine Chinese dynasties and states, including the Shang, Zhou, Han, Shu, Qin, Chu, Wu, Min Yue, and Ba. Each starts as a relatively small tribe with its own strategic identity.
What is the main objective in Oriental Empires?
The core goal is to conquer all of Ancient China and achieve unification under your chosen faction. Along the way you will face both rival Chinese states and hostile non-playable groups such as the Xiongnu, White Di, and various rebel movements.
Who developed and published Oriental Empires, and when did it launch?
The game was created by R.T. 'Bob' Smith and John Carline, then published by Iceberg Interactive in September 2017. It is available exclusively on Windows PC.
How did critics rate Oriental Empires?
Oriental Empires earned a Metacritic score of 74 based on 16 critic reviews, landing in the generally favorable range. Critics tended to praise its historical setting and faction variety while noting the turn-based combat could feel repetitive over long campaigns.
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