44 BCE

About this board game

44 BCE is a rotating all-on-one strategy game for 2–5 players, with an approximately 150-minute play time, set in the power vacuum following Julius Caesar’s assassination.

The Ides of March have changed the Roman Republic forever. With no clear leader in place, the Senate awards Imperium Maius to one rival, while ambitious suitors scheme, conspire, collaborate, and backstab in the struggle for control.

Each player takes the role of one of five powerful contenders: Agrippa, Brutus, Cleopatra, Mark Antony, or Octavian. Your goal is to increase your Imperium while watching every shift in power. The current Imperium Maius competes against the other suitors to maintain control of the Republic, but alliances can change whenever an opportunity arises.

• Compete across six years, represented by six rounds.
• Work with fellow suitors while seeking advantages over them.
• Build enough Imperium to become the Senate’s next choice for Imperium Maius.
• Strive to finish with the most Imperium and claim the title of first Roman Emperor.

The Senate observes the changing balance of power and grants Imperium Maius to the most powerful leader. Eventually, it must concede when one contender has gathered an insurmountable amount of Imperium, and the Roman Empire is born.

In 44 BCE, cooperation is necessary but never entirely safe. Every rival may be a valuable ally one moment and the obstacle standing between you and the crown the next. After six dramatic years, only one leader will be anointed the first Emperor of Rome.