Aurelian: Restorer of the World

About this board game

Aurelian: Restorer of the World is a strategic-level solitaire board wargame for one player, designed to play in about 60 minutes.

The Roman Empire has fractured after decades of civil war, plague, and economic ruin. In 270, the troops along the Danube proclaim their commander, Lucius Domitius Aurelianus, emperor. You must guide his short reign as he attempts to reunite the remnants of the empire.

This is a fast, demanding game lasting a maximum of six turns. Aurelian must do far more than march across the map and defeat opponents. Every decision competes for limited time and resources, forcing difficult strategic choices throughout the campaign.

• Quell revolts and defeat usurpers.
• Manage the empire’s money.
• Maintain a strong defensive line along the Danube.
• Make war against Germanic tribes.
• Build up city defenses.
• Spread the cult of Sol Invictus.

Three cups represent shifting attitudes toward Aurelian’s rule. As you take actions, chits move from one cup to another, reflecting the changing pressures surrounding your leadership and connecting your choices to the wider condition of the empire.

Compared with the designer’s earlier games Agricola, Master of Britain and Charlemagne, Master of Europe, Aurelian: Restorer of the World is shorter and faster, but also more difficult. Success means balancing military action, political stability, finances, frontier security, urban defenses, and religious policy before the opportunity to restore Rome disappears.

If you can overcome these challenges, you will earn the title granted to Aurelian by the senate: Restitutor Orbis, “Restorer of the World.”