How To Play Empire

Empire is a simple group guessing game where players try to figure out which secret word belongs to each person. Every correct guess adds another player to your team, causing your “empire” to grow throughout the round.

The game requires very little setup, works well with a group, and can be played with almost any category you can think of. As teams grow, players can work together to remember the words and determine who they belong to.

Here’s how to play Empire.

Empire Video Tutorial

What You Need to Play Empire

To play Empire, you will need:

A group of players
Small slips of paper
Pens or pencils
A bowl, hat, or container for collecting the slips

You will also need to choose a category for each round.

Possible categories include:

Animals
Foods
Colors
Names
Countries
Movies
Sports
Famous people

The category can be almost anything, as long as everyone understands what types of words are allowed.

Setting Up the Game

Start by choosing the category for the round.

Each player secretly writes one word that fits the category on a slip of paper.

For example, if the category is animals, players might write words such as:

Penguin
Tiger
Giraffe
Dolphin
Kangaroo

Players should keep their words secret.

Fold all of the slips of paper and place them into a bowl or other container.

Choose one player to read the words.

The reader opens each slip and reads all of the secret words out loud to the group twice through.

Everyone should listen carefully and try to remember the words that were read.

The slips can then be set aside. Players will now try to determine which person wrote each secret word.

Choose a player to make the first guess.

On a turn, the guessing player chooses another player and attempts to identify their secret word.

For example:

“I think Sarah is penguin.”

Sarah then reveals whether the guess is correct.

If the Guess Is Correct

If the guesser correctly identifies Sarah's word:

Sarah joins the guesser's team.
Sarah moves and sits next to the player or team that guessed her.
The guesser gets to make another guess.

As long as the player continues making correct guesses, their turn continues.

If the Guess Is Incorrect

If the guess is wrong:

The guesser's turn immediately ends.
The player who was guessed becomes the next guesser.

For example, if Tom says, “I think Sarah is penguin,” but Sarah is not penguin, Tom's turn ends and Sarah takes the next turn.

Play continues with players attempting to match the remaining secret words to the correct people.

Building Your Empire

At the beginning of the game, everyone is essentially playing on their own.

As correct guesses are made, players begin joining together into teams.

These teams are called empires.

For example, suppose Alex correctly guesses that Ben wrote “tiger.” Ben now joins Alex's empire.

Later, Alex might correctly guess Claire's word. Claire would then join the same empire.

The team now consists of Alex, Ben, and Claire.

As the round continues, empires can become larger and larger.

How Teams Make Guesses

Once players have joined an empire, they can work together.

Teammates are allowed to whisper and discuss possible guesses with one another.

However, only the team captain makes the official guess when it is their team's turn.

This means a larger empire has the advantage of having several players who can help remember the words and figure out who they belong to.

The captain listens to the team's ideas and then announces the team's final guess.

What Happens When a Player Joins a Team?

When a player is correctly guessed, they (and any empire they had) become part of the empire that guessed them.

From that point forward, they work with their new teammates.

They can help remember which words were originally read and whisper suggestions to the team captain.

As more players are correctly identified, the number of separate teams gets smaller while the remaining empires grow larger.

Winning the Game

Continue playing until all of the players have become part of one team.

The final remaining team is declared the Empire and wins the round.

You can then collect the slips, choose a new category, and play another round.

Because everyone chooses a new secret word each round, the game can be played repeatedly with different categories.

Tips for Playing Empire

Choosing Good Categories

One of the easiest ways to keep Empire interesting is to change the category each round.

Categories should have plenty of possible answers so players can choose words without everyone writing the same thing.

Listen Carefully

When the words are first read aloud, pay close attention.

Remembering the complete list gives you a major advantage later in the game.

Remember Incorrect Guesses

Wrong guesses can be just as helpful as correct ones.

If someone guesses that Sarah is “penguin” and the guess is wrong, everyone now knows that Sarah is not penguin.

Remembering this information can help narrow down the possibilities.

Work Together

Once you join an empire, share what you remember with your teammates.

One person might remember a word that another player has forgotten.

Don't Make Your Word Too Obvious

Try to choose a word that fits the category without immediately making everyone think of you.

If the category is food and everyone knows you eat pizza every Friday, writing “pizza” might make your identity easy to guess.

Keep Your Team Discussions Quiet

Part of the fun is figuring out the other players' words before competing teams do.

When discussing possible guesses with your teammates, whisper so the other empires cannot hear your strategy.

Why Empire Is a Great Group Game

Empire combines memory, deduction, and a little bit of bluffing in a game that is easy to teach.

There are no complicated scoring systems or special game pieces to learn. All you need are some slips of paper and a group of people.

The changing team structure also makes each round interesting. A player who starts alone can quickly build a large empire, while another team might make a comeback by correctly identifying several players in a row.

And because you can choose a completely different category every round, the game offers plenty of variety.

Gather Together with Empire

Empire is an easy group game that turns a simple list of secret words into a battle to build the biggest team. Listen carefully, remember the clues, and work with your teammates to figure out who wrote each word. Make enough correct guesses, and your growing team might be the one that becomes the final Empire!