Imperium player. There is also a system built into the game for production of new units, colonization, and other changes during the inter-war periods. Ships can age and be scrapped; the Emperor can grant or withdraw permission to build certain ship types, and territory can be exchanged. Reception In the January–February 1978 edition of The Space Gamer (No. 15), Tony Watson gave the game a strong recommendation, saying, ""Imperium brings together many common themes of science fiction, and ties them to an excellent and intriguing game system which places both players in a unique situation with unique abilities to respond to that situation. Its ease of play makes it an enjoyable game. I predict it will be a classic." In the September 1978 edition of Dragon (Issue 18), Dave Minch was ambivalent about the game. He liked the straightforward rules, saying, "It is a medium sized game of no great complexity which demands strategic attention and can be in doubt to the end. It is simple in many respects and has some excellent solutions to design problems which work well." However, Minch found the production values of the game components to be poor — the counters were too thin and not cut well, and the map contained errors. He also wanted more historical background to explain the setting of the game. Minch concluded, "Imperium has good points and bad, the good ahead by a slim margin. I think it’s worth your time since it shows a real regard for science fiction among the designers." In the December 1979 -January 1980 edition of White Dwarf (Issue #16), Colin Reynolds gave the game a rating of 9 out of 10, saying, "The whole is extremely well produced, boxed, with a colourful map and large, clear counters and simple, clear-cut rules. Imperium is, without exception, the best game of its kind I have seen to date, and is a valuable addition to any gamer's library." In the inaugural edition of Ares Magazine (March 1980), David Ritchie gave Imperium a better than average rating of 8 out of 9, saying, "This is either a serendipitous design or a cold-blooded development of a classic. Nicely conceived and beautifully executed. A moderately complex game, playable in a few hours.". In the 1980 book The Complete Book of Wargames, game designer Jon Freeman called the game's presentation "flawless", and said of the game, "While not wildly original,