How to Play Doodle Empires: A Complete Beginner's Guide
Doodle Empires is a creative sandbox strategy game that combines freedom, creativity, and strategic depth. Whether you're a fan of building alternate histories or simply enjoy drawing borders and managing nations, this game offers endless possibilities. In this guide, we'll walk you through how to play Doodle Empires and master its mechanics step by step.
With the right strategies, you'll soon be crafting your own unique world in Doodle Empires.
What is Doodle Empires?
Before diving into the gameplay, let's quickly understand what Doodle Empires is all about. This sandbox strategy game allows players to create nations, draw borders, and shape a world entirely of their own design. The game uses a unique card-based system for actions like expanding borders, merging nations, or splitting them apart. Each nation also has randomized leaders with traits that influence gameplay, making every session of Doodle Empires unique.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Play Doodle Empires
1. Create Your First Nation
The first thing you do in Doodle Empires is create your own nation:
- Choose a Border Color: Pick a unique color to represent your nation on the map.
- Name Your Nation: Give your nation a name that reflects its identity.
- Draw Borders: Use your drawing power to outline your nation's borders. Start small and expand strategically to ensure sustainable growth.
2. Understand the Card System
The card system is the core mechanic of Doodle Empires. Each card allows you to perform specific actions:
- EXPAND: Grow your nation's borders. Choose between small, medium, or large expansions. Expanding into unclaimed territory is cheaper and easier than conquering other nations.
- SPLIT: Divide a nation into two, creating a new one. This can help manage large empires or create rival nations.
- UNION: Merge two nations into one, fully annexing the smaller nation. This is useful for building powerful empires.
Mastering these cards is essential to success in Doodle Empires.
3. Switch Between Map Modes
Doodle Empires offers two map modes to help you strategize:
- Political Mode: Displays all national borders, making it easier to plan expansions and alliances.
- Origin Mode: Shows the cultural origins of nations, adding depth and historical context to the game.
Switch between these modes to gain new insights and refine your strategies.
4. Manage Leaders and Traits
Every nation in Doodle Empires has a randomized leader with unique traits. These traits impact how your nation grows and interacts with others:
- Conqueror: Focuses on aggressive expansion.
- Settler: Prefers peaceful growth and settlement.
- Coward: Avoids conflict and takes defensive actions.
- Weak: Struggles with expansion and defense.
- Average: Balanced traits with no strong advantages or disadvantages.
If you're unhappy with your leader, use the New Leader card to replace them and gain a fresh approach.
5. Customize Your Nation
Personalization is a key feature of Doodle Empires. Use the nation inspector to:
- Edit your nation's name and color.
- Change your leader's name.
- Adjust borders or other details to make your nation truly unique.
6. Explore New Maps
Doodle Empires offers a variety of maps, such as the Caribbean. Experiment with different starting points and strategies to challenge yourself. The improved UI, including adjustable brush sizes, makes it easier to draw precise borders and refine your creations.
7. Plan for Future Features
The game is constantly evolving, with exciting features like religions, migrating tribes, disaster cards, and historical ages planned for future updates. These additions will add even more depth and variety to Doodle Empires, so keep an eye out for updates!
8. Experiment and Have Fun
The beauty of Doodle Empires lies in its sandbox nature. Experiment with different strategies, create unique histories, and enjoy the process of building your world. There's no single “right” way to play—let your creativity run wild!
Why Play Doodle Empires?
Doodle Empires is more than just a game—it's a platform for creativity and strategic thinking. Here's why you should give it a try:
- Unlimited Creativity: Design your own nations, histories, and maps.
- Strategic Depth: The card system and leader traits create endless opportunities for strategy.
- Replayability: No two games of Doodle Empires are ever the same.
- Active Development: Regular updates and new features keep the game fresh and exciting.
Doodle Empires is an innovative sandbox strategy game that offers endless possibilities for creativity and strategic gameplay. Ready to dive in? Download Doodle Empires today and start building your dream world!