Kaiser

Kaiser is a turn-based political and business simulation set in 18th-century Germany. Players take the role of nobles in the Holy Roman Empire and compete to become emperor.

Up to nine players begin by entering their names and genders before receiving states within the empire. Each turn moves through a series of management screens covering trade, statistics, taxation, property, and spending.

Managing a State

Players buy and sell grain and land. Grain feeds the population, with poor weather potentially causing harvest losses and forcing nobles to purchase additional supplies. Providing surplus grain can encourage population growth and improve a state's reputation, while acquiring land supports population increases and economic development.

Statistics track births, deaths, immigration, emigration, income, and expenses. Tax rates, tariffs, and the severity of the justice system can also be adjusted. Harsh justice may increase short-term income, but can contribute to emigration.

Building Toward Nobility

Turn income can be spent on marketplaces and grain mills, both of which increase income, or on sections of a palace or cathedral. These grand buildings have no direct practical use but are required for advancement to the highest levels of nobility. Building options require a specified amount of land, and constructing five marketplaces and three mills creates a city.

Kaiser was released for the Amstrad CPC, Atari 8-bit, and Commodore C64/128/MAX.