This epic strategy board game scares me a little, but I might try it thanks to a Prime Day discount

A Twilight Imperium board game box against a brick wall, sat on a starry mat, with a 'Prime Day deals' badge in the top right corner of the frame
(Image credit: Ian Stokes)

Twilight Imperium is pretty legendary so far as board games go. Few are as ambitious, and it's the kind of experience you don't soon forget. That's why it getting such a massive price cut for Prime Day is such a big deal. (Literally.)

You can pick up the sprawling sci-fi epic for $98.99 at Amazon instead of $134.99 right now. That's the cheapest it's been in over a year, and because Twilight Imperium is one of those board games that doesn't often get a discount (it usually sits north of $130, come rain or shine), this Prime Day saving should be on your radar.

Particularly because the 'was' price doesn't seem wholly accurate. While this is a big enough reduction as is, I should also note that the actual MSRP seems to be $164.99. In other words, the discount is even bigger than Amazon is making out.

Twilight Imperium | $131.99$98.99 at Amazon
Save $33 - 
Buy it if:
Don't buy it if:
Price check:


UK price:£164.99£130.37 at Amazon

Twilight Imperium | $131.99 $98.99 at Amazon
Save $33 - This sprawling sci-fi strategy game hasn't been as cheap as this in... well, months. The last time it got anywhere close to this price was March 2023, and since then it's averaged around $132.

Buy it if:
✅ You want an engrossing strategy
✅ You like complex, very tactical games
✅ You want to be a space emperor

Don't buy it if:
❌ You want something easy
❌ You don't have much free time

Price check:
💲 Miniature Market | $131.99
💲 Walmart | $131.99

UK price: £164.99 £130.37 at Amazon

Should you buy Twilight Imperium?

A top-down view of the Twilight Imperium board tiles, cards, and tokens on a wooden board gaming table

(Image credit: Ian Stokes)

If you're a fan of in-depth strategies that you can really get your teeth into, Twilight Imperium is comfortably one of the best board games. You play as one of many space-faring civilizations in their effort to conquer the galaxy, battling each other in a bid for dominance after the previous rulers decided this was all too much work and abdicated. And these options aren't just cosmetic; they genuinely influence everything from play-style to combat effectiveness and beyond. The Universities of Jol-Nar are prodigies when it comes to technology, for example, but they are terrible when it comes down to a battle.

Yes, the resulting politics and fighting lead to a bulky run-time (you'll need to set aside hours to finish this thing), but the experience you'll have can't be compared to anything else. You'll end up passionately debating your rivals and trying to convince them to do what you want, and it's amazing how invested you'll become in your surprisingly fleshed-out faction.

To cut a long story short, this may just be the ultimate sci-fi board game... and I honestly don't see it dropping in price this much again until Black Friday at the earliest - and perhaps not even then.


For more discounts, don't miss these board game deals. It's also worth dropping in on our guide to the latest Prime Day gaming deals, too.

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Benjamin Abbott
Tabletop & Merch Editor

As the site's Tabletop & Merch Editor, you'll find my grubby paws on everything from board game reviews to the latest Lego news. I've been writing about games in one form or another since 2012, and can normally be found cackling over some evil plan I've cooked up for my group's next Dungeons & Dragons campaign.