PowerMonger takes the basic design and concepts of Bullfrog's previous game Populous, and places it in a war context. The game cast the player as a dispossessed warlord plundering his way through 195 territories on the way to world conquest. Several other leaders have the same goal.
The game features a gameworld made up of polygons, allowing for greater freedom in rotating and moving the view. Trade, diplomacy, inventions, and scorched earth invasions all play a key role in how the player progresses through the game. Two-player games via modem links are available on computer versions.