Portal Games has announced new expansions for both Imperial Settlers and Imperial Settlers:  Empires of the North:  Rise of the Empire for Imperial Settlers and Barbarian Hordes for Empires of the North.

Portal describes Rise of the Empire as a “meta-expansion” that adds some “legacy” elements to the game.  Rise of the Empire introduces an "open-world" campaign setting in which  players chart a path for their empire over a series of multiple games.  During each game, players try to complete goals in diplomacy, economics, and culture.  If a player completes a goal, their empire enters a new era, unlocking a new deck of inventions and developments for their empire.

The campaign mode is designed so that each empire develops on its own, allowing players to drop in and out of the campaign between games, rather than requiring the same group of players to compete through the entire campaign.  Game balance is maintained by introducing new challenges to each empire as it enters a new era that do not apply to empires that are still in an earlier era.

Rise of the Empire comes with 220 new cards and shortens the game from five rounds to four.  MSRP and release date have not been announced.

Barbarian Hordes adds two additional factions to Imperial Settlers:  Empires of the North.  Each faction is represented by its own deck of cards and features new abilities and mechanics. 

MSRP has not been announced.  Release is planned for this summer.

In February, Portal will release the Roman Banners expansion for Empires of the North (see “‘Roman Banners’ Fly for ‘Empires of the North’”).  The spinoff from Imperial Settlers was launched last summer (see “‘Imperial Settlers:  Empires of the North’”).