Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom

Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom

City-building game set in ancient China, where players build thriving cities by zoning spaces, managing resources, and keeping citizens happy, developed by BreakAway Games and published by Sierra Entertainment in 2002.

What is Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom?

Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom is a city-building and economic simulation game set in ancient China. Developed by BreakAway Games and published by Sierra Entertainment, it was released in 2002 as the sixth entry in the City Building series.

In the game, players take on the role of an imperial official appointed by the emperor to govern cities and advance Chinese civilization. The main gameplay revolves around building thriving cities by zoning spaces, managing resources like food and wood, collecting taxes, keeping citizens happy, and defending against nomad attacks.

Players start with an undeveloped plot of land and must set up key infrastructure like housing, marketplaces, schools, clinics, and amenities. As the city grows, additional buildings become available, allowing players to manage advanced economies and supply chains. The gameplay experience focuses heavily on balancing various complex systems.

Emperor stands out for its faithful representation of ancient Chinese culture and architecture. The visual style features watercolor-like graphics that bring the distinctive buildings and sweeping landscapes to life. The game also has many small details that increase immersion into the period setting.

Overall, Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom provides a uniquely Chinese take on the popular city builder formula. With strong economic and city planning gameplay, beautiful visuals, and intricate little touches, it remains one of the most authentic-feeling civic simulations of its time period.

Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom Features

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