Empyreal: Spells & Steam

Designer	Trey Chambers
Publisher	Level 99 Games
Players	2-6
Playing Time	30-75 mins
Suggested Age	10 and up
Expands	Empyreal: As Above, So Below Empyreal: Far Corners
Honors	2020 Cardboard Republic Architect Laurel Winner 2020 Cardboard Republic Architect Laurel Nominee
Additional Info	220367/empyreal-spells-steam http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/220367/empyreal-spells-steam/forums/63

The industrial age has come at last to the World of Indines! Use your ingenuity and the skill of your team of technomancers to cross the continent of Indines while connecting towns and building a vibrant trade network. Research new spells as you carve a path through the many treacherous terrains of the continent, using your company's unique advantages to outbuild the competition and secure supply lines for rare resources.

In Empyreal: Spells & Steam, technomancers use mana to build rails, and the amount of mana crystals required to cast a spell varies by terrain and by the potency of the spell. Mana crystals must recharge after being used, so your choice of when and where to use each spell will be critical to determining the efficiency of your construction engine.

The towns you choose to connect to your network will provide critical resources, and the value of these resources changes over time. Some become more valuable as they become more connected, while others become less valuable as their abundance increases. Thus, you need to be wary of what your competitors are building into their trade networks and adapt your strategies accordingly to maximize the value of your stock portfolio.

Reaching new cities first gives you additional benefits, and being the first to bridge the continent provides you with a sizable commission from your backers. However, those who build first are more at the mercy of changing markets. Time your construction projects to maximize your profits and the flow of mana.

—description from the publisher