Expansion packs for the upcoming Europa Universalis 4 board game adaptation Europa Universalis: The Price of Power are already in discussions. The additional sets will range in size and scope, adding new mechanics, locations, and elements to the game that couldn’t be captured within its standard and deluxe editions.
Speaking to Wargamer, designer Eivind Vetlesen said he’s considering several possible paths to take with the expansions, although the first to release will likely be a smaller pack to follow the gargantuan size of the base game. “We’re probably not going to dive into the most heavy type of expansion right away,” he says. “We’re probably just going to make a simpler expansion that adds depth to more of the realms on the board.”
This depth will come in the form of additional missions that are better tailored to the starting conditions and geopolitical positions of smaller realms, alongside extra event cards to punctuate the game with random (and sometimes historical) upheavals. Vetlesen says there’s also the possibility of fleshing out existing mechanics further, rather than simply adding additional content.
“It’s some of those second-tier powers of Europe that we might add some more depth to,” Vetlesen says. Some fans already expressed interest in playing as Aragon, Lithuania, Portugal, Scotland, the nomadic peoples around the Black Sea and Central Asia, and other political entities often swallowed up during the unification of states. Granting entities like these more depth opens the door to further alternate-history pathways.
Similarly, Vetlesen sees opportunities to explore other ways of approaching the game that open the door to very different scenarios than those that will be included in the base game. “Savoy on the border of the Holy Roman Empire could be very interesting to develop,” he says, “or having all the players playing within the Holy Roman Empire.”
Expected to release in mid-2022, the Europa Universalis: The Price of Power base game doesn’t look like it will be missing much. It includes mechanics that let you play as over 100 nations, allowing you to assemble a bespoke mission deck for any nation on the map.
For a more in-depth look at the game, read our interview with Vetlesen in which we explore how The Price of Power will recreate the videogame’s historical sandbox gameplay in a board game. Or, if you’re after something to play right now, check out our pick of the best board games to pick up in 2021.