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Esprit Jeu

Empire Builder: Ireland - A Classic Returns, Reimagined

Par Trella Bromley

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Une aventure ferroviaire épique en Amérique du Nord Découvrez un grand classique moderne de l’Amérique du Nord. Célébrez l’une de nos passions les plus vivantes et les plus durables : les chemins de fer. Utilisez votre investissement initial pour construire des voies ferrées. Récupérez ensuite les marchandises là où elles sont cultivées, extraites ou fabriquées, puis livrez-les vers un lieu de demande lucratif. Réalisez une livraison et gagnez l’argent nécessaire pour acheter des trains plus grands et plus rapides, et étendre votre empire ferroviaire. Remportez la partie en bâtissant l’empire ferroviaire le plus performant ! Jeu original et fleuron de la gamme « Crayon-Rails » de Mayfair, ce jeu permet aux joueurs, à l’aide de crayons lavables, de tracer leurs itinéraires ferroviaires sur une carte de l’Amérique du Nord. Les joueurs commencent avec une somme d’argent initiale qu’ils utilisent pour construire de courts tronçons de voie ferrée au cours de leurs deux premiers tours. Pendant le reste de la partie, les joueurs font circuler leurs trains sur le réseau ferroviaire tracé sur le plateau pour récupérer et livrer des cargaisons dans différentes villes, puis ont la possibilité d’étendre leur réseau ferroviaire ou d’améliorer leur train. Le jeu utilise des cartes « demande » qui répertorient trois demandes, chacune correspondant à une marchandise à livrer dans une ville précise en échange d’une rémunération donnée. Chaque joueur dispose de trois cartes « demande » qui lui offrent des opportunités de revenus. Chaque tour se compose d’une phase d’exploitation et d’une phase de construction. Au cours de la phase d’exploitation, les trains sont déplacés vers les villes où les marchandises sont chargées gratuitement, puis acheminées vers l’une des villes figurant sur les cartes de demande du joueur. Une fois la marchandise livrée, le joueur reçoit la rémunération et échange cette carte de demande contre une nouvelle. Les cartes événement sont mélangées au paquet avec les cartes de demande. Lorsqu’une carte Événement est piochée, les instructions qui y figurent sont suivies. Au cours de la phase de construction, un joueur peut payer pour construire davantage de voies ferrées ou améliorer son train. Un joueur remporte la partie s’il est le premier à relier son réseau ferroviaire à six des sept grandes villes du plateau et à accumuler 250 000 000 $ en liquidités.

Présentation de la campagne

BUILD YOUR OWN RAIL NETWORK ACROSS IRELAND

Darwin's Toys is pleased to announce Empire Builder: Ireland, the newest addition to the long-running Empire Builder series! Draw your own rail network across Ireland, pick up commodities, and make profitable deliveries as you race to build your railroad empire. This is Darwin's Toys' second Empire Builder game, and EB: Ireland will become the 12th title in the award-winning series.

Empire Builder: Ireland celebrates one of our most vital and enduring passions: railroads. Each game challenges you to build a rail network that takes advantage of the opportunities presented by your cards. Use your starting money to lay your initial track, pick up commodities where they are grown, mined, or manufactured, then make the right deliveries to earn the money you need to expand your network and upgrade to larger, faster trains.

The classic Empire Builder gameplay loop, with fresh challenges and updated mechanics for Ireland, creates a game designed to make its way back to your table again and again - not to collect dust on your shelf.

1. Build Your Network
Connect cities across Ireland by drawing your rail network.

2. Plan Your Deliveries
Use your cards to decide which commodities and destinations offer the best opportunities.

3. Pick Up & Deliver Goods
Move your train across your network, collect commodities, and deliver them where they're needed.

4. Reinvest Your Profits
Use your earnings to expand your network and upgrade your train.

Every decision matters as you weigh payoff opportunities against construction costs and time, while racing to claim victory before your opponents can.

MORE THAN FIVE YEARS IN THE MAKING

Empire Builder: Ireland began with a simple request. Bob Stribula - an old hand at Empire Builder game design - was asked by a playtester if he would create an Empire Builder game set in her family homeland of Ireland.

Bob took up the challenge, and what began as that request became more than five years of design, development, and playtesting. The result is a new Ireland map built around the classic Empire Builder experience: drawing your own rail network, planning efficient routes, and making deliveries that will grow your railroad empire.

THE NEXT GENERATION OF EMPIRE BUILDERS

Empire Builder: Ireland brings a classic tabletop game system to a new setting, where you strategically manage investments and optimize logistics to create a network that will pay off again and again. With modernized components and updated gameplay, this enduring classic has been given a loving refresh.

Our hope for Empire Builder: Ireland is twofold.

We want longtime Empire Builder players to open the box and immediately recognize the game they’ve loved for years. We also hope they discover new challenges in a game that is unmistakably familiar but still feels fresh.

And we want someone who has never played an Empire Builder game before to sit down at the table to discover why people have been playing Empire Builder games for more than four decades.

Darwin Bromley sits surrounded by some of his board game titles.

For us, that's what continuing Darwin Bromley's legacy really means. We’re not simply preserving these games on a shelf; our goal is to keep them on the table being played and loved by new generations of Empire Builders.

A modernized game design means faster turns and less waiting. Less time managing components and hunting for places allows you to focus on building your empire.

KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING

No need to memorize Ireland's cities or constantly search the board: maps are printed directly on the cards to help you quickly locate destinations and source cities. This makes route planning faster and the game more accessible for veteran, casual, and first-time players alike.

GOODS YOU'LL WANT TO GET YOUR HANDS ON

This deluxe edition features large, high-quality plastic commodity chips with completely updated artwork. Each chip is double-sided and made to be a substantial, durable game component that will be fun to play with.

GATHER STEAM

Our new paper money is printed on strong paper stock, making it easy to handle. Newly designed for Empire Builder: Ireland, the bills are durable and substantial without being too slippery or sticky.

Or upgrade your money by adding on a set of the brand-new Deluxe Money Chips, custom-designed for playing Empire Builder games from the same deluxe plastic used in the commodity chips!

KEEP YOUR TRAIN ON TRACK

Your dual-layer train board keeps your railroad organized. Commodity chips stay securely in place while you track your train's movement right on the board.

MAKE YOUR MARK

Special dry-erase crayons have been reformulated and remanufactured for Empire Builder: Ireland and future games. Each player will have an updated version of the traditional pawn, complete with a directional arrow. If we unlock our metal train stretch goal, the game will also include a set of large, beautifully crafted metal trains. Use whichever one you prefer.

EVERYTHING ELSE FOR THE JOURNEY

Of course, there’s more in the box. In addition to all the components above, Empire Builder: Ireland also includes

game board where your railroad empire takes shape
player pawns to track your location
movement tracker cube to keep track of how far you've gone
wiping cloth to clear the board for your next game
full rulebook to get you up and running.

Everything you need to build your railroad empire across Ireland is right in the box.

THE EMPIRE BUILDER LEGACY

We work hard to preserve the legacy of Darwin Bromley by bringing great games back to the table and creating new experiences for the next generation of players. Darwin was a founder of the original Mayfair Games and one of the visionaries in the gaming world. He brought Catan and other Euro-style games to the US market, and designed and developed the Empire Builder series, Express, Alibi, Family Business, the Sim City card game, and several others.

Darwin, Bill Fawcett, and Darwin's bother Peter were instrumental in bringing the Empire Builder series to life, but the games have taken on a life of their own because so many dedicated gamers still enjoy playing them. Our mission at Darwin's Toys is to keep that legacy on track and headed for new destinations!

THE TEAM BEHIND DARWIN'S TOYS

Darwin's Toys is led by Trella Bromley (CEO) and Jeff Jackson (President). Together, we're committed to bringing these games back into print and moving the Empire Builder series forward.

Trella's journey with Empire Builder began long before Darwin's Toys existed. She discovered the game in college in 1989 and fell in love with its unique combination of route building, pickup-and-deliver strategy, and solving the puzzle of figuring out the most profitable way to connect everything together.

In 1994, that love of train games led her to the Train Gamers Association (TGA) at Gen Con, where she met Darwin Bromley. They eventually married, making these games an even bigger part of her life. Before Darwin passed away, he was working to reacquire the rights to the games he had helped create. Trella completed that quest and started Darwin's Toys to preserve his legacy and, most importantly, keep these games alive and being played.

Jeff and Darwin were friends, and Jeff had been playing Empire Builder games for years before Trella met either of them. He has served as the Empire Builder rules guru in the TGA for many years and now wears several hats at Darwin's Toys. Currently, he is focused on developing and preparing Empire Builder: Ireland for production, working closely with our artistic team on the many details required to turn a game design into a finished product.

The team is also working on the next titles arriving in the station: Empire Builder: North America and Empire Builder: France!

Trella and Jeff bring decades of friendship and experience playing these games at the highest level to Darwin's Toys. Their goal is to publish at least one game each year, combining the spirit of the games players already love with new maps, different challenges, more options, and thoughtful improvements to the playing experience.

Early Bird Pricing is available for the first 48 hours!

Prices for most tiers will increase on Thursday.

Tycoon and Magnate tiers available only during the Kickstarter campaign. Designs, names, and dedications are subject to approval and production requirements.

EXTRA COPY OF EMPIRE BUILDER: IRELAND - $74

Add another copy of Empire Builder: Ireland Deluxe to your pledge.

LEPRECHAUN FIRST PLAYER MARKER - $12

Add a little extra Irish luck to your game with our Leprechaun First Player Marker. This limited-run marker will not be reproduced once they're gone.

DELUXE MONEY CHIPS & STORAGE CASE - $35

Replace paper money with substantial plastic money chips, packed in their own storage case. Designed for use with Empire Builder: Ireland and your other Empire Builder games.

Includes 35 × $1, 35 × $5, 45 × $10, and 25 × $50 chips, plus the storage case.

EMPIRE BUILDER: EUROPE 2ND EDITION - $55

Expand your Empire Builder collection and build your railroad network across Europe with Empire Builder: Europe 2nd Edition.

EMPIRE BUILDER: EUROPE DELUXE COMMODITY CHIPS - $25

Upgrade your copy of Empire Builder: Europe 2nd Edition with deluxe plastic commodity chips.

NIPPON RAILS - $70

Build your railroad network across Japan with Nippon Rails, another game in the Empire Builder series.

INDIA RAILS - $70

Build your railroad empire across India with India Rails, another game in the Empire Builder series.

EXPRESS DELUXE: THE RAILROAD CARD GAME - $35

Take railroad building to the card table with Express Deluxe: The Railroad Card Game, a fast-playing card game of railroad building and competition.

U.S. SHIPPING & FULFILLMENT

Your copy of Empire Builder: Ireland will be packed and shipped directly from the Darwin's Toys Fulfillment Center in Kettering, OH.

Darwin's Toys already ships Empire Builder games and other items directly to customers throughout the United States, while managing inventory and shipping products for other clients as well.

We'll be using our established fulfillment operation to fulfill the Kickstarter rewards for Empire Builder: Ireland and future projects. This gives us hands-on control over packing and shipping to ensure your game gets from our warehouse to your game table quickly, securely, and as inexpensively as possible.

WHEN WILL MY GAME SHIP?

We are currently planning for fulfillment of Empire Builder: Ireland rewards to begin in March 2027.

As with any crowdfunding project, manufacturing, freight, customs, politics, and other circumstances can affect the schedule. We are strongly committed to providing regular updates to keep backers informed throughout the process, so you'll always know where your game is on its journey.

WHAT WILL SHIPPING COST?

U.S. Shipping Estimate: $15–$35
We currently estimate shipping for one copy of Empire Builder: Ireland at $15–$35 within the United States. Because Kickstarter does not allow us to charge separate rates for Alaska, Hawaii, and APO/FPO/DPO addresses, the final shipping charge will depend in part on the mix of backer locations.

Pledges containing additional games or add-ons may have higher shipping costs based on the final size and weight of the shipment. Multiple items will be combined into a single shipment whenever practical to help keep shipping costs down.

Please note: All shipping rates shown during the campaign are estimates and are not guaranteed final prices. Shipping will be calculated and collected after the campaign, closer to fulfillment, based on current carrier rates, destination, and the final size, weight, and contents of your pledge.

Our goal is simple: pack your game carefully, ship it reliably, and get Empire Builder: Ireland from our warehouse to your game table safely.

INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING

We want to bring Empire Builder: Ireland to as many tables around the world as we reasonably can.

At this time, we are planning international fulfillment to Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and China.

Based on a pledge containing one copy of Empire Builder: Ireland, we currently estimate shipping at:

Canada: $25–$35
United Kingdom: $25–$35
European Union: $25–$40
China: $15–$25

Please note: All shipping rates provided during the campaign are estimates and are not guaranteed final prices. Final shipping charges will be calculated and collected after the campaign, closer to fulfillment, based on your destination, current carrier rates, and the final size, weight, and contents of your pledge.

VAT, TAXES & DUTIES

We're working to make international fulfillment as simple and predictable as possible. Our final fulfillment arrangements will determine how VAT, taxes, duties, and customs charges are handled. Any applicable VAT, taxes, duties, or customs charges are not included in the shipping estimates shown above and may be charged separately.

Where our fulfillment arrangements allow, we'll clearly identify EU Friendly and UK Friendly shipping and explain how applicable VAT, taxes, and duties will be collected.

Our goal is to give you a clear understanding of your expected shipping costs, taxes, and duties before you're asked to make your final shipping payment.

WHAT ABOUT OTHER COUNTRIES?

At launch, we are planning fulfillment to the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, European Union, and China.

We may add additional destinations if reliable and reasonably priced fulfillment options become available. However, no other international destinations are currently planned, so please do not pledge with the expectation that shipping to an unsupported country will be added later.

We don't want to promise delivery to a destination until we're confident we can fulfill your pledge reliably and at a reasonable cost.

If additional countries become available during or after the campaign, we'll announce them to our backers as soon as those arrangements are confirmed.

ESTIMATED TIMELINE

October 2026 - Kickstarter Campaign
Empire Builder: Ireland launches on Kickstarter!

November-December 2026 - Final Production Files
Complete and deliver final artwork and production files to the factory, including any campaign additions and backer personalization.

December 2026-January 2027 - Manufacturing & Production
Empire Builder: Ireland goes into production.

January-February 2027 - Freight & Fulfillment Preparation
Finished games make their way to our fulfillment locations as we prepare backer orders for shipment.

March 2027 - Estimated Delivery
Empire Builder: Ireland begins arriving on backers' game tables!

Empire Builder: Ireland has been carefully developed and prepared for production, and we're excited to bring it to your table. However, as with any crowdfunding project, manufacturing schedules, freight, tariffs, customs, and other circumstances beyond our control can affect production and fulfillment.

Please keep in mind that the components, materials, artwork, and final design shown throughout this campaign are subject to minor changes as we move through final production. Any changes we make will be made with the goal of delivering the best possible version of Empire Builder: Ireland.

Your pledge does not include shipping costs. Shipping will be calculated and collected separately after the campaign. Please see the Shipping Information section for estimated rates and additional information.

For more detailed information, see the additional Risks and Challenges section further down the page.

We've spent decades playing these games at the highest competitive level. We are committed to making each new or republished Empire Builder title the best it can be.

Each Empire Builder game is designed to offer:

Easy-to-learn gameplay that's immediately fun for brand-new players
Options for faster play when desired
A well-balanced card deck for competitive tournament or home play
Multiple strategic paths to victory
Tremendous replayability, with enough variation to keep the game interesting over hundreds of plays

Another important part of Darwin's Toys is its Minnesota-based team of artists and designers who have years of experience making board games and other products.

Everything in the box, from the cover to each component, is the result of thoughtful human collaboration using an iterative process intended to give each piece of the game an updated look and feel, while also ensuring each piece is appropriate and useful for game play. Darwin's Toys is committed to using this team and this process to bring great products to your gaming table for years to come.