The Touhou Empires is a real-time strategy game set in the Touhou Project universe, blending strategy elements with familiar characters and abilities from the series. Developed for PC, it falls into the strategy and indie genres, where players manage resources, construct bases, and command armies to overcome opponents in the land of Gensokyo.
In this title, you take control of factions inspired by Touhou lore, gathering materials to build up your forces while deploying units with unique strengths and weaknesses. The game emphasizes tactical decisions, such as using special abilities drawn from the series' Spell Cards, to turn the tide of battles.
Gameplay
At its core, The Touhou Empires revolves around resource management and army building in a real-time setting. Players start by selecting a faction and establishing a base, then send out worker units like fairies to harvest resources such as wood, faith, and wine. These materials fuel the construction of structures that produce troops and unlock upgrades.
Combat follows a rock-paper-scissors system where unit types counter each other: archers outperform lancers, lancers dominate cavalry, and cavalry handle archers effectively. Lancer units also excel at destroying enemy buildings. Beyond basic troops, the game incorporates over 40 characters from the Touhou series, each bringing trademark Spell Cards for powerful, unique abilities that can shift battle outcomes.
Factions offer distinct playstyles; for example, the Hakurei Shrine focuses on strong defensive structures, while the Scarlet Devil Manor allows for quick deployment of potent early-game units. Players must consider unit weaknesses, terrain, and special techniques when planning attacks or defenses, creating layered strategic depth in an isometric view.
Game Modes
The game includes a comprehensive Story Mode that spans 20 stages, featuring over 30 Touhou characters in a campaign to uncover and resolve a mysterious incident in Gensokyo. This mode integrates tutorial elements, blending real-time strategy with visual novel-style dialogues for narrative progression.
For competitive play, Online Mode supports up to six players in battles with various rulesets, including 3v3 team matches and battle royale formats where the last faction standing wins. Matches can involve human opponents or CPU-controlled foes, with options for team setups on diverse maps.
Factions and Units
Factions draw from key Touhou groups, each with advantages and drawbacks tailored to different strategies. The Hakurei Shrine faction builds robust defenses to withstand assaults, whereas the Scarlet Devil Manor ramps up aggressive plays by summoning strong troops from the start.
Units vary widely, from mobile cavalry for quick strikes to far-reaching archers for ranged support and grimoires that unleash area spells. Fairies form the backbone of armies, upgraded into specialized roles like scouts, guardians, lancers, or cavalry to fit tactical needs.
Is It Worth Playing?
Previews of the demo highlight a simplified RTS experience that's accessible for newcomers while capturing Touhou's flashy elements through colorful special attacks and character abilities. Reviewers note the reasonable progression and fun unit interactions, though the game remains in development with ongoing updates to refine features like team selection.
For fans of the Touhou series or those seeking a lighter take on real-time strategy, the combination of base building, resource harvesting, and lore-inspired mechanics makes it a title to watch. If you enjoy tactical games with a touch of bullet hell flair, trying the available demo could help decide if it fits your style, especially as development continues toward full release.
